Editing The Reckoning (section)

== [[Dogwoggle]]'s failed attempt to prevent the Reckoning ==
This account is taken from the ''Might & Magic: Heroes VII - Lost Tales of Axeoth: Every Dog Has His Day'':
:All right, Worton! I'll tell you my story, but only because you bought me those drinks. First, you've got to swear that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone.

:Good. I'll hold you to that promise. Now, where do I begin? The beginning, I guess. Makes sense. It's hard to believe it's only been 2 years. I've been a commander in a lot of armies, but none as successful as the [[barbarian]] horde that raged over the land in the months before the Reckoning. It was nice to be on the winning side for once. I had wealth, victory, everything a man needs, and it was only going to get better. So why did I throw it all away?

:I got a conscience.

:Every day I looked into King Kilgor's eyes, I saw something that frightened me. We were all afraid of Kilgor. You walk on eggshells when you're around a man like that. But I truly believe when there was no longer any [[Elves]] or [[Erathia]]ns to kill that he would have turned on his own people - on me. So I decided to strike first.

:Some might call me a traitor. I like to think that I'm a hero.

:At this point in the war, everyone knew Kilgor was going to win. The Erathians were desperate. I didn't know how desperate they were until I met with an Erathian officer named Addran. Have you ever met Addran?

:No. Well, he's one of those guys with a purpose. You know, the type that will die for a purpose. I've never understood that. Dying for gold, or a woman, now that that makes sense!

:Anyway, Addran explained that Kilgor's famed Sword of Frost was destined to come in contact with another powerful weapon, and when that happened the world would be torn apart by the resulting explosion. I had planned on selling Kilgor's battle plan to the Erathians. I never thought I would be asked to save the world. Addran gave me a perfect replica of the Sword of Frost and told me that I was the only person who could get close enough to Kilgor to switch the two blades.

:Yeah, a replica! It looked just like the real thing, I tell you. No one, not even Kilgor, would be able to tell the difference until it was too late. Now, quit interrupting me, Worton!

:Stealing the Sword of Frost seemed simple enough considering the quantities of alcohol Kilgor and his kin drank each night. Slipping into their tent and switching the swords would be easy, so I took the job. And just think - I would be the man who saved the world. Everyone would know my name.

:Instead, I lost the forgery before I could make the switch. We came to a river late in the day. Our enemy, the [[AvLee]] Elves, were somewhere on the other side. Ever eager to enter battle, Kilgor pushed us onward, fording the river that night so we could kill the Elves the next morning. Somewhere in all the commotion, the fake Sword of Frost slipped from where I had it tied to my gear.

:I almost caught it. Almost. That thing sank like a rock - gone forever like the river swallowed it.

:How would you like to be a man who could've saved the world and didn't because he couldn't tie a proper knot. Yeah, everyone was going to know my name all right! Just not in the way I hadd thought.

:I think I was hoping the prophecy was wrong. I knew I couldn't steal the Sword of Frost without the fake. I had seen Kilgor torture people before. Not a pretty sight!

:So, I ran. What else could I do?

:It's a good thing I ran, too, because the explosion I saw the next morning was incredible! I guided my horse behind a nearby farmhouse just in time to avoid the blistering gale. My other mount, the one I had been saving to keep fresh in case I needed to flee pursuers, wasn't so lucky.

:As I stood there next to the burning home, I stared in the direction of the explosion. There's no way a Kilgor survived that! His army, the Elven army - all of them had to be dead. And then I said to myself, "I guess I don't have to worry about being a deserter anymore." How can you desert from an army that doesn't exist?

:Later, an [[Angel]] soared over me on his way no doubt to investigate the battlefield. The winged man spot me, swooped down, and landed next to my horse. No, I didn't reach for my sword. Do you think I'm stupid? I smiled real big and waved.

:"Hi!" I said.

:"You are fortunate to have survived the explosion," the Angel said.

:"What explosion?" I said, meanwhile telling myself to be calm. There was no way this Angel knew I could've stopped all this destruction, but I kept wondering if he knew.

:The winged man looked at me as if I had something hanging from my nose, and then he shrugged.

:"I must be on my way," the Angel said, "but I thought I should warn you. This sad event has splintered the world to its heart. In just a few days, this land will not be fit for life, if it exists at all!"

:You've got to hand it to those Angels. They sure are nice.

:Anyway, he floated into the air with a single flap of his wings and shouted, "You should hurry to one of the [[portal]]s. [[Corak|A benevolent force]] has given us all a second chance to a new world."

:I looked around at the scorched landscape. He didn't have to tell me twice.

:By the time I made it to the nearest portal, there were earthquakes about every hour and so much soot and smoke in the air the sky had gone black day and night.

:I wasn't going to miss it.

:But then, I didn't know what was on the other side of that portal either. I've never liked those things. Whatever magic was used to create them leave my stomach feeling like I ate some bad meat. And I always picture some mad [[wizard]] somewhere who thinks it's funny to place an exit portal at the bottom of the ocean or inside a volcano.

:I guess, if the exit to the portal had been at the bottom of the ocean, I wouldn't be sitting here telling you this story, would I?

:And then the first thing I did in this new world was do the chunky shout all over the ground.