The End Times
The Cedrist myth of The End Times, would most closely resemble an end of the world story, with the only major difference being that it is unknown in Cedrist dogma and mythology who wins the final battle during the End Times.
-As recalled by the Great Prophet, Brrapa Lu'Eraro.
The Gate:
I saw before me a great gate, massive in structure yet plane in
appearance. Its doors had neither handles, nor hinges, nor lock;
seeming simply to hang there in midair, baring the way. I sense immense
darkness beyond the gate but when I tried to sense further I was
overwhelmed by the sure power of the evil and feared for my vary soul
should I seek further. I looked about me and found I was in a blackened
cave, dark, cold, yet dry as a desert. Not a drop of moisture could be
felt within the recesses of this cavern, Should I have spit upon the
ground it would have seemed a flood to this place. I saw than in the
dim torches, the source of the light that let me see anything, but they
lacked fire. Instead, they glowed as if by magik, lighting the tunnel
with a faint orange and purple glow. It was than that I saw it, a
creature red in appearance crouching silently in a corner studying me
closely. As I looked upon it its eye lit up red as if set ablaze within
its skull, and slowly the creature rose before me. What a massive
creature it was when fully erect before me, what an awesome brute. I
could sense a Dæmonic air about it and began to fear that I was seeing
before me a full fledge Dæmon of Balgurd. Feeling the growing fear
within my mind, the creature laughed a deep, bellowing laugh, which
seemed to cause the entire tunnel to shake. It spoke:
"Why are you here old man? Why do you now stand there with a God thing
at your side? Why has it brought you?"
I looked to my left and felt the presence of the God Hasan standing at
my side. Hasan was silent or at least spoke in no sense I could hear,
but the dæmon seemed to become humbled before the God. It spoke:
"I am the dæmon Rrakanychan, bested by your Kaiser millennia ago and
cursed to wait in this cave till the End Times. Here I must remain
until the day when the Legions of Balgurd spring forth from this gate
to make war upon Mortal Man and the Gods."
I watched the creature as it spoke and sensed in it immense rage and
anger as it recounted its roll to me. And yet, I pitied it, cursed for
all time to remain in this cave, only to leave to warn the world of
impending doom. The creature returned to its seat in the corner of the
cave and paid me no more heed. It was now that Hasan turned and spake
unto me:
"Come O' Prophet, O' Voice of the Gods. I have more to show you."
The Battle:
Suddenly I stood upon the rampart of a mightily fortified wall, and
quickly recognized it as the great capital of Shirekeep. I looked back,
down into the city and saw that it was ablaze, bodies littering the
streets and allies. Among the bodies ran and moved soldiers of the
empire and peasant baring arms. There was a mighty crash as a ball of
flame came down upon the city, landing on a building. I saw the smoke
billowing up from the city, countless columns of black smoke licked the
sky; the sun was obscured from sight by the thick black gasses. I
looked to the keep itself and saw that it to was ablaze in sections;
the roof of the great hall was collapsed. I looked to the troops in the
street; their uniforms tattered and raged, their armor covered in mud
and blood. As I looked, my eyes followed a company of cavalry move
through the city and through the now destroyed city gate. I watched
them, and as I watch, I saw a great army of men before the city wall.
They marched in rank and file away from the city. As I looked out over
the plain before the city, I saw it, and a mighty host it was.
Thousands upon thousands of creatures marched recklessly toward the
city. Hideous in appearance they were, bodies mangled and deformed but
with no seeable loss of ability. They looked to have once been Mortal
Men, but now, their skin was stark black and many seemed not
to even have he slightest semblance of clothing or armor upon them.
Hasan spoke to me:
"These are the Legions of Balgurd; the twisted and mutilated souls of
once Mortal Men. They serve the Dæmons now, but not by original choice.
They were, many of them, once might soldiers in the Mortal Realm who
has their souls forcibly removed by the Dæmon Fish. Once stolen their
souls are brought back through the Gate of Balgurd where they are
twisted, tortured and mutilated till they lose all traces of their
humanity. They are minions of darkness now, but are not past redemption
should their soul ever be freed and allowed back into the Mortal Realm
their Karma could be cleansed in time."
I beseeched the God:
"When did this begin?"
Hasan Answered:
"The legions have been upon the land for one full year. The world of
Mortal Man has been utterly destroyed; all but a few strongholds of man
have fallen to the Legions. This city represents one of the last
strongholds of the world, yet should it fall there will be no hope for
Mortal Man. Nay! Even the Gods are threatened by the advancing hordes.
Should the Realm of Mortal Men fall the way shall be open for the
Dæmons to make war directly upon the Realm of the Divine. Man must not
fall. See now."
The Last Stand:
Something flashed before my eyes; bright white was all I could see
before me, than black. The world faded back into my vision. I saw
before me once again the field of battle; four days had past. The
bodies of the dead covered the ground before the city walls, rivers of
blood now ran were streams and brooks once ran. I saw the shattered
remains of the army of Mortal Men. Across the field, much closer than
when I last saw them, was the Legions of Balgurd. But they were not
alone, behind them, at there back like slave drivers stood massive
dæmons and other spawn of Balgurd. They were numerous and armed with
weapons of great potency. I now feared for Mortal Man, and for the
Gods, but as my fear began to grow, I saw figured moving among the army
of man. The Gods themselves, accompanied by warriors of ages long past,
prepared for the final onslaught. I saw there Mors and Tempus side by
side, wielding The Sword of Death and the Sword of Tempus. I saw then
Kaisers, warriors and nobles of ages past preparing for war. I saw
moving among the wounded the Goddesses Viviantia and Breiza healing the
wounded and dieing. There too I saw all the other Gods of the Celestial
Temple preparing for war, arming themselves with divine weapons and
armor.
Soon the time of battle was upon them, the final battle which in
essence determined the fate of the world was soon to begin. Man verses
Monster, God verses Dæmon. It was now that Hasan turned to me again:
"The Gods have been preparing for this time since the beginning times
and even we do not know the outcome. We have saved all the great
warriors and tacticians of ages past in the Hall of Valhalla in
preparation for this day. We have forged the Great Swords and armor
divine for this battle and even that may not stop the Legions and their
Dæmon masters. Remember what you have seen here."
As he finished speaking, the two armies marched swiftly toward each
other and as the two forces began to clash, something flashed before my
eyes and I awoke. ----
See also: Brrapa Lu'Eraro, Religion, Dæmons, [[Divine
Census]], Balgurd