The Tales of Nightfall

"For those we have loved, learned and lost. May ye know this book speaks truth and warns of great darkness.

As our fragile world descended into conflict, darkness of another kind fell upon this plain; dark as nightfall. The tales of this book account for the legends and truths of this troubled time, for such events almost led to this world no longer being. Heed well the warnings from the light; not everything that light doesn't tread upon is harmless shadow.

Compiled by the findings of many, to protect our fragmented past, either intentionally or accidentally have records been lost to time."

In the time of the great war, an unnamed demon walked onto this plane, without quarrel from any that dwelled there. Believing itself to be invincible, the demon sought to seize this world as its own, as the people of it fought obliviously.

It then fashioned its being into six offspring. It bore first the Logic, whom was gifted with the knowledge of all that is, the understanding of all that was and the imagination for all that ever could be. The second oldest was the Nightmare, which fed off the darkness in the world, and acted as its manefest. The third eldest was the Temptress, whose will and design could turn strong allies against eachother. The third youngest was the Silent, who could infiltrate this world to find its prey, and lay the killing blow with them none the wiser. The second youngest was the brawler, who possessed the fierce strength that could fell even the strongest structures in nature. The youngest was the Harpy, who was tasked with keeping the others aligned to the correct cause.

All were bore in identical circumstances, each was born without the inner light; the divine presence that inspires good and just thoughts.

Tasked with calculating the strategy for which the nameless demon would take this world, the Logic saw the world with its wisdom. Through its insight, it discovered what its purpose was, and shocked by it, insurrected for the sheer horror of what it was asked to do. Instead, it found the wolf, Raizahka, whom was preparing to fight the demon. The Logic offered its services to unviel the demons weakness, in exchange for enlightenment, so it could live out its life in peace.

Raizahka slew the demon and allowed the Logic passage from this world, so it could finally be at peace. The remaining five of the siblings scattered themselves, in order to hide from the inevitable fate that awaited them. The Harpy was trapped within its own dreams, quickly driven mad for it couldn't carry out its purpose. The Silent believed that by betraying its brother, the Brawler, it could escape justice, only to find that it in itself had been betrayed by its other sibling, the Temptress. She too faced a befitting fate when she confronted Raizahka, believing that in offering her siblings as a decoy, she'd escape from this world unscathed.

As for the Nightmare, Raizahka searched the world for it for many years, but it eluded her at every possible turn. Raizahka then consulted her own kind, the werewolves of Arzonus, asking for their help in the battle against this enemy. But the Nightmare had felt cheated and deprived of decent contest, because Raizahka had resorted to calling for allies in a one on one battle. The Nightmare was cunning however, and decided the create an army of its own. Its army was forged not from loyalty of those similar to it, for the Nightmare despised any trust built on pity, but from those that were forced into fearing it.

Those that joined its cause were welcomed as brothers in arms, and each had joined for the same reason, to end this ongoing war, one way or another. Their numbers were so great and more diverse, that by the time it had successfully collected its army, the Nightmare had influence unlike any god that roamed the world at that time. It then sought to challenge Raizahka and her armies, under the ideals that the drive for justice of Raizahka's army would be ousted by the fear of failure from its own.

The war was bloodied and long, and neither side could hold an advantage for very long. Despite lengthy confrontations, the Nightmare would have slipped away from the battle, only to gather more to its cause, whilst Raizahka's held on as best as they could. The conflicts became more elaborate as time passed, for the Nightmare was able to use the darkness of the mortal armies as weapons against Raizahka.

After centuries of war, even Raizahka reached yielding point. In the end, it was by sheer luck, that the armies of Arzonus has subdued the Nightmare for just the right length of time, and it was sectioned from this world in a realm, where its influence couldn't pregnate the plane of RuneScape. Without its influence able to prevail, it quickly lost power and diminished, hopefully never again threatening the integrity of this world once more.

Mesophiles was a being of unrivalled skill. The werewolf hailing of Farnadeos ancestry proved the most proficient being alive in Arzonus of controlling the will of demonkind. However, Mesophiles was cold, callous and paranoid; convinced of Death following him where his feet tread.

Mesophiles was convinced that where ever he went, he could spot Death incarnate out of the corner of his eye and he grew delerious, losing sleep fearing that Death was trying to catch him out and end his life in cold blood. Scared for his own existence, Mesophiles flend into a wood, concealing himself in shadow so as to hide from Death. Upon reaching the centre of the wood, Mesophiles met a creature, a creature for who this darkened domain was favoured.

So the fiend listened to Mesophiles and chose to offer unto Mesophiles a wish; Mesophiles wanted to be immune to death, so that he couldn't be followed by him any further, so the fiend showed Mesophiles the means to beat death, but in exchange asked for his allegiance. Mesophiles recognised the fiend and so merely pretended that he was unaware of the monster's true identity so as to outsmart it, but this monster could see into Mesophiles' heart and saw something easily corrupted and called his bluff.

Freed from being followed by Death, Mesophiles returned to Arzonus in selfish triumph. Mesophiles proceeded to use his newfound love of life and tried for a child. However, the first child was stillborn and he was devastated. The second was born diseased and when he asked of his brother to treat him, both cub and brother perished from an illness that couldn't possibly be. The third child of Mesophiles emerged, but was in constant agony from the moment its heart started beating and it tore at the womb of Mesophiles' wife, preventing her from having another child.

Mesophiles became callous and proceeded to fight on the front line to relieve himself of personal tragedy, but after several doomed expeditions, he became twisted. Mesophiles was now convinced that Death, unable to reach him, was mocking him by taking those he loved or was entrusted to care for away from him. But the torment would not cease.

In the company of his wife and her brother, Mesophiles was injured gravely, yet the wound was just dismissed. The brother in law, a holy wolf, saw through Mesophiles in an instant and tried to kill him for the misdeeds he had inflicted upon himself and his loved ones. As Mesophiles was recognised for the abomination he was, he killed his brother-in-law for spreading rumours and tried to appeal to his wife for love.

His wife refused his requests, a part of Mesophiles had been severed from him long ago; she no longer loved him for he was becoming the very monster he swore to fight. When he asked that she join him, to combat her failing health, she refused. Drawing his blade to threaten her, she took it from him and killed herself. Her final words destroyed whatever emotion he had left for her.

"You do not love me, otherwise you'd let me live and die peacefully! My blood will forever stain your weapon, your soul!"

Enraged, corrupted and bloodthirsty, Mesophiles walked to the path of darkness, his sword being the only ally he possessed, the Cursed Cleaver, the egregious metal sealing his soul. Following the path again, he cursed Death for the torment and further fractured his unsalvagable and weak soul to defy it ever further, as he tread in the footsteps of the fiend who offered him this path, the Nightmare.