Prince of Darkness

[Marko]

CHAPTER LIII
THE FORTRESS OF NIMRUD
Isis 67 - Re 67

Emperor looked the destruction around him with growing horror. With only a one year his powerful empire has fallen to ruins. Everywhere are wolves and Ghost Riders, demons are flying over burning cities, Lucifers move around destroying all on their way.

Had he ever could foresee this! He would have prepared much better. Now all the hope was waning quickly. Their defence plans were failed one after another because of the unexpectedly fast Stygian advances. Now Babylon has fallen and Stygians threaten to capture Nimrud. Maybe to leave back to Ergili? Ergili province is still the safest place in the Empire. But no! If Nimrud falls then there will be no hope left. Fortress of Nimrud is the only place what they have chance to defend if priests manage to capture more Lucifers. Plengor and Menua understand this too and they are staying here.

In Re 67 Stygians took Amaia, Ashur and Eridu. Amaia was captured by Ghost Legions which were not seen before. Nimrud was now isolated from rest of the Empire. Euphrattis political elite, who were hiding in the fortress, lost any contact with the outer world. There was no escape route left. They had to defend the fortress or die.

 

[Marko]

CHAPTER LIV
END OF THE REIGN
Anubis 67 - Horus 67

In Anubis 67 wise men told to emperor that they had discovered the secret of Divine Intervention. They know now how to design powerful flying Archangels and build a new wonder called Divine Transformation.

"So, this is the road what Vladimir and Marsutan meant we have to go" thought Murabi. "But it is too late now. We have no strenght left. The Stygians have won and the World will be covered with darkness. Only thing what we can do now is to die honorably."

Two months later Ghost Riders broke through weak defences and invaded to the peninsula. Nimrud was captured and nobody in the fortress escaped alive. So ended the rule of Murabi, who was at first sultan and later emperor of Euphrattis.

 

[Marko]

The forum was down so long that I took time and wrote additional and final chapter of the story.

 

[Marko]

CHAPTER LV
EPILOGUE
Horus 67 - Re 66

After the fall of Nimrud in Horus 67, Ergili province still continued the fight. The governor of province, Nebut, had made several unsuccessful attempts to liberate Athribis from Stygians. It was reported that many Lucifers had stopped in this city making it very important target. But all priests, who were sent out, were killed before they could reach to Athribis.

By Hathor 67 it was clear that Murabi together with Plengor and Menua had been killed by Stygians. So Nebut decided to declare himself a new sultan. He had no illusions about the future of his sultanate but he decided to take last from the life. So, the inauguration party in Ergili was as great as was possible in underground tunnels below the city.

Three months later the sultan had to move to Dariush Kabir as Ergili fell to Ghost Riders. He narrowly managed to avoid Lucifers surrounding the city. The Ghost Riders followed him closely and sultan had to escape to trading ship which came from Larsa. Nebut ordered the captain to take course to Quinsay colony. The colony was in island and there was hope that Stygians hadn't captured it yet.

The ship didn't reach far. Near the Brimstone island a Lucifer attacked and sank it. The last ruler of Euphrattis had died. Two months later, in Re 66, brave defenders of Larsa were finally overrun and all the country was now under Stygian rule.

THE END

 

[Leowind]

Great story! So sad to see it end poorly I think once the Stygians start making Lucifers it's all over. My own game is going much better. Somewhere in the 67s, I think, and I've conquered about half of the Stygian homeland and pushing toward Malebolge. Archangels are very powerful when there are no Lucifers around