Selash's Record on a Visimontium Dark Age

Chapter I - Marching Up

-It happens within the blink of an eye, yet it takes years to prepare, decades to repair-.

boom... boom... boom… boom... Visimontium layed down, fast asleep. The City that went through so much despite her young history, the City that was destined to bear. Many of her citizens as so often at night followed her example and layed down, fast asleep.. The sounds were far from obvious yet, unlikely to be heard by anyone within the City’s borders. Not even the most vigilant, sharp ears heard that tremble, neither did the sharpest senses feel something shaking in the ground. For all, the city was fast asleep, dreaming of a new sunny day rising. Nobody could have heard nor felt the first acute signs: the smallest animals hiding away, not a bird whistling, bats and their prey were on a forced cease-fire only to save their lifes from what they knew was coming. Their senses predicted the dreams of a sunny day to be nothing but dreams, further away from the truth than anyone could have imagined. Though no one knew yet, this night like any others, was to become a night like no other had ever been: a new future was ahead.

Meanwhile a group of fully armed Sentinels headed out, accompanied by a mixed group of other individuals, in the direction of Geritri Forest. Not many signs of despair or fear were to be read on their faces yet, since for all they knew, they headed out to secure the city of Visimontium a bright sunny day upon her awakening. The sounds swelling deep underground remained a nightmare far away, till hells broke loose. boom... boom... boom... boom...

Of course those involved had gathered information about something ahead already. Signs for the future, even nightmares some had dreamed about Kalseru being slain and the Forest burning down to the ground, had many worried, but made none wise enough to predict. Rumours came from Jechran in the north, where a devastating demonic force ruined the lands in their search for Black Shards. In Visimontium, Geritri Forest had been the background of several odd sightings, yet small in number. Seemingly incoherent small assaults had troubled the City and Mount Crescetoria before. Most obvious must have been earlier Balor encounters: demon battlelords had already announced a new beginning, a new reign to the Sentinels on two occassions. That the graveness of what befell Jechran earlier would come to Visimontium at full force could not be imagined. In some way, you could say many were prepared for something to come, but none prepared for this.

Deep at that warm summer night of the decisive year 2179, a joined force patrol of the Sentinels, Shemathen and the Green Order went out to investigate the taint that had slowly befallen Geritri Forest. After warning signs from Geritri local ranger Conner and several Sentinels, the group was about to seek out Kalseru, who had not been seen for so long. After previous happenings in Geritri ordered by the Ancient Spirit, a taint seemed to have decimated the Treant population and all other lifeforms in the forest, and had Kalseru missing. For the group in the Forest this very night, the amount of demonkin, such as Wolf Beserkers and Rakshasa were more than ever seen before upon entering, while the creek had a foul coloured hint over it and a smell of sulpher. Something was lurking. As the group finally found Kalseru, the relief and happiness of retrieving him weren't for long. It wasn’t consult they recieved, nor any good news. Grave news, spoken by one who suspected death and darkness to arrive. The stench and heat at that time had become as unbearable as the truth Kalseru came with: the demons were marching up, and about to arrive. Then suddenly all broke loose within the blink of an eye! Simultaneously with these words spoken, all senses awoke: the sounds of thousands and thousands marching up... boom.. boom... boom.. BOOM! None could deny it anymore, it was for all to hear and feel now. Unstoppably closer and closer it came, hearts crawled up to the throats: an overwhelming fear, nothing but fear. All to hang onto now was Kalseru, untill the last chance, the last hope was smashed to pieces when he came: Malekanthos. He petrified Kalseru and opened the gates. While the flames rose to overtake the forest, uncontrollably spewing out demons in large numbers, nothing more could be done to prevent it: a new era had started, right on that summer night, right in Geritri Forest.

While Sentinels, Shemathen and Green magi ran for their lives, away from the flames and marching minions, some limping, some just grabbed by blind panic, the gates stayed open.. to close no more for years to come.

A new day dawned, the sun rose despite the thick black clouds of smoke that her rays had to fight their way through now. The City woke up, but remained as silent as it had been at night. Speechless, overwhelmed by fear, Visimontium tried to realize her new future to cope with now. From Geritri and Mount Crescetoria the booming, threathening noise just sounded. The endless noise of armies from the depths marching up.

The demon invasion had started.