Armageddon's Blade Manual Page 2
To Xeron, loyal servant of his majesty Lucifer
Kreegan, killer of his king's enemies:
Upon receiving this letter, kill the messenger. No one is to
learn of its contents. Should its information fall into the hands
of an enemy, our kingdom of Eeofol may find itself the victim of a
greater nation's aggression.
Though we have met and spoken frequently since the death of our
previous lord, King Xenofex, I have yet to tell you how I came to
know of his death before anyone else in the kingdom.
On the night of the day Xenofex fell to a band of adventurers, he
came to me in a dream.
As I slept, my dream-form walked through a lush forest of rich
green foliage and warm sunbeams. As I walked, the stench of fresh
earth and morning dew surrendered to the fragrance of charcoal and
sulfur. Through the parting trees, I stepped into a clearing. At my
feet lay a shimmering pool of molten rock. Warming my face to the
heat
rising from the pool, I leaned over and peered inside. At the bottom,
barely visible, rested a breastplate. Unafraid of injury, I plunged my
arm into the pool and grabbed the artifact. Unscorched, I withdrew
my arm and held before my eyes the Breastplate of Brimstone.
I could not help but feel my own exaggerated grin as I put on the
prized artifact. However, my elation faded as I heard the echo of an
insane cackle. After a moment of stillness with nothing but the
sound of the leaves rustling in the faint breeze ... then the laughter
came again. Its direction was obvious, so I walked toward the source.
As I grew closer, the laughter became louder and more frequent, until
I came upon a shield set against a dead tree. The laughter reached
a fevered pitch, threatening my sanity, as I drew closer. With much
concentration, I was able to grab and lift the artifact. The laughter
ceased. It was the Shield of the Damned.
No sooner did I hold the shield then my ears heard a horrible
screeching. I spun around. For a split second, I glimpsed a sword
speeding through the air. I raised the Shield of the Damned to
deflect the attack. Cartwheeling backward, the blade hovered for a
moment then dove. Again, I parried the attack. This continued, until
finally, the blade tired and dropped to the ground. Carefully, I
approached and picked up the artifact. It was the Sword of Hellfire.
As I rose, I saw before me Xenofex. He turned and began walking