The trials of life
A week passed since the end of the month long tarnished war. Many a tarnished were executed during that time as their crimes were listed before them as a dagger of black cut them down. The warring states took this time to repair their kingdoms and solidify themselves even further but conflicts soon arose as they tried to reclaim the conquered lands only to meet strong resistance from the remaining tarnished forces still in the coasts and neighboring lands.
The lands were healing, slowly but surely the influence of outer gods left it as if a parasite dying. Liurnia fully removed the influence of the erd tree as the new sapling of the halig tree took root and sprouted. Nothing but the size of a small house,the sapling would grow to rival the erdtree, of that Miquella was sure of. Still, with the presence of Leonel it was more than enough to ward off any avatars of the gods.
He knew it though, as he sat upon the growing sapling he looked towards the earth below him in concern. There where two more demigods one of which was currently preparing and bolstering his strength. Mogh the lord of blood and avatar of the formless mother. His forces of blood beasts and scarlet knights amassed within the depths of the land. Many an omen delved deep in search of their presumed new lord in search of freedom.
'The other demigod, Melina, daughter of Marika yet of an unknown father, likely a giant judging by her aptitude for fire, she needs to be found, Malenia is on it but still, hahh I should trust in her, like she does in me' he thought. 'Still, quite the weird world, no insanity, no wanton death, progress and an actual defense against the gods, I do not know why or how but I'm glad to be part of it' he thought as he looked towards the star filled sky above him with a small smile.
"WE STAND HERE, WITNESSES AND JUDGES , ALL BECAUSE OF THE ONE BEFORE US, FIRST ELDEN LORD GODFREY AND CHIEF OF THE BADLANDS HORAH LOUX, CHARGED WITH THE CRIME OF WANTON WAR, HE LED HIS TARNISHED LEGION INTO THE SOVEREIGN STATES OF LIMGRAVE WITH NAUGHT BUT THE DREAM OF FELLING OUR LORDS AND CLAIMING THE GREAT RUNES HOPING TO BECOME ELDEN LORD ONCE MORE, What say you?" The giant judge said.
The courtroom was massive in size with gold encrusted wherever the eyes gazed. Within it sat many a noble, all surrounding a giant of a man who kneeled at the center. Several large thrones laid before Horah. Each throne houses a shard bearer, Rennala of caria, the current queen of the full moon. Leonel the spectral dragon, king of Liurnia and commander of the spectral legions. Morgott the omen, king of leyndell and the Altus plateau. Ranni the snow witch heir apparent to the house of caria. Malenia the blade of Miquella and guardian of the halig tree. Miquella the royal prince and king of the halig tree.
General Radahn, lord of the free cities of caelid and their territories. Praetor Rykard , lord of blasphemy and ruler of mount Gelmir. Finally a single hooded figure occupied the final seat, mogh, the self proclaimed lord of blood, ruler of the underground that lies beneath the lands. The last one received many a stare from many, particularly from the two lords who sat some seats away. "Why are you here mogh?" Leonel asked plainly as they all watched the list of crimes enlarge essentially sentencing Horah to death.
"All lords where called to witness this trial no? Then I belong here wether you like it or not, besides I came to propose something, of course after the trial" mogh said with a sickening smile spreading accross his face. "All you will receive is my blade through your throat" Malenia said as her now cured eyes narrowed, her fresh new hand clenched at the thought of battle.
Miquella simply stared at the fiend sitting nonchalantly to his right with a calculating look. "Enough, we will judge him fairly and quickly then I will give you the audience mogh, should your proposal disappoint me then I will claim your rune and cleanse it of your formless mother's disgusting touch" leonel said as he leaned into the throne. His eyes widened, 'to think he knew of my allegiance, he is dangerous, she was right he does have to die for my dynasty to rise' mogh thought yet as he did so Miquella's eyes narrowed more and more.
"And thus the crimes have been said, now my lords please dispense judgment" the noble who introduced the trail said as he kneeled before them all. "Imprisonment " Miquella said, "imprisonment" Malenia said, "indentured service to me" Radahn said, "death" mogh said. Leonel, Rykard and Morgott looked at each other, whatever they said would seal the fate of the first elden lord.
"Indentured service to my brother Radahn" Leonel said as he sighed, truthfully a warrior at the level of an elden lord was far too valuable to kill off. " indentured service to my brother Radahn" Rykard said with disinterest. Clear in his eyes. Morgott looked towards his father, the first one to claim him earning the ire of his mother, the only one to defend him in anyway shape or form despite what he was, yet now all that he was but a warrior without purpose, "indentured service to general Radahn" he said as he slumped onto his throne with a heavy sigh.
"The lords have spoken, let it be so, from today onwards the first elden lord Godfrey shall be no more than a slave to Lord Radahn, bring in the slave brand" the noble said with a twisted smile as he watched a warrior capable of leveling towns with but an attack squirm in wrath as the slave brand was placed upon his neck.
"We must enter the erd tree soon Morgott, at least to assess the damage-" Leonel tried to reason. "None shall desecrate the erd tree, not while I live!" Morgott said with finality as he towered over the demigod before him. Leonel sighed heavily wondering if he should just cut the old man down there and then. Before he could decide a glob of blood tried to crawl up his back but before it could get far it suddenly stopped and morphed into a bloody rose before shattering into hundreds of crimson petals.
"Unfortunately for you lord of blood I am to be wed to a lady of blood" Leonel said as he turned around to face Mogh. Said omen was staring down iris who leaned against a pillar twirling her raven black locks in boredom. "You wanted to talk, so speak then dog of the formless mother" Leonel said. Mogh turned to him with anger flashing intensely within his red eye, the other long impaled by his own horns. "I am no dog, your… fiancé has quite the connection with mother, I wonder how she attained it?" He said smirking a bit.
"How she gained power is none of my concern, I myself hold the power of thousands and I did not attain it honorably, now speak, why have you come here? And what do you want?" Leonel said as his temper rose and the area around them saturated with mana. "It is simple, I wish to bring peace towards these lands, for that an elden lord must be chosen, I wish to be lord, in return I will grant you all information, valuable information might I add" he said smirking a bit.
"Information? Of what kind?" Leonel asked. "Of the coming age of gods" Mogh said. The moment he finished speaking the world itself trembled, the moon's avatar appeared next to Leonel looking quite Haggard. "They…. They come, not alone" she said as she fell to her knees breathing intensely. Leonel looked towards the sky as his eyes glazed over before falling once again into the glowing river of time.
Blood, too much blood, glint stone, too much glint stone, gold, too much gold, fire, too much fire, water, too much water, each and every single element seized by a different god. The world fell into chaos ripping the e thin veil separating the lands from the outside world. The fog that protected the land fell as the outside world witnessed the re emergence of the floating land.
With the re emergence of the floating lands above the planet, the laws governing reality broke more and more above a planet. Due to this more and more eldritch beings came into play. The kingdoms of lothric, the kingdom of drangleic, the kingdom of lordran, the kingdom of boletaria. All prominent kingdoms of immense power. Each with records of the missing landmass of their planet. With its reemergence it brought nothing but pain and madness.
Gods which previously thought dead now risen and back upon the playing board. The abyss known for many names now reopened by a mysterious group spewing chaos and corruption by the second. All of this flashes within his mind before he returned. He breathed in deeply before he looked towards Mogh. "Now then what do- ugh?!" Mogh said before a glintstone spear impaled him through the chest pining him to a wall.
Chains wrapped around him swiftly as several spectral lions appeared and pinned him down further. "What- what is the meaning of this?!" Mogh asked in pain. "There shall be no age of gods, Morgott, you either let me into the chamber of the erd tree or i raze down the city and enter forcefully" Leonel said as the might of a lion shone intensely within his eyes. "My army will await yours" Morgott said with anger before turning into golden lights.
"Very well, love please let the others know, mobilize the 14th legion and the 35th to smash the walls open, the objective is creating a path into the chamber, should the city burn alongside the erd tree then so be it"he said as he turned into cerulean motes of light. Iris sighed before turning into a puddle of blood. Mogh saw them leave as anger burned deep within him. He lashed out shattering everything that held him down and dispelling the lions as he looked around in pure anger. "A spectral image bested me, he has to die, for my dynasty" he said as blood pooled from his wound as he simply sunk into it.
News spread quickly as armies gathered their banners and hoisted them high. Once again The glistening Kingdom of Liurnia would clash with the Golden kingdom. This time though it would be different as the golden kingdom was naught but an old wounded beast. No forces joined it from caelid nor Gelmir and Limgrave was just beginning to recover. Liurnia was at an all time peak, thousands of extremely skilled tarnished had joined them and rid themselves of the curse of grace in exchange for the blessings of the moon.
Budding mages flocked to the promised land of magic hoping to hone their craft and be part of something greater than themselves. This naturally brought many alliances as some of the apprentices were nobility from every corner of the map. Many a warrior sought to join the ranks of the most powerful army in exchange for the riches they paid and the equipment the wielded. Many a city expanded and rose since the crown prince returned to Liurnia further strengthening the land and enriching its culture.
The golden throne laid empty and their army's exhausted due to the two wars they recently fought and the news of the coming war was doing horrible things to morale with desertion being a common thing. Morgott of course knew this but his faith held firm, traitors are best rooted out after all. The silence of the dragons did worry him though as fortissax had gone missing when Godwyn was murdered and the dragons under his command simply left towards the dragonbarrows joining greyoll.
He stood atop the highest point of the city looking down towards it. News of a spreading disease, the coming war, the missing dragons, the crumbling order, no Allies to aid him, the golden order will fall, of that he was certain but what worried him most is what came after the fall. Behind him a bloody shadow arose quietly, " it is done, my forces await beneath the city" the shadow said. "Then we wait brother, we wait for our fall" Morgott said yet a wide smile graced the face of the lord of blood.