A sudden blow impacted the Gates of Tartarus, shaking the doors a little and startling Cerberus from his afternoon nap and gaining his mild curiosity. It had not been the first time that the doors had been struck from the inside, nor, he suspected, would it be the last. Every few hundred years or so some new Demon Lord came to power and decided that he or she was going to break out from their prison and swarm over the lands outside of their prison; they had never come close before, and Cerberus doubted that they ever would within his five-thousand-year lifespan.
His three heads yawning, Cerberus shrugged, lowered his heads again, and blocked out the pounding on the doors from the inside. Shortly thereafter, three separate snores filled the air from each head.
The impacts stopped...and were replaced with a muffled scraping sound. This sound continued for a few hours, and just as the sun began to sink below the horizon a small hill rose from the base of the doors on the far left side near the hinge (if you were facing the doors). Ten seconds later the hill collapsed inward and a spade poked up from the new hole, followed by a small brown goblin-like creature. The creature sniffed the air and glanced about, his golden eyes glowing brightly in the fading sunlight and waxing twilight (not the Unicorn, but the time of evening). He noted the huge snoring three-headed dog and grinned goofily in the manner of a excited child with his mouth open and four pointed teeth missing.
"Doggy!" He said cheerfully, and started towards it, but stopped as he recalled his Lord's orders. Sighing in disappointment and mild impatience, the brown creature turned back to the hole and emitted several sounds that, though they sounded like mindless chatter, were in fact the language of his race and varied breeds. He then hopped back in the hole and resumed digging.
Several hours later, as the time drew close to midnight, the hole became large enough for a seven-foot tall Minotaur to walk into, and had been formed in such a way as to be a pathway rather than a hole. From this doorway marched a dozen of the brown beings, armed and armored so as to look vaguely like well-trained soldiers, though their manner revealed that they were far from being such as they frequently nudged one another by accident or chattered excitedly to one another and pointed at the huge dog near them.
"Wanna ride doggie!" One declared, starting for Cerberus. He was stopped by a slap from one of his compatriots, and was reminded to stay put and wait for their master. They did not have to wait long, as they could already hear his thudding footsteps echoing up the tunnel they had dug for him.
Their Master stood nearly seven feet tall, and was completely covered in dented and soot-streaked armor arranged in such a way as to inspire fear in his enemies, and ooh's and aah's from his underlings. His eyes glowed as his minions did, but with a light that, when he was angry, turned to a blood red shade, and seemed to flicker with tongues of flame. His concealed muscles were hard from more than two decades of training and use, his voice inspired respect from rare friend and foes aplenty alike, and it was said by many he once ruled over that merely standing near him was enough for normal women to swoon (or else perhaps scream and run in horror beside their husbands or brothers)!
There was a time when his hair was blonde, there was a time when he could have been called a man, and might have in whispers been called a Hero, but fifteen and a half years in the Infernal Abyss had changed him. A man he was no longer. Now, he was what his title declared: This being was The Overlord, and he is the first, and only being to lead a successful escape from The Abyss and return to a realm of the living.
My name is Grimace, and I am the Griffin Bard charged with the retelling of my Master's (until my contract is up) actions on this mortal plane called Equis.
His story in our world begins, as I've stated, just outside the gate of Tartarus, but alas, his army of Minions was severely diminished fighting his way through and dominating the forces locked within Tartarus. He would need to rebuild them, but first he would need to find a source of life force to draw upon, and for his minions to start new nests. After all, he was in a new land, and there was no telling what he might encounter here.
But with so little life force at his disposal for the moment the most he could do was to start but one nest.
Which nest shall he restart first?
The Reds: Fire-hurlers and fire-eaters, the Reds could walk through fire and lava alike and could out of it without a scratch. This nest MUST be placed that is naturally hot.
The Blues: The Blues are immune to magic, bring back to life their deceased brethren, and can swim (unlike the rest of their colored brethren). Sadly they are physically weak, and cannot take much physical abuse. Their nest should be placed somewhere damp, and preferably close to fresh water.
The Greens: The Greens stink. *cough cough* Literally, unfortunately. Their green skin and natural innate magic allows them to blend in with all thick plant life (even though not all plants are green) and they are immune to poison. Their primary use is as back-stabbing assassins, though like the Blues they are not very durable, and if faced with melee combat against a skilled enemy will be killed quite quickly! Their nest should be placed either near a landfill, or in a swampy-area.
The Browns: The Browns are The Master's primary 'troops' and are strong, durable, and with rare exceptions about as smart as a tree stump. They are used primarily for melee combat, and also cost the least life energy to spawn. Their nest can be placed just about anywhere, though try to avoid populated areas, as they tend to want to ride anything that has four legs and looks to the Browns as if they can support the Brown's weight. (I know this from experience! *facetalon* )
