[Hellblazer]

The tale of Eon betrayal, as told by Plenarius Ashaley. Written by Fehriel Cailomel.

So if you will all get comfortable again, I'll tell you all about a story of friendship, determination, adventuing, bloodpools, love and sadly betrayal.

About a thousand years ago, Katia, my beloved Goddess, much like many of us, walked these lands, exploring, making new friends, learning to harness the power of nature to aid her as a young druidess. She spent a lot of her time with her three closest friends. One of them was a weapon master who even to this day leaves a great legacy, moored in secrecy, his name was Karrak and many past and future weapon masters seek out his story. Another was a quiet and resourceful halfling by the name of Akbar, he was there for them in a punch and seemed to have a knack in helping them get out of all sorts of jams, mechanical or social. The last was a budding wizard, very intelligent and already a master of some advanced attunement to the Al'Noth, his name was Eon. They were very much friend as many of us are here, exploring, adventuring, learning from each other - they soon found themselves undertaking a massive task.

Since the great cataclysm, Berlinara as we know it now was a vast wasteland of dirt and ash, the soil was terrible and life was vacant. Our fearless friends set out to pioneer the northern stretches. Tasked specifically with the renewal of nature's cycle, they forged through the wastelands until they came upon what we now know as the Kuhl forest. At the time though it was a graveyard of ill, but together, they made the soil arable, they planted thousands of seeds, and when the time was right, they helped relocate wildlife to the now budding forest. The friends were having a great time, they practiced their skills agains various enemies and enjoyed many nights of tales and dreams... but Katia's sights were bigger, she had a grand plan she soon unveiled to her friends. As they stood upon the emergence of the Kuhl forest, she told them of her greatest legacy she wished, the largest forest in Layonara, a vast tribute to nature in one of the deadest areas known. She outlined her plans for a great forest, the great forest, almost 1/5th the sieze of the continent, stretching from Mount Thil north from coast to coast. The friends were eager to help her, for each of them were once aided by Katia, but moreso just to be together and share in her triumph as friends do.

So it came to be that they stood under the shadows of Mount Thil, looking northward upon a barrent roughlands, a task of years, they would renew life to Belinara and tribute nature to balance, the cycle of life on Layonara. A month or two had passed, they only just begun really, and things were going well, well at least with most of them. Soon, boredom and relentless physical labour was eating at one of our friends, Eon. Soon he would disappear for day, claiming to do some advance planing or strategic engineering or something like that. The others didn't think too much of it as Eon had always been a bit of an introvert, usually caught with his nose in a book in some quiet corner of his dungeon in Thorn River. But soon the daily disappearances turned into a few days, then a week, and each time he'd return, he had a bit more of a snappy attitude, not so welcomeing of friendship or conversation. To the group it seemed something else was biting at Eon, something more then resentment over continued physical labour. So three or four months into their efforts, with about fifteen percent of the work done, Eon failed to return for weeks.

It was a sad time for the others wondering if it was them. Katia was particularly upset, she thought she pushed him away... They soon figured they would not see him again for a long while, if ever again. A few more weeks had passed and Karrak and Katia were close to dozing off under the stars, the work of the day was taxing and though they'd not admit it, soon they didn't think of Eon much any more. As they drifted off under the moonbathe of almost dual fulls, Katia, in the fraction of time between conciousness and sleep, inhaled a scent that startled her to wake. Smoke! Her first instinct was to douse the campfire, but Karrak had already done so, then to her shock she gazed south... her jaw dropped. For miles in each direction, a wall of fire was racing for them, eating everything in their path, all the saplings, the plants, the flowers, the wildlife was running towards them, some unable to keep up with the pace of the fire advancing.... blown unnatrually by the swiftest of gusts. Like a chario of horses leading an emperor of some forgotten kingdom, floating at the center of this wave of fire was a diabolical figure cackling so loud it drowned the ravaging sound of flame. Katia quickly awoke Akbar and Karrak, they had camped near Skald Lake fortunately, for it would end up saving their lives, the treaded into the center, her two friends afloat upon her arms and they stood in utter shock. All of their efforts gone to waste... the fire worked itself around the lake and soon found itself unable to continue with the lack of new life to the north... the dirt ended the site, only saved by the fact that gthe group had yet to forge so far.

Tears of anger and sadness disappeared into the lake as Katia stared, then in a puff of red smoke a figure appeared to the south. Calling out over the waters he stood conent. "The is no power in nature!" he cried defiantly. Katia was enraged, how could he, her friend... was this the Eon she really knew... Eon continued "The great lord Sinthar Bloodstone has rewarded me, beyong anything I can dream of, control of the Al'Noth beyonf any of your imagination. This is the true Eon!" and he laughed a diabolical laugh once more. And when he did, a skull formed where his face was, for the power of immortality, the undead 'gift' was bestowed upon him.

Eon was now a slave to Blood and to undeath. He turned his back as the friends continued to wade in shock, rage and depression. He then disappeared among the smoke, and as the ash coals crackled on the ground, Katia closed her eyes and looked into the heavens. In the darkest hour, their hope was alive, they would not give up their hopes, they were driven with rage, with a newly formed and stronger bond and decided they would rebuild once more and work tirelessly to renew that which was taken away. Eon, it was later learned was offered allt he power of a bloodpool in exchange to be Blood's general, and to show his allegiances, that was his task. Eon would never again see them, well as mortals at least, as one of Blood's generals, Eon's tasks were now greater and his allegiance confirmed he focussed on whatever horrors they planned out. Katia and her friends did end up completing their task, as you all k now, the great forest is indeed massive in scale. They even had a little help on the way, a man whom Katia had saved offered his assistance too. This man she saved, she sound found herself in love with, but it was later discovered that he was no ordinary man though... Only taken form as a human but in reality was someone many of you have heard of. A dragon God by the name of Rofirein yes.

And well that's Eon's betrayal...

Power corrupts as is oft spoken... to almos tno end