The Arch-Devil Thur'uzuul awakes his legions in the City of Deceit, far to the north. With fear and promises of carnage, he unites the goblinoid and orc tribes. A huge horde sweeps on the lands of humans. The Arch-Angel Dumah awakes from the Golden Spire in the Alabaster Desert, and summons forth his angelic host, far to the south. The celestial armies prepare to engage their nemesis, occupying human lands for their own protection.
The shattered empire of Aduria is one of the last realms still free from heavenly or hellish domination, but also finds itself in the middle of the struggle. Emperor Exerus Thorion XXXIV is surrounded on all sides. From the east, a barbaric horde invades the Empire in this moment of weakness. Exerus, knowing he cannot hope to defeat Heaven and Hell, turns his attention to this more natural menace.
On the Field of Valor, Exerus leads his imperial legions to confront the barbaric horde, led by Cnaiur, son of Koah, the most violent of Men. In the middle of the battle, Exerus finds Cnaiur, and challenges him. Exerus is a warrior and general of many battles, but Cnaiur is more similar to the avatar of the god of War, than to a mere mortal. Ready to die, Exerus shouts a last battle cry, an invocation to Athun to accept him in his Valhalla, and raises his Hammer high to the sky. Recognizing the name of his patron God, Cnaiur holds his hand. He realizes that Exerus wields the Hammer of Athun, and bends the knee to him.
Exerus, after seeing the courage and murderous power of the barbarians, takes them under his reign, and unites the two armies. Exerus and Cnaiur fight together on both fronts, killing angels and devils with no regard for allegiances. As legend has it, they only know one day of peace in 25 years of war. Such was their friendship, that Exerus gifted his own daughter, Lavinia, to Cnaiur, to have her as bride, linking their blood together.
* * *
On the Day of Doom, on the Field of Strife, Thur'uzuul himself leads the last of his fiendish armies to crush the Empire once and for all. The Holy Dumah, righteously enraged by the pride of Men, prepares to do the same. Exerus and Cnaiur stand side by side. "Athun came to me last night, old friend, with a dark omen" said Exerus. Cnaiur nodded, for Athun had visited also him the previous night "Only one of us will survive the battle". "I leave you my Empire, Cnaiur, son of Koah, lead them to victory in the name of Athun" was the oath of Exerus. "I leave you my immortal Soul, Exerus, Most Noble of Men, keep it safe until we meet again" was the oath of Cnaiur.
With heavy hearts, they charged into the enemy lines. Not Heaven, nor Hell could stand their fury, and for the first time angels and devils tasted what clutches the hearts of men from the day we're born, until we die. Fear. Men died, their screams mixed to those of their celestial and fiendish opponents. On one side of the battle, Dumah managed to surprise Exerus, and hold him with his golden fail, while Thur'uzuul pierced the heart of the Emperor with Soulreaper, his devilish sword.
As his corpse fell to the ground, a roar exploded from the battlefield. Cnaiur came charging into them, engaging them both. Snatching the Hammer of Athun from Exerus's cold hands, he stood ready. "Your soul is doomed, mortal" said Dumah, with a sad smile. "Your soul is mine, mortal" said Thur'uzuul, with a grin. "I have no Soul, fools" said Cnaiur bitterly, his face a stoic mask without expression. Thur'uzuul had conquered layers of the infernal realms, and claimed millions of souls. And Dumah had fought countless battles, and always been victorious. But they had never met a mortal like Cnaiur... or was he really a mortal? On that day, they really believed he was Athun, fallen from the Divine Realms to put an end to their existence. Everything they had, they threw at him. Holy and unholy powers, magic, claws, horns, steel, rage, fury.
And he took all the blows, and many said he looked like a living dead, his wounds too many and too deep for a mortal to still stand. But he stood... and he fought back. Each blow, was a thunder. Each hit, a lighting strike. As Thur'uzuul bent the knee on the ground, and Dumah was about to regain his footing, Cnaiur cleaved them both, screaming with Fury. "I am Cnaiur, Bane of the Gods!" And Heaven and Hell surrendered to Men. Dumah and Thur'uzuul swore on their immortal souls and existence to never again raise their banners against him, and to seal their oath, each of them gifted him with his own most beloved daughter. "Surely, no Devil nor Angel can bring you down, Cnaiur the Unnatural" lamented Thur'uzuul." Indeed, only one with your own blood, mixed with the power of heaven and hell, could attempt such a feat" agreed Dumah.
* * *
Cnaiur returned to the Capital with Aeris, daughter of Dumah, and Nar’Herix, daughter of Thur'uzuul. On a fateful night, when the rage possessed him, and the grief for the loss of his friend Exerus could not be contained, he took them both. And nine months later, on the same night, each of them gave birth to a child. One angel, one devil, in their veins flowed the blood of Cnaiur, and the blood of his most hated enemies.
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