An Evil Seed is Sown

Soon after K"AR Tufs death, while the forms of religions were still ravaging across the lands of Evernight, there were still people who followed K'Ar Tufs teachings. The number of tribes and rulers who still followed her were nearly none. But they knew there best chance for survival was to stick together and wait for the prophecy K'Ar Tuf had given of a one supreme God coming to Evernight to come true. The Religions of the K'Ar Tuf loyalists were divided evenly between those who followed Chron, and those who followed Zan: The Only true honest and good religions. But honesty was a forgotten word to all other religions. Nergal the Mad had planted the seeds of evil in the religions of Mindbender, Incinerak, and Crank. And now, the factions opposing were made clear. Zan and Chron, against Bork and all the other religions behind it.

For 1,000 years the wise and clever minds of Chron and Zan worked together to fend off each attack made on their lands. The enemy was much, much bigger. And the war of attrition was beginning to take its toll. Among the tribes was a warlord named "StarkRaven". He was a strong and honest leader, deeply devoted to his religion of Chron. He had seen enough battles to know that you don't ask a Collosa for its wisdom. You must learn it by watching them. And the wisest of men could not outwit a Collossa.

When StarkRaven was young, he met a boy named Ares in a region adjacent to his own. It was a Zan tribe. But Ares always seems as if he knew something more. Like he was off in a distant land. Although Starkraven was a lot older than Ares, he knew the boy possessed great strength. The kind of strength that is in the mind, but can only be revealed through the look in his eyes.

Ares loved his village. The region he lived in was a swamp region known as "The Swamps Of Sadness". For many battles had been fought, and toads accompanied the dead no matter where they had fallen. StarkRaven knew as long as Ares was alive, no one outside of Ares' will would ever control it for a long period of time. Starkraven had long talks with Ares of this matter. And it was rather uncommon in those times to see two children of different religions talking. For a long time they had been friends. For a long time they had been enemies. But now, the two religions were hoping they were something more.

One evening, there was a great pain following through The Swamps Of Sadness region. It was such a strong pain from the people that the Chrons could feel it entering there land! StarkRaven was awaken from his chambers and with a small army, went into the swamps to find the problem. When the got to the home village of the region, he asked an old village woman what all the commotion was about. She replied "A traitor! There is a follower of Bork amongst us!” Starkraven got a cold chill up his spine. Only few ever dared the gods’ anger by converting secretly.

He went to the center of town with his army, and found Ares bound to a tree. He was covered in ash, and the ash made symbols on his body. They were all symbols of Bork. StarkRaven hung his head in dismay and wept. Two village women in the early evening saw Ares leave his home and followed him through the swamps. They saw him go to a clearing, and witnessed him building a fire and performing heinous rituals.

Deep down StarkRaven knew there was something more about the young Ares. But this was like a nightmare come true. Nothing had ever pointed him to believe this.

For his crimes, Ares was banished from his homeland forever. It was tradition that someone being banished be given a horse with a weeks worth of water. So Ares was given just that. As he rode away, the village could here him yelling in a faint voice from the distance: "The religion of Bork is the one true religion! One Day I will return to take back my homelands! You will all perish in flames!”

StarkRaven shivered. He knew there were fierce battles to come. And he knew he and Ares would meet again. As friends... enemies... or something more.