What few heretical shadows still remain isn't many and they don't exactly have any type of leadership anymore. Hunting them all down seems like a waste of your time and possibly manpower, especially since Quala is more hostile and destabilized than ever now. Chances are the heretics will eventually resort to the typical banditry that goes on here and they'll get wiped out by one of the warlord factions. Even if they manage to join up with any of the factions, they'll likely abandon their newfound religion in the process.

Rebuilding what you have left seems like a better idea at this point, so you send a message out to all your people to leave this war torn land and head back to Delerg.

When you arrive in Delerg, your temple seems so much emptier now. Well certainly empty of more adults. You don't have many Blades left either anymore, only about a dozen from what remains of the original amount you had. Not counting all the ones that never made it out of their tanks or failed Talia's training when she was trying to bring them into the fold of course.

Orphaned children that are fairly young have so far been taken care of in more communal way as needed, though you ask if Talia wants to take charge of all them in the same way she did the eternals and eventually train them to be Blades. She declines though and says the children should probably start being assigned to a more permanent family arrangement starting with volunteers first.

You're confident that the numbers will build back up since there are always people in Delerg that are drawn to join the order. Assuming you have no further major conflict, things should go back to their previous "boring" ways of simple temple routine in no time. This time though you're looking forward to a bit of boredom. This last major clash has somewhat made you realize that maybe you should be taking it easier in your later years. Not that you're ready for the grave, but you just aren't young like you used to be and you can't single handedly fight entire wars for the shadows anymore even with your increased magical powers. It's a strain and you've got so much on your plate in general.

Maybe Dendrin knew this too and that's why he suggested that you not hunt down the heretics in that cryptic way that he tends to do. You think back to how you said to him that you couldn't afford to not be directly involved and relax in the way that he does, and while that is true, there really isn't any reason why you couldn't start following his lead just a little. It also makes you start to wonder if he's been right about a few things.

Weeks and months pass as you go through the motions of temple routine, though it's been a little different for you somehow. Like you've actually started to attempt to find a deeper reason behind the words of all the texts you read from. You don't know if it's because you're trying to embrace this new moment of peace within the shadows (as opposed to the fidgeting boredom you usually suffer from) or if it's because you're becoming genuinely interested in the stuff.

Are you finally becoming a "believer?"

Dendrin claims you already are and it seems impossible, but you have noticed yourself having slightly more civilized conversations with Dendrin as the years have gone on, even agreeing with him at times. You remember practically ranting at him when you were young, in retrospect it's amazing that he didn't kill you given his power. He pretty much put up with you and he didn't have to. He hasn't helped you in probably the most direct way most of the time, but really would you have wanted him to? Your insistence on always forging your own way was always paramount to you and he probably saw that and acted accordingly by letting you make your own choices.

You've only really prayed genuinely once to Dendrin and that was back when you wanted help with getting the new eternals under control. Even then it was a last ditch reason and you did it more out of selfish desperation rather than any genuine belief. You begin to wonder if it couldn't hurt to just sincerely pray to him once in a while. Not in the hopes of getting anything out of him, but just…well to show a little bit of gratitude.

It is probably due to your new found attempt at piety that attracts more people to the temple and restores some of the hope that the shadows will overcome this set back like they have so many before in the past.

Year 60

"One of the heretics was caught near the temple. He claims that another group stand at the border of Delerg. We confirmed this and most of them haggard and tired looking. This speaker claims that he wishes to speak with you about making peace and an urgent matter." Brother Gannon says.
"Hmm, have to say I didn't think they'd last as long as they did. They didn't mention what this so called urgent matter was about?" you reply.
"No, just that it was of great importance to anyone who reveres Dendrin."
"Probably a trick of some sort, you should just have all of them killed." Glen remarks.
"Yes, that would be the safe bet, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to listen seeing as I'm not particularly worried about them. Drag him in, but keep a tight hold on him."
"Very well Shadow Master." Glen says.

The heretic is brought in and he certainly is a miserable looking wretch. It isn't due to any roughing up by your own shadows either, as he was confirmed to be in the same state as the rest of his fellows waiting for him. He's very nervous and looking around as much as he can while two of the Blades grasp his arms and several other shadows look on at the proceedings.

"Well? We don't have all day. Out with it heretic scum!" Talia demands before you can say anything.

"Oh! Right…uh…Shadow Master I beg you in Dendrin's name to call off your assassins! We have seen that Theo's teachings were the improper doctrine! We submit to your rule as the rightful chosen one of Dendrin himself and ask for mercy by allowing us to merge with the true and only temple dedicated to him!" the heretic whines. You certainly weren't expecting this, and you're also wondering about these assassins.

"Assassins? We haven't sent anyone to seek out your destruction. If that were the case we would've done it years ago."
"You…haven't? But that seems impossible."
"Why? It isn't like shadows are well accepted anywhere else except Delerg as you surely know. What makes you think it isn't General Ackerson or any of the many other warlords in the area?"
"No, he is too busy fighting Mog, Son of Flog's orc and ogre horde in Rask. Rumors are he's sick as well and his underlings are already squabbling over who is going to take power when he's gone. As for other warlords, they aren't a threat to us, at least not in any meaningful way, and most of them are too direct and unsophisticated to engage in the terror tactics that your assassins have. Your assassins tell us that they are the hand of justice in Dendrin's name."
"As I said we have sent no assassins. I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'm not falling for it."
"No please wait! Maybe you didn't send the assassins, but if that's true then this is more alarming news! Because they're using shadow magic to accomplish their tasks! If it isn't you or anyone in your order as you say, who are they? And will they attack you as well?"

This does give you a bit of pause though it's hard to tell with someone that's supposed to be your enemy. He does look quite sincere in his words and his fear.

If it wasn't any of your people, then who would it be? It's quite possible that it's just another rogue group that split off from the original heretics and formed yet a third faction of shadows. Of course if that was the case, they should know about it instead of jumping to the conclusion that it is you.

Of course this could all still be just an elaborate trick. Perhaps an attempt to make you suspicious of people in your own group carrying out tasks that you didn't order. There's also the other urgent matter that they said they had to tell you, which you question the heretic on.

"So what is this other urgent matter you had to tell us?" you ask.
"Oh, yes that, well there are rumors that Warden Matron Brenda of Nalin is planning on invading Delerg."
"What? I know she hates the shadows, but reports have always established that she has never set sights on anything north of the Nalin province. She doesn't even have an established presence in Quala." Talia remarks.
"Well, I didn't say she planned on holding the territory, just that she was planning on invading it. I don't know. It is what we have heard in our travels to get here."
"Could be Brenda that's sending the assassins then and using something similar to shadow magic that these blasphemous fools are taking as the real thing. Maybe we should prepare ourselves, after killing these heretics of course." Glen remarks.

"But we're sincere! I'M sincere! How…how about we prove ourselves by being judged directly by Dendrin himself? You could perform the initiation ritual to open the portal to his realm. If he accepts our forgiveness then surely that would be proof that our hearts and souls are truthful, right? If he doesn't then we won't survive the process anyway." The heretic exclaims.
"Well, that would be one way of ensuring their dedication I suppose." Talia says to you.

You have them killed

You've spent a lot of time and effort trying to rebuild what these heretics destroyed and now they want your help? You're in no mood.

"I'll spare Dendrin's time and judge you all myself. And that judgment is death, kill this traitor and go wipe out the rest hanging out near our borders." You say.
"No! No wait! Please, you've…." The heretic pleads before one of the Blades cuts his throat. After disposing of him, Glen takes a small group of them to finish off the rest, from what you hear it was easy, but brutal business as usual.

Of course that still leaves a few questions to as who was killing them in the first place. Your guess is if General Ackerson is as sick as the heretic claimed, then perhaps the current power struggle going on involves getting rid of potential wild cards in the nearby region like say groups of fanatical cultists. They are the only nearby major power with battle mages that could reliably emulate the sort of magic the heretics claimed to see.

The only other power that you know of that has a few magic users is the Nalin Empire, but you can't see Brenda bothering with such elaborate tactics. She'd be more likely to just send a traditional group of assassins or even a small platoon of well trained warriors and even then only to get rid of the shadows closest to her borders. The rumor that she's planning to invade Delerg seem like just that, rumors.

Still you tell everyone to keep alert and double your own patrols on the Delerg borders just in case. Not much more you can do except wait.

Weeks and months pass and nobody has invaded or even come close to wandering near the Delerg borders. General Ackerson dies of his illness, the government collapses and Mog takes advantage of the situation, but other than that major change nothing else notable happens in Quala. As for the Nalin Empire, not a peep from them either.

You stick to your usual heightened alert status for a little while longer, and then eventually relent a bit by the year is over.

Year 63

"I KNEW I should've killed that bastard! I KNEW it!" you yell.
"You couldn't have known he'd do something like this." Talia says in an attempt to calm you.
"I should've known that he'd do SOMETHING though! Fuck! If he wasn't dead already, I'd personally find him and kill him myself!"

You're speaking about Cyrus of course. Years after exiling him you have finally heard from him again in a second hand manner which will plunge you into a war with the Nalin Empire. If the rumors weren't true before, they're going to be true soon.

You aren't exactly sure what Cyrus was up to during his years in exile, but if you had to guess it was planning some sort of revenge or looking for a way to redeem himself (In retrospect, it wouldn't surprise you if he had been behind the heretic killings as well)…maybe it was both. Either way the day he assassinated Warden Matron Brenda during a speech to her people the whole time shouting "Down with Empires! Dendrin Forever! Shadows Forever!" is the day he fucked all of you over.

He apparently didn't survive too long after that, but you're guessing he knew it was a suicide mission anyway. Didn't take long before Brenda's successor Tarna declared war on you. Makes perfect sense, seeing as their well-respected leader was killed by a shadow. Doesn't matter if he was a nutter that was acting alone, someone has to pay. Someone also has to be a good scapegoat while Tarna consolidates her own power and gains enough popularity by destroying her predecessor's old enemies.

That someone is you naturally.

While the Nalin Empire has to actually march an army over Quala before reaching you, the situation isn't good. Unlike the first time you fought an Empire, you had a lot more support, even after the Gloom incident, you still had the help of the normal people pissed at the Empire everywhere. The old Empire was also already greatly weakened, corrupt and fighting multiple front battles.

Now? You have no such advantage. The Nalin Empire is a strong power on the rise that is now unified by a very ambitious and focused leader who very much wants to add the destruction of the shadows to the first of her great achievements.

There's also the fact that you're no longer a young man anymore. You're old, tired even. And while you'll fight harder than someone half your age, the fact remains you're not as energetic as you once were.

You bury your hands in your face for a moment just thinking about the shitstorm that is to come. Talia rubs your shoulders.

"We'll get through this. Dendrin saw us see victory over one Empire, he'll let us see victory over another." She says optimistically.

You look up at her to see her smiling back. After all these years you still can't resist her cheerful faith in Dendrin. Quite frankly, you really wish you had listened to Dendrin decades ago when he suggested that you kill Cyrus. You might've avoided a lot of unnecessary conflict throughout your time as Shadow Master.

Too late now and no looking back. You'll deal with this problem as you have with all others that have ever been thrust upon you, which is with a weapon in hand. Not really like you have a choice anyway. You tried to open a dialogue with Tarna, but she isn't interested in speaking to you.

Year 65

You look over at the remainder of your shadows. You know that they will fight to the last and for every one of them that falls, they will take ten enemies with them, but this is your last stand.

By your side stands Talia, even now she holds faith that Dendrin will magically turn the tide of this battle, but you don't see it happening. In fact you haven't spoken to him for quite a while. He probably knows when something is coming to an end. He must be still watching since you all have your shadow magic so he hasn't abandoned you completely.

Seems like he could've at least gave you a "Good luck" speech before battle, but who knows? Maybe he doesn't like goodbyes.

Still, you see no reason you can't give your own.

"Shadows! The enemy is pounding down the door as I speak so I'll make it brief. Whether we live or die here today is irrelevant. What matters is that fight so furiously that we will always be remembered. If we live, then they will remember to never attack us again."

You pause for the next part; because this is what you know will happen.

"If we die…well they will remember the day they almost lost to a force much smaller than themselves. Perhaps a lesson will be learned that those faithful to Dendrin were a force to be reckoned with during their time on this world. And perhaps from there a seed of intrigue will be planted causing some to seek out his wisdom. For while we may die here, we will still live on forever with Dendrin in the afterlife! And there can be no greater reward than that."

It is an inspiring speech and morale is raised. Talia gives you one last hug and kiss afterwards.

"I love you." she says.
"And I love you." you reply back.

The temple doors crack at last and the stone crumbles before the might of the battering ram. Hordes of Nalin troops pour in.

You embrace your final battle.