Post by Preston on Sept 22, 2009 15:23:28 GMT -5
On October 7th 2009, the world changed.
For reason that continue to be unexplained, a huge storm that was forming outside San Francisco continued to grow in size. Three days later, it covered the entire Eastern United States. Then after a week, the whole of the United States was cut off from the rest of the world in an eternal night.
On 7/10/09 it happened. New Orleans, on some unforeseen signal was completed wiped off the map and a wind like the world had never seen tore across the Eastern United States, tearing it into the ocean.
The world looked on in horror. But this was only the beginning.
The storm swept north, leaving massive devastation in its path. The United States was crippled, for some unknown (for now) reason, New York seemed to survive. Canada was next, and the whole of the country was left in ruins, with hundreds of thousands surviving in a country once populated by millions. Further and further North the storm swept, until it finally halted at the Arctic Circle, a great cloud forming, hiding something within, and as it formed, a waiting cloaked figure grinned a death’s head grin and walked into the cloud. Then the troubles really began. As the world collectively held its breath some malevolent God smiled.
And waited.
The days past, and eventually a secret organisation from England sent a small team to investigate what was happening at the eye of the storm. They weren't the only ones, Armed forces from all over the world, news crews and observers had travelled North to see what had happened. And on the 25th of November, from the dark eye of the storm a figure approached the awaiting troops, and announced to them that their world was at an end, and they could surrender themselves now to the God of Skulls and their death would be swift.
The figure was riddled with gunfire, and the final sacrifice was complete.
A rift tore open, and from within hundreds of thousands, if not millions of daemons tore through the gap. To begin with, man sized monsters of nightmare poured through, but they became larger and larger, until pestilent creations the size of skyscrapers began to make their way through, laughing as they obliterated all that lay before them....so many people died that day, so many sacrificed to the Four Gods who had opened the rift. There is only one known survivor and he fled back to the Order who had sent him, from the misty depths of Wales to prepare for the worst...But it was already too late.
The rift had been brought about by one man. An Immortal by the name of Preston had sought yet further control over the world by summoning a Prince of Daemons to be his slave. He had failed, and had caused the rift. Preston was elevated to the rank of Prince of Daemons, and whilst retaining his human form he became more powerful than any man who walked. He and his secret organisation of Malkavians walked the earth at the heads of the Hordes of Chaos and all fell before them.
Many men fell to insanity; others simply joined the horde before them. But the battle by many to save humanity failed within days. The Daemons were simply too many, and humanity was crushed. Every major city, bar two was destroyed; the Asian and Australian continents became desolate wastelands, eternal battlefields for the Daemons. Europe was laid to waste, a massive sacrifice to the God of Blood, and Africa as the result of a gigantic spell of massive proportions by Preston to demonstrate his power, sank into the oceans.
The complete destruction of the human race seemed inevitable. Those humans who joined with the Daemons became warped figures; their personality obliterated and clad in suits of black armour, consummate warriors wielding blades of Chaos itself and destroying any opponent who stood before them. Until finally the Daemons came to the small island of England and here they met their first true resistance. The survivor of the Rift’s opening had returned to the aisle and the ancient order known as the Guardians, lead by the Grand Master Marten amassed their arms and magic to fight this foe.
As the Daemons landed on the shores of England, they were cut down in their thousands as they mounted the beaches. Huge daemons capable of crushing buildings underfoot emerged from the oceans they had walked through to be consumed by holy fire. The Daemons met their first defeat, and their leader N’Kari – The Lord of Change – lead yet more of his warriors into battle, until the members of the Guardians were outnumbered a hundred to one.
To win the battle had never been the Guardian’s intention. They had bought time for the witches of their order to create a shield around the city of London, preventing any Daemon from entering – and the Guardians had allowed their Grand Master to engage N’Kari in single combat.
Preston was now a Daemon Prince, and was ranked high among the daemons. But N’Kari was a King of Daemons and when he vanished after his battle with the Grand Master – some say to battle Master Marten for eternity, others say they destroyed one another – The Daemon forces were thrown into disarray. Preston lead the forces of Chaos on a purge, leaving England and Ireland a wasteland, killing all they could find, but they could not bypass the shield the witches had formed. The Guardians had failed in their task, and the few survivors took up the protection of London as their charge. They re-named themselves “The Unforgiven” and began to prepare for a long war.
The Daemons had lost their king, and many Princes now tried to claim that title. Preston remained the most powerful, but he could not defeat all of his rivals without leaving himself weak to another attack. And thus the Daemons descended into civil war, five Princes in total seeking dominion over all. The remaining humans do their best to survive, for if they are caught in a war for their own world. Judas Dean, the only survivor of the rift opening rose to become leader of the humans living in London, and continue to prepare for a last stand he knows is coming.
It was not the only human city to survive. Whilst a coven of powerful witches created and held the shield protecting London, New York City survived by the military deploying a high powered energy shield from the top of the Empire State Building moments before the storm tore America asunder. New York survives to the present day, with great gates guarding the entrances to the city, and any who do not have the correct identification that approach are gunned down without mercy. And thus New York survives. Similar technology was established in Washington DC as the Daemon forces attacked, but this shield – projected from the White House roof – is now beginning to fail, and the Daemon forces are beginning to find their way through.
That was a year ago. Washington is now on the verge of collapse, and the loss of this fortress would increase the power of Zyras the Wraith to such an extent she could seek to challenge Preston, who resides in his Fortress of Ice and Fire, in the centre of the Rift – the area around it now referred to as the Eye of Terror. London and New York are linked by a teleportation device, but while New York’s technology continues to run strong, the power of the witches who protect London is beginning to fade.
Band of scavengers and pirates have begun to appear also. Small settlements are beginning to form in the Wastelands, some slaughtered by Daemons, others remaining. Other daemons have begun to emerge – with the half breeds such as Vampires coming forth from the shadows, some to join the daemons others to defend their territory. In the Highlands of Scotland, a Vampire Lord has risen with a city in the mountains standing against the Daemons. And the infamous Pirate’s Bay still stands, a haven for pirates and scavengers – both human and Vampire alike.
And a new threat has arisen to both Daemon and Human alike. The dark and polluted deserts of both Wales and Southern America has left dark magic deep in the soil, and the bodies of millions there, including the great mass graves dug by the Daemons. Men with Darkness in their hearts and souls have found the power to raise and control the Dead, operating from a Dark Tower deep in the dark lands, they seek to raise an army of the dead and march on the known world and bring it to its knees.
There is hope none-the-less. The Daemons still war among themselves, and heroes are still alive. There is Judas Dean, the leader of The Unforgiven in London, Major Carlos Winters the commander of the New York Fortress and Jack Myers the unofficial King of the Pirates who is no friend to Daemons.
Most importantly, Witches and prophets alike have seen the image of the Slayer of Kings – a single figure walking alone through the wastelands. His identity and purpose are unknown, but he is known to be seeking down the Princes of Chaos, carrying guns that rumour has it are blessed by God to slay those princes. They are sure he truly seeks Preston, for with the great sorcerer’s death, the war may end, and the Daemons would return to whence they came.
For now only the Lost and Damned remain on earth. And the final battle between them is surely coming.
For reason that continue to be unexplained, a huge storm that was forming outside San Francisco continued to grow in size. Three days later, it covered the entire Eastern United States. Then after a week, the whole of the United States was cut off from the rest of the world in an eternal night.
On 7/10/09 it happened. New Orleans, on some unforeseen signal was completed wiped off the map and a wind like the world had never seen tore across the Eastern United States, tearing it into the ocean.
The world looked on in horror. But this was only the beginning.
The storm swept north, leaving massive devastation in its path. The United States was crippled, for some unknown (for now) reason, New York seemed to survive. Canada was next, and the whole of the country was left in ruins, with hundreds of thousands surviving in a country once populated by millions. Further and further North the storm swept, until it finally halted at the Arctic Circle, a great cloud forming, hiding something within, and as it formed, a waiting cloaked figure grinned a death’s head grin and walked into the cloud. Then the troubles really began. As the world collectively held its breath some malevolent God smiled.
And waited.
The days past, and eventually a secret organisation from England sent a small team to investigate what was happening at the eye of the storm. They weren't the only ones, Armed forces from all over the world, news crews and observers had travelled North to see what had happened. And on the 25th of November, from the dark eye of the storm a figure approached the awaiting troops, and announced to them that their world was at an end, and they could surrender themselves now to the God of Skulls and their death would be swift.
The figure was riddled with gunfire, and the final sacrifice was complete.
A rift tore open, and from within hundreds of thousands, if not millions of daemons tore through the gap. To begin with, man sized monsters of nightmare poured through, but they became larger and larger, until pestilent creations the size of skyscrapers began to make their way through, laughing as they obliterated all that lay before them....so many people died that day, so many sacrificed to the Four Gods who had opened the rift. There is only one known survivor and he fled back to the Order who had sent him, from the misty depths of Wales to prepare for the worst...But it was already too late.
The Beginning of the End
The rift had been brought about by one man. An Immortal by the name of Preston had sought yet further control over the world by summoning a Prince of Daemons to be his slave. He had failed, and had caused the rift. Preston was elevated to the rank of Prince of Daemons, and whilst retaining his human form he became more powerful than any man who walked. He and his secret organisation of Malkavians walked the earth at the heads of the Hordes of Chaos and all fell before them.
Many men fell to insanity; others simply joined the horde before them. But the battle by many to save humanity failed within days. The Daemons were simply too many, and humanity was crushed. Every major city, bar two was destroyed; the Asian and Australian continents became desolate wastelands, eternal battlefields for the Daemons. Europe was laid to waste, a massive sacrifice to the God of Blood, and Africa as the result of a gigantic spell of massive proportions by Preston to demonstrate his power, sank into the oceans.
The complete destruction of the human race seemed inevitable. Those humans who joined with the Daemons became warped figures; their personality obliterated and clad in suits of black armour, consummate warriors wielding blades of Chaos itself and destroying any opponent who stood before them. Until finally the Daemons came to the small island of England and here they met their first true resistance. The survivor of the Rift’s opening had returned to the aisle and the ancient order known as the Guardians, lead by the Grand Master Marten amassed their arms and magic to fight this foe.
As the Daemons landed on the shores of England, they were cut down in their thousands as they mounted the beaches. Huge daemons capable of crushing buildings underfoot emerged from the oceans they had walked through to be consumed by holy fire. The Daemons met their first defeat, and their leader N’Kari – The Lord of Change – lead yet more of his warriors into battle, until the members of the Guardians were outnumbered a hundred to one.
To win the battle had never been the Guardian’s intention. They had bought time for the witches of their order to create a shield around the city of London, preventing any Daemon from entering – and the Guardians had allowed their Grand Master to engage N’Kari in single combat.
Preston was now a Daemon Prince, and was ranked high among the daemons. But N’Kari was a King of Daemons and when he vanished after his battle with the Grand Master – some say to battle Master Marten for eternity, others say they destroyed one another – The Daemon forces were thrown into disarray. Preston lead the forces of Chaos on a purge, leaving England and Ireland a wasteland, killing all they could find, but they could not bypass the shield the witches had formed. The Guardians had failed in their task, and the few survivors took up the protection of London as their charge. They re-named themselves “The Unforgiven” and began to prepare for a long war.
The Daemons had lost their king, and many Princes now tried to claim that title. Preston remained the most powerful, but he could not defeat all of his rivals without leaving himself weak to another attack. And thus the Daemons descended into civil war, five Princes in total seeking dominion over all. The remaining humans do their best to survive, for if they are caught in a war for their own world. Judas Dean, the only survivor of the rift opening rose to become leader of the humans living in London, and continue to prepare for a last stand he knows is coming.
It was not the only human city to survive. Whilst a coven of powerful witches created and held the shield protecting London, New York City survived by the military deploying a high powered energy shield from the top of the Empire State Building moments before the storm tore America asunder. New York survives to the present day, with great gates guarding the entrances to the city, and any who do not have the correct identification that approach are gunned down without mercy. And thus New York survives. Similar technology was established in Washington DC as the Daemon forces attacked, but this shield – projected from the White House roof – is now beginning to fail, and the Daemon forces are beginning to find their way through.
That was a year ago. Washington is now on the verge of collapse, and the loss of this fortress would increase the power of Zyras the Wraith to such an extent she could seek to challenge Preston, who resides in his Fortress of Ice and Fire, in the centre of the Rift – the area around it now referred to as the Eye of Terror. London and New York are linked by a teleportation device, but while New York’s technology continues to run strong, the power of the witches who protect London is beginning to fade.
Band of scavengers and pirates have begun to appear also. Small settlements are beginning to form in the Wastelands, some slaughtered by Daemons, others remaining. Other daemons have begun to emerge – with the half breeds such as Vampires coming forth from the shadows, some to join the daemons others to defend their territory. In the Highlands of Scotland, a Vampire Lord has risen with a city in the mountains standing against the Daemons. And the infamous Pirate’s Bay still stands, a haven for pirates and scavengers – both human and Vampire alike.
And a new threat has arisen to both Daemon and Human alike. The dark and polluted deserts of both Wales and Southern America has left dark magic deep in the soil, and the bodies of millions there, including the great mass graves dug by the Daemons. Men with Darkness in their hearts and souls have found the power to raise and control the Dead, operating from a Dark Tower deep in the dark lands, they seek to raise an army of the dead and march on the known world and bring it to its knees.
There is hope none-the-less. The Daemons still war among themselves, and heroes are still alive. There is Judas Dean, the leader of The Unforgiven in London, Major Carlos Winters the commander of the New York Fortress and Jack Myers the unofficial King of the Pirates who is no friend to Daemons.
Most importantly, Witches and prophets alike have seen the image of the Slayer of Kings – a single figure walking alone through the wastelands. His identity and purpose are unknown, but he is known to be seeking down the Princes of Chaos, carrying guns that rumour has it are blessed by God to slay those princes. They are sure he truly seeks Preston, for with the great sorcerer’s death, the war may end, and the Daemons would return to whence they came.
For now only the Lost and Damned remain on earth. And the final battle between them is surely coming.