War of Light and Shadow - The Shadow God's Trap

Upon the blackened throne of Astanor sat Ulhaeron, his throne adorned with trophies of misery, wickedness, corruption and enslavement.

His court was surrounded with his mightiest lieutenants, devils that were once of the Ashar or the Vaenu, before the Shadow God robbed them of their soul, and turned them into hollowed avatars of vanity.

The courtyard swarmed with mighty Khorgons, armed with implements of annihilation, and following them, countless other servants of the Shadow.

It was a dismal sight, that robbed any who gazed upon them of their very will to exist.

But where Caldonas stepped, hope still stirred in the hearts of the brave, and the Cal'ashan were dauntless.

Even in the heart of the enemy's territory, terribly outnumbered, and most likely stepping into a terrible trap, none of them could ignore the unique opportunity to destroy this evil before it spread further, and end the corruption that would plague countless of innocent souls.

And thus, consoled by the thought of retribution, the brave warriors approached the grandiose Shadow God, who stood from his throne, peering at them through hollowed sockets.

This moment was the culmination of many events. For at last, the Shadow God's plan was laid bare for all to see, and it was a true masterwork of a thoroughly wicked and corrupt mind.

The details of what went on are too engrossing to recount here. Suffice it to say, that Ulhaeron drove Caldonas into a fit of wrath unlike any other, and a duel broke between them.

But Ulhaeron had misjudged the situation. He had believed anger would drive Caldonas out of control, and thus give him an easy victory, and the annihilation of his hated foe. Instead, a relentless fury had possessed Caldonas, such that no trick would deceive him, no feint would thwart him, nor could Ulhaeron riposte against his blows.

Unwittingly, through his arrogance, the Shadow God had sharpened his enemy's focus into an edge of diamond. Instead of triumph, Ulhaeron barely escaped with his life. But not before managing to score a grievous wound against his enemy.

While the demons were too shocked from Ulhaeron's wound to give pursuit, the Cal'ashan retreated, bearing the grievously wounded Caldonas into safety. Even so, the damage that had been wrought with these events was immense.

The Cal'ashan were now too few to hold onto any of their bastions, or even keep guard over the worlds they had reclaimed. They were all forced to converge on Akuinor, the seat of the Aldoren, which was being hastily fortified as the last place in the Universe where Light could still withstand the rise of the Shadow.

Everywhere else, the entire Dream had turned into Nightmare, and the armies of the Shadow God marched triumphantly upon countless worlds with little resistance. Even as Ulhaeron recovered from the terrible wounds that he had taken during his duel with Caldonas, his armies were swelling with thousands who willingly gave up, either to save their skin, or to claim their very own morcel of power and glory that Ulhaeron had promised with a sibilant voice, gnawing at the edges of their consciousness.