Tarnum/Synopsis

=== Warlords of the Wasteland ===
====A Barbarian King====
Tarnum was a barbarian who, at a young age, experienced his people being oppressed by the wizards of the Empire of Bracaduun. Even at birth, his family had to make a difficult decision, as the wizards made a law that a barbarian family could only have one child. The parents also had two daughters, but they believed that a son could help them more, since they were very poor and needed help with hard works in the house and other places. The girls had to be handed over to the wizards, but Tarnum's mother was very affected by this, almost every year she cried for two days, thinking about what could have happened to her daughters.
Tha young barbarian became more and more hopeful that he could make his life and that of his people better, so he decided to lead a rebellion against the oppressors. On the very first day, however, an old man stumbled right into his arms, frightening some of his friends, but the barbarian rebel saw that he had an arrow in his back and was weakened by loss of blood. The old man told him that he was a bard, one of the last of his kind, though Tarnum didn't really want to believe him at first, as the Empire of Bracaduun outlawed barbarian historians long ago for causing rebellion with their heroic tales. The old bard gathered all his remaining strength to tell Tarnum his story. The bard told that the barbarians were not always slaves to Bracaduun, for long ago one of Tarnum's ancestors, Jarg the Conqueror, conquered almost anything, land, ocean, even Bracaduun. Tarnum's heart began to beat, feeling that his people did indeed have a glorious history and perhaps a future. He remembered when he fought against evil wizards with wooden swords as a child, but he had forgotten this as a child's fantasy until now, he felt this feeling again. At the same time, Tarnum saw that it was not possible to lead an army with the current barbarian leaders, who were drunken, pot-bellied, greedy tyrants.
Three days later, Tarnum told the bard's story to his chief, who was a fat goblin, but he declared that it was all a child's tale, and then began to laugh. However, when everyone was already laughing, Tarnum's blood began to boil and he shouted angrily at the chieftain, who challenged him to a duel for this impudent speech. Tarnum, on the other hand, did not back down, but thought that Jarg had been in similar situations and still managed to win, and this ancient inspiration gave Tarnum a victory, after which he became the chief. The next day, the preparation of the army for the rebellion began; however, a captain informed the leader of the rebellion that a lot of gold would be needed, which they would be able to obtain from gold mines and searching for treasure chests. The next day, Tarnum was eating with his soldiers when one of them mentioned that he saw some mercenaries who would join their cause, for a good price of course. The next day, an advisor indicated to Tarnum that the more resources they collected, the more efficient it would be to supply the army, which is of great importance in a war. On the eighth day of the rebellion, news arrived from Tarnum's scouts. Most of the clans wanted to remain neutral and did not support either side, but at the same time there was already an enemy. A barbarian named Rabak, known only as Lord of the Clans, he was a minion of the wizards, who gave him power, and in return, he gave anything to the oppressors. Tarnum remembered that in his youth he and his people had starved and had to pay heavy taxes, while Rabak ate feasts every night and had great wealth. He expected the puppet henchman to start preparing against the rebels, so he thought that if he defeated him, he could be the king of the barbarians and the rebellion could be unleashed.
Three days later, Tarnum met a warrior named Hardac, with whom he dined. The rebel leader was curious about the history of his people, but according to him the knowledge of the elders was incomplete and he was also interested in the opinions of others. Like the others, Hardac had nothing unique or new to say about the history of the barbarians, which annoyed Tarnum, but at the same time he liked the warrior's honesty. In the evening, Tarnum thought about the history of his people, but at the same time he was annoyed by the many people who thought they were wise, but were actually ignorant, but did not want to admit it. But then an idea occurred to him and he told his men that he was looking for bards, but people who were not afraid to tell the truth and the stories of the people of the barbarians. Two days later, almost every barbarian mentioned Tarnum's name, although opinion was divided. Some thought he was just a troublemaker who would entertain the wizards a bit, others thought he would finally be a real leader of the barbarians, and still others thought they wanted to see results first and then decide. However, the main obstacle was Rabak, who had already gathered some of his troops. Five days later, in the evening, Tarnum thought about the rebellion, but this time he believed that he was fighting for a hopeless cause and that no one was standing by him, but then his father sneaked into the camp. He told his son that many people actually support the cause, but they also have families and are afraid of the wizards. With him was a group of farmers and cattlemen who brought a sum of a thousand gold collected secretly by supporters. They then left, and Tarnum was inspired to continue the fight. Six days later, a messenger from Clanlord Rabak arrived with a message, but Tarnum did not even read the paper, as he believed that his enemy was on the side of the wizards and that there could be no important message from them except for a few empty threats. Tarnum's boastful but bold move inspired others, and two days later, a group of goblins, orcs, and ogres arrived at the rebel camp to join them.
Three days later, however, a very good thing happened. One of the soldiers brought before Tarnum a feral-looking man who had been lurking outside the camp. The stranger told him that he was a bard and that he had come to tell his stories, and Tarnum could hardly bear not to stand up, for he became very excited and tense, as he thus gained the truth of what he claimed, namely, that his people had history and glory. However, two days later, when Tarnum took off his armor after a long march, a thug jumped out of the darkness and tried to kill him with a gleaming blade, but the barbarian killed him with a single blow and fell to the ground. The rebel leader guessed that the assassin had been sent by Rabak, who had learned the mages' nefarious methods well and believed that this and the arrival of the bard were signs that he was moving in the right path.
Three days after the assassin's attack, three more bards came to Tarnum, but were told they were the last. The barbarian leader was both happy and afraid, since he now had the knowledge he was looking for, but he was very afraid that if something happened to these bards, it might be lost after he had researched for so long, so he ordered all four of them to each have two apprentices to whom they would impart their knowledge as quickly as possible, so that the history will not be lost. Three days later, Tarnum listened to the bards as they told of the conquests, exploits, and great kingdom of the great barbarian king, Jarg the Conqueror. However, the mood turned sad when the eldest bard said that Jarg was the last great king, his sons fought against each other, the kingdom collapsed and was unable to properly fight against the wizards' attack. He also said that only a king could free the barbarians and make them strong again, and Tarnum realized that he meant him.
Tarnum then moved his army against Rabak's territories, but the henchman again ambushed him. When Tarnum wanted to explore a smaller island to the South-West, some of the crew, in fact the assassins of Rabak, attacked him, but the rebel leader quickly killed the minions with his soldiers and monsters. Not far from a smaller, neutral barbarian town, he was attacked by obsidian gargoyles, but he also quickly defeated them. After capturing the town, he defeated almost a dozen cyclops and then noticed an ornate arch with magical power around it, which is when he realized it was a magical gateway. Although Tarnum didn't really trust magic, he believed that a little lightshow isn't going to frighten them and he crossed the passage with his army. His intuition was good, the passage took them to the land of Rabak, which was very rich in resources, which he probably got from the wizards. Tarnum and the rebels attacked the tyrant's castle, Rabak fell in the battle, his soldiers were killed, and the rebels won their first major victory. Tarnum then proclaimed himself the king of the barbarians and the rebellion finally spread to other territories.
==== The Criminal King ====
Rabak's death and Tarnum's success was a great victory, but at the same time he was nothing more than a criminal in the eyes of the wizards, but they did not take the rebellion entirely seriously. Three cities of wizards began mobilizing to capture Tarnum and crush the rebellion, but the barbarian leader was not idle, rather continuing his campaign. He built a garrison not far from his westernmost city to temporarily provide adequate protection while he prepared for a larger attack, but he knew that this defense could not last forever. At the same time, he was not alone, as Hardac became his favored advisor, who also tried to help his king. He suggested visiting a Marletto Tower where he could learn defense strategies, check water wheels, and ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of resources. However, he also suggested that he should always be on the lookout for gold mines, no matter what condition the mine is in.
Ten days after the garrison was built, a red bird arrived, bringing the sorcerers' first message, demanding that Tarnum surrender or he will suffer in a torture chamber after his defeat. The rebel leader had heard that the wizards' torture chambers was quite cruel, but when everyone was waiting for his answer, he did something surprising. He took the red bird in his hands, kissed the top of its head and said with a smile that he was glad to be so close to the wizards and they will find out that the weak did not stay in his hands for long. Four days later, Tarnum listened to the bards' stories again, this time about an ogre and a barbarian woman. The woman was to be married to the monster and bring her dowry, but when the ogre stepped out of his hut one day, the wife took his wood axe and lopped of the Ogre's head. She hid her dowry in a cave, while he lived the rest of her life alone in her intended's home. Tarnum, using the details of the tale, found the dowry in a cave in the mountains, which was two thousand gold and resources.
The next day, Tarnum paid more attention to the organization of his army. Hardac advised that the recruitment should be continuous, that a new group should be ready every week. Three days later, one of the most experienced captains in Tarnum's army, Fograr, advised the rebel leader to bring as many troops under his command as possible, so that there would be little chance of the betrayals or minions supporting the wizards. Two days later, Tarnum went hunting, where he showed his soldiers his strength by single-handedly slaying a behemoth of extraordinary physical strength. However, he was surprised to find that the monster trapped a group of hunters, who were grateful that the rebel leader had freed them. There were 12 goblins, 8 wolf riders and 10 orcs who were weakened and hungry and Tarnum offered them to eat and rest in the camp and then join the rebellion.
The next day, however, a lonely, bloody, goblin arrived at Tarnum and brought very bad news. Fograr was killed in a raid, and his death was cruel and evil, as he was killed by a magical trap, so he had no chance to defend himself. Tarnum was furious, calling the wizards insensitive and cowardly and looking forward to the first confrontation against them. 8 days later, at night, Hardac was brought before Tarnum by a young, long-haired warrior, and the three of them studied strategies and talked about the attack against the wizards. When the young warrior left, Hardac wondered why Tarnum was so confident about the plan, and the rebel leader replied that wizards, like coyotes, they prey on the weak, the sickly, the stragglers, they can't resist. Four days later, Tarnum's intuition was confirmed. A distant village was attacked by the wizards, where a few group of rebels were fighting under the leadership of a young warrior, who was thought to be Tarnum. The boy was very similar to the rebel leader, he even killed a spellcaster, fought bravely until his death, and Tarnum believed that for his heroism and bravery, the young warrior deserved to have the bards sing his glory for a long time. At the same time, Tarnum was happy as his enemies had underestimated him and walked into his trap, as he immediately set off with his army after receiving the news.
However, after crossing the garrison, he was greeted by an unpleasant sight, because he and the army immediately reached a battlefield, which was full of remains and bones. There was a previous rebellion here a long time ago, where the wizard-kings were able to kill thousands of people, and the rebels lowed their heads and were a little frightened at how vengeful the enemy could be. Tarnum, on the other hand, did not let the emotions and pains of the past break his army's fighting morale and continued on. There was a garrison to the north protecting one of the wizarding cities. Before the attack, however, there was an ambush, they were attacked by 15 master gremlins and 15 stone gargoyles, but this small group was easily defeated. The defenses were not very strong, so Tarnum and his horde easily broke through, then attacked, besieged and captured the first city. They then continued east to capture the other two. Through magical passages they managed to reach the other two cities that they captured, and Tarnum again won a serious and great victory.
==== Ultimatum ====
After the great victory, Tarnum faced his first archenemy, a wizard-king named Kurl who hated barbarians immensely. What almost no one knew was that he was also a descendant of Jarg, the conqueror, which means that it is very likely that he and Tarnum were related. The wizard took an unexpected and painful step, namely, he kidnapped the four bards so important to Tarnum and locked them in his fortress, which was in the mountains. The wizard-king sent Tarnum an ultimatum stating that if he did not surrender within three months, he would execute all four bards. The rebel leader decided to save the four bards and not surrender. However, the task was not easy, since Kurl's fortress was in an area where it was difficult to move with armies, and in some places there were garrisons where you could only go further with a password, which could be found out from key masters. The abduction of the bards and the ultimatum almost broke the confidence of the barbarian warriors, and Tarnum knew he had to hurry.
The next day, one of the captains tried to reassure Tarnum that they were collecting items and resources in the area, but the barbarian leader found his current mission very important and delegated this other task to someone else. The next day, Hardac advised that it would be good if the barbarian leader found someone to teach him pathfinding, so that both he and the army could move faster and he also advised him the next day that they should go with fresh horses every week, which they could get at a stable in the south. Four days later, Hardac told Tarnum that great luck had befallen them. A little boy got lost and his entire clan searched for him until they finally found him in a roc's nest. The birds treated him like their own child and it took a bit of convincing for the boy to finally return home to his family, but now everything is fine. The five rocs, which were large birds, similar to eagles, joined Tarnum's army.
Five days later, a spy brought terrible news to Tarnum. Either out of impatience or as a warning, Kurl broke his own word and executed the eldest bard. It was a great blow, as he was the wisest of the four bards and his knowledge was lost forever. However, this act only reinforced Tarnum's hatred for Kurl and the wizards, and his conviction that he must hurry. The barbarian leader had trouble sleeping that night, thinking about how many barbaric historical tales had been lost there and how he had let his men down by delaying. He stood up, turned away and held his hand in the dry ground and swore with clenched teeth that he would not fail again. The next day, Kurl made another unpleasant move, this time a scout informed Tarnum that letters had appeared on the doors of the barbarians' homes in the region, written by the wizard-king himself. In the letter, he stated that an innocent person had died because of Tarnum's arrogance and provocatively wrote that he begged him to surrender and that there would be no more victims. Two days later, Kurl's plan seemed to be working, many of the barbarians lost confidence in Tarnum, stopped working and fled into the wilderness with valuable raw materials. The barbarian leader's hatred grew more and more, but he couldn't do anything, he had to continue the fight. Supplies increased by 450 gold, but five portions of ore, five portions of wood, and three portions of crystals disappeared. 
Two days later, 20 goblins and seven wolf riders entered the barbarian stronghold, offering their services to Tarnum, as they especially hated Kurl and told interesting things about him. The life of the barbarians in the areas he ruled was horrible, Kurl hated them to such an extent that he imprisoned them for even the smallest crime and there was a case where he tortured someone to death. The barbarian leader already knew that he was dealing with the worst wizard and now he was driven by a personal goal to stop this evil person by all means. Five days later, Tarnum was dining with his warriors when an old, slightly senile goblin told him that he needed to see a Learning Stone at least once to become a more learned and powerful person. Two days later, the goblin again gave useful advice to the barbarian leader, who laughed when the creature thought he was his actual advisor. He said that it is worth visiting mercenary camps to learn other tactics and practices. Eight days later Tarnum experienced another stroke of luck. The deserted barbarians returned, realizing that a single loss could not be the downfall of their entire cause and determined to work even harder. They brought with them 2000 pieces of gold, three pieces of wood, three pieces of ore, three pieces of crystal, and one piece of mercury. Tarnum then concentrated on his campaign. Kurl sent strong guards, mostly halberdiers and giants, in front of the keymasters' tents, but the barbarians defeated them. Tarnum then crossed the strait that led to the wizard’s castle to finally meet his main enemy, who was already waiting for him with a smaller army. However, Kurl suffered a great defeat, even though he was a powerful and talented wizard, his army was destroyed and his castle was captured. Tarnum was eager to finish him off, but his opponent cowardly begged him not to kill him. Then the barbarian leader declared that if he did not hurt the remaining three bards, he would let him live, but if he executed them too, he would kill him mercilessly. The bards were unharmed, and Tarnum released Kurl, who fled back to the land of Bracaduun.
==== The War for the Mudlands ====
After the defeat of Kurl and the freeing of the bards, Tarnum saw that he could more successfully fight the wizards with more followers, servants, and territory, so he launched an attack on the mudlanders' territories. There was a civil war going on, where the lizardmen and the gnolls were fighting each other to decide who would be the new king of the land. Although the area belonged to the wizard-kings, they did not fully control it, and this unstable territory was a great opportunity for Tarnum to further weaken his enemies. The rebel leader and his captains drew a map of the Mudlands in the sand, but Hardac warned that they should win as soon as possible, because if a new king rises here, it could make their job more difficult. He said that now is their best chance, when everyone is fighting everyone. The next day, a wise woman, whom they thought might be just a crazy old lady, advised Tarnum to find a seer's hut, because he might be able to get some useful information. The next day, the bards told Tarnum important information. Three border gates were built in the countryside, which prevented passage between the land of the barbarians and the Mudlands, but whoever controls these three border gates can enter and exit the marshland at any time. Two days later, one of the captains suggested to Tarnum that he keep an eye on the windmills every week, as they might find useful resources there.
Two days later, a woman named Yalla entered Tarnum's camp with several sheep, but the barbarian leader saw that she had a sword and that she was not a shepherd but a warrior. After a hard bargain, she looked at Tarnum, smiled and winked, but the barbarian leader was not in love with her, yet he watched her. He thought that barbarian women were similar in Jarg's time, who fought alongside their husbands to the death and set an example of heroism with their families. Eight days later, Yalla re-entered the camp, but this time she wanted to give information to Tarnum, who arranged for her to meet alone. She said that the mud landers have three main leaders: a witch, Mirlanda, a lizardman, Wystan and a gnoll Allkin. All three hate each other and do not expect the attack of the barbarians. The girl said that she didn't have a clan, because the wizards killed the men in the fights and the women afterwards. Tarnum offered the girl to join him and take revenge together, but she didn't want to accept it yet, and then she left the camp in a dark mood. 
Four days later, the senile, advisor goblin told Tarnum, while he asked for his name, but he did not answer, that many things could be seen from the top of the redwood trees and could be used for scouting. Five days later, Tarnum thought that he felt something for Yalla, some kind of stronger bond or connection and as that she knew him even better than Hardac. She also fought against the wizards and tries to sell goods stolen from Bracaduun. In the evening, he invited the girl to have dinner with him. As they ate mutton and drank mead, Tarnum told her all night about his dreams, that his goal was to restore the glory of his people, that he wanted to give them strength and that they would no longer bow to anyone, but they would rather die than bow their head in shame. Yalla thought it would be nice if men worked instead of sitting in lodges complaining about their lives. The next day, Yalla disappeared, but Tarnum wanted more and more to stay with him. He understood why she was fighting alone against the common enemy, but he believed she could trust him and together they could destroy the Empire of Bracaduun. Two days later, the barbarian leader received an unpleasant surprise. He approached the well-guarded wagons that were transporting his gold, but Hardac put one of his hands into the bag with an exasperated face, and when he pulled it out, he scattered pieces of rusty iron on the ground. He said that they had suffered 3089 gold worth of damage, as some of the gold they had collected was fake and it is conceivable that it could have been caused by magic. Two days later, Hardac again went to Tarnum with a sour expression, who tried to lighten the mood. His friend advised that they try to replace the gold by selling different raw materials in the marketplace. The next day, Yalla returned to the barbarian camp, where he brought escaped criminals. Ten orcs, six ogres and five cyclops who joined the rebels asked for a little gold in return, which was 900 gold. After that, Tarnum and she practiced and then rested, and she put her legs in his lap. The barbarian leader wondered what she was doing when she wasn't helping others, and she said that she was a thorn that constantly caused pain to Bracaduun. However, Tarnum wanted her to stay more and more and felt it was time to tell her.
The next day, he enjoyed the day with her again and was very happy, but when she was about to get up to leave, Tarnum put his hand on her knee and asked her quietly to stay, because he hated it when she left. She smiled and combed his long hair with her fingers, telling him that this way she could guarantee him the most pleasure possible and that kings can't have everything they want. Then she ride off. But the girl and the barbarian leader did not yet know that this was the last time they saw each other. Nine days later, Yalla had not returned, and Tarnum was so worried that he sent four scouts to search for the barbarian woman in all directions. A week later, one of the scouts nervously brought bad news. The Bracaduun wizards plucked the thorn from their backs. Yalla was trapped when she tried to rob the gold mine, but was captured. The scout witnessed the execution of the girl. She boldly stood up to her captors and spat in the face of the wizard, who killed her with a lightning spell. Tarnum clenched his fists and wanted to be alone. He carried his axe for hours as he cut down an entire grove, cutting the trees into such small pieces that there was an abundance of firewood, while each tree was replaced by a wizard in colorful robes. However, his campaign went well, he managed to surprise the mud lander and defeated Alkin, Mirlanda and Wystan, one after the other. The defeated people then served him.
====Siege of the Wallpeaks====
After Tarnum acquired more territories, servants, and troops, he saw the time had come to mount a more serious attack on the wizards. Between the barbarian and wizard territories was Wallpeak, which was a mountainous region and fairly well protected. However, the barbarian leader believed that the wizards could not expect a serious attack here, so he could strike unexpectedly. However, on the first day before the invasion, the shaman of Tarnum had a dream about the leader's death. The barbarian leader doubtingly asked if this was a prophecy or just a dream, the shaman said it was a prophecy that could be avoided if he obtained a powerful artifact, the Titan's Thunder. The next day, Tarnum visited a witch who healed the warts on his hands and told him that the artifact could be assembled from several other artifacts. He had to get the sword, the Titan's Gladius, the Titan's Cuirass, the Thunder Helmet, and the Sentinel's Shield then someone had to combine them.
Four days later, Tarnum surveyed the region. The battles of the previous months had trained him and his warriors, but at the same time this mountain range was well protected and not even Jarg had crossed here, meaning that this place was completely new and foreign to the barbarians and their way of fighting. Four days later, Tarnum was eating alone in his tent and in a depressed mood. When Hardac entered, he asked him if he was sad because of Yalla's death, but the barbarian leader lied to him, saying that there was nothing wrong. The captain, however, saw that his leader was very broken, so he did not ask any more questions, but left the tent. Tarnum was sad because her death and the fact that he felt lonely again. Six days later, as the barbarians set out to conquer the area, Tarnum's mood grew even sadder. This was because several armies tried to conquer this region, but were defeated due to their arrogance, and the survivors were cruelly punished. Three days later, Tarnum also talked to the bards about the history of the place, but he did not receive encouraging stories from them either. The enemy had many castles and the defense was strong, the barbarian leader then believed that an unprecedented horde could be the solution, an army of enormous numbers that could break the defenders. With his own forces and the groups of the mudlanders, it seemed possible.
The next day, however, Tarnum received a report that his supply line had been attacked. The trackers tried to find the attackers but were unsuccessful, the loss was eight stacks of wood, two cauldrons of mercury, five cartloads of ore and one thousand five hundred gold. Two days after the incident, however, Tarnum received a few good news. While dining with his warriors in the evening, one of them told them about a hidden, secret place, only called the Raider's Plateau, as the bandits in the area used it to ambush the Bracaduun wizards' supply wagons in the area of Wallpeaks. Tarnum thought to himself that if this place really existed, he should group all his hordes there.
Six days later, the barbarian advance was proceeding at a good pace, but some commanders were now voicing their doubts. They believed that they did not need to conquer any more, since the homelands of the barbarians had already been liberated, but Tarnum strongly disagreed with them. Even compared to other barbarians, he really hated wizards for what they did to his family, his people and Yalla, he believed it was a bad decision to let the enemy get stronger again and oppress the barbarians again. Four days later, there was another ambush, the enemy finished in a very short time and disappeared before the relief troops arrived. The loss this time was three stacks of wood, three wagons of ore, three cauldrons of sulfur and two thousand gold. The barbarian leader knew that this was going to be quite a costly invasion if he didn't finally come up with something.
A week later, however, good things happened to Tarnum. The advance progressed slow but successfully, and he promoting Hardac's son Tordac to captain. The young barbarian was charismatic and loved by the warriors, and it was good for Tarnum to see the parental pride on his friend's face. The next day, however, something bad happened, as one of the orc leaders, Ungrod, got into an argument with Tarnum. The orc supported him from the beginning, he was a good leader and a bold warrior, but according to the captain, the rebel leader is too driven by personal revenge, which threatens the interests of the clans. When the orc said that the rebel leader was as arrogant as a wizard, Tarnum became angry and challenged the captain to a duel, but it did not last long and the leader won.
Eleven days later, even though the invasion was going well and the mudlanders had already started, another raid took place. A lone soldier went to the camp of the barbarians, barely alive, but managed to tell what happened. He said that they tried to secretly transport the gold at night, but when they wanted to rest, two giants appeared out of nowhere, killed everyone except the survivor and took two thousand gold. Five days later, Tarnum had had enough, believing that the invasion could not go well because of the raids, so he called his captains together to come up with a strategy. Tordac came up with a great idea. He advised loading wagons with disguised soldiers to wait for the ambushers, and spreading rumors that these wagons contained half the barbarians' gold, so the wizards would almost certainly attack. Tarnum liked the idea and appointed Tordac as the leader of the trap. Four days later, a pair of ogres returned to the barbarian camp and brought Tordac's body with them. The trap was successful, the enemy attacked with several giants and they were led by a powerful wizard, which is why he was always able to disappear so quickly. Tordac fought bravely and even managed to kill the wizard, but he too fell in the fight. When Hardac saw his dead son, he was devastated, ran to him and began to clutched the body while crying. Tarnum tried to reassure his friend that he had died a glorious death and that he could be proud of him, but he saw the regret in the captain's tearful eyes and blamed himself for bringing him here. At the same time, Tarnum owed much more to Tordac than anyone thought. For after the young warrior's successful idea and his death, the supplies arrived untouched, and the barbarians and mudlanders were fully prepared for the attack.
Tarnum checked his hordes before the attack, he even went to the territories of the mudlanders. Not far from the fortress of the mud dwellers, to the north-west, by a water wheel, he met some gypsies, who gave him food and an old lady also read his palm. When the barbarians were gone, they were in good spirits and hummed the songs of the gypsies, and Tarnum felt that he had found peace for a while, but he had to return to his main goal soon. The attack began, the barbarians breached a garrison and captured a castle, not far from which there was a magical passage. Tarnum did not stop, but continued to push forward, broke through another garrison, and then met a small band of enemy soldiers, who, seeing the huge horde, threw down their weapons and fled. Seeing this, the barbarian warriors began to truly believe in their leader's goal and that they could succeed and conquer the region. He captured another castle and then found a monolith one way passage. After Tarnum and his horde crossed it, a large army of knights attacked them, but the barbarians prevailed and advanced southward. Bracaduun's forces lost five castles and many soldiers.
====Trapped====
Tarnum and his army crossed the Wallpeaks, but the prepared wizards waited them and trapped the barbarians. Tarnum learned what had happened from a group of battered soldiers. A massive avalanche, no doubt caused by a wizard-created earthquake, destroyed the half of the horde, including the transport wagons, and the rest of the army was trapped on the side of the Wallpeaks unable to get through. They were outnumbered and the enemy surrounded the barbarians, who had only their vanguards and a small force that took up a defensive position in a garrison, but they could not hold out forever. Two days later, the barbarian leader received word that there were barbarian rebels loyal to his cause living in the area and occupying a pass to the north, which was a region long ago inhabited by Jarg's descendants, and the rebels declared that only Tarnum could cross. The next day, Hardac advised the barbarian leader to reach the northern pass as soon as possible, because their forces were tired and weak, and he believed that they would not have much chance against the wizards. A week later, Tarnum felt guilty. He underestimated the power of Bracaduun's wizard-kings, until now he had almost always been victorious, but now he believed that half of his horde had died because of his fault, but he gripped the hilt of his sword and swore that he would avenge them. Eight days later, Tarnum had difficult to sleep, his flesh was clammy, his hair and scalp sweaty, and it took a few seconds before he realized where he really was and forget his dream.
Five days later, Tarnum reluctantly appointed Hardac's son, a fierce ogre, Bloodclub as his deputy. He wasn't a smart captain, but he was a fearsome presence on the battlefield and loyal to Tarnum. The barbarian leader believed that the time for rage and mayhem. So far, he had always won the battles against the wizards, but he noticed that they were always ready to strike back again, as they did at the Wallpeaks, so he decided to use the power of terror against them. However, there were those who secretly disagreed with his decision, as Bloodclub was notorious among the barbarians for his cruelty. Eight days later, Tarnum had another nightmare. He was walking in a foggy swamp, far from his army, and then he noticed a shadow on one of the trees. He drew his sword and waited for the death, but when he swung his sword he realized too late that it was none other than the only woman he loved. Yalla. He then woke up drenched in sweat in his tent. Eight days later, Hardac entered Tarnum's tent with a serious expression, who was already waiting for the news. His friend told him that Bloodluc was overreacting. He stole sheep and pigs from enemy villages, and in one village he apparently found a wizard hiding there, but he went berserk and killed everyone in the village, even the children, then burned every building to the ground, leaving the corpses in a smoking mess. Tarnum nodded, knowing that Hardac and the other captains would expect him to punish the cruel ogre for harming innocents, but he couldn't blame Bloodclub for his actions since this was war and these innocents were Bracaduun's helpers. But he definitely wants an answer, so he said that he will handle it. Five days later, Bloodclub returned from their mission and went to the tent in front of Tarnum, where the barbarian leader kept his word and questioned the ogre about his actions, who was a little surprised. He said a wizard hid among them, they were enemies and a wizard can kill without a weapon. Tarnum partially agreed with him, but ordered him not to do that again. The next day, however, Hardac lied in front of Tarnum in confusion for not punishing Bloodclub. The barbarian leader shook his head and said that the ogre was a good leader and a great warrior and that he needed him in this situation and could not lose him. Hardac then frowned and said that he would only get a slap on the wrist for slaughtering children. He did not wait for Tarnum's answer and immediately left the tent, but the barbarian leader thought he would calm down and realize that he was right.
A week later, Tarnum was having lunch when he noticed Hardac returning from a scouting mission, but when he got off his horse he could only walk with a limp. The barbarian leader asked what had happened, and his friend said that his horse had been frightened by a snake and had thrown him, and that his knee was injured, but not seriously, and that he would recover, and that he planned to buy a new horse. Five days later, the captain of a scouting unit reported to Tarnum that Bloodclub had not returned. The barbarian leader wondered what had happened to him, the scout told him that the ogre had wandered away from the group to hunt wild boar, and the scout team thought he had caught the boar and returned to camp. Tarnum turned to Hardac and shook his head, saying that something was rather strange here and to find the ogre. Six days later, a group of soldiers brought back Captain Bloodclub's body. When Tarnum checked the body, he observed that it was quite certain that it had not been killed by a wild boar and that it had not been assassinated. He had many wounds and only one fatal one. It was likely that he had been killed in a fair fight or duel, but he was a little surprised who would have dueled an ogre and why. He then stared stoically at Hardac and the other captains gathered around him. The barbarian leader believed that one of them had committed a carriage of justice, but deep inside he was afraid because guessed who the perpetrator was. Five days later, Tarnum had another nightmare. He was on a battlefield, he knew it was a dream, but he wouldn't or couldn't wake up. He heard whispers, his old enemy and friends lay dead before him, among them Yalla who died by his sword, his mother, his father, both of his sisters who were still little girls, but he knew it was impossible because they were older than him. Nine days later, Tarnum and Hardac rode together to the top of a hill from where they could see the countryside. While the barbarian leader looked at the green fields, he wondered how his friend's knee was doing, who shrugged and said that he is not as young as he used to be and is not healing as quickly. Tarnum told him that he and the other captains were with him, but Hardac was silent for a long time, then told Tarnum that the captains had been away from home for a long time and missed their families. Meanwhile, the campaign was going well, the trapped barbarians together with the mud ladders captured four castles, freed a captured rebel mage and approached the fortress that occupied by the rebels in the north. However, the rebels in the fortress did not stand by Tarnum and chose to fight, but the barbarian leader killed all of them with his army.
==== Slash and Burn ====
Tarnum was getting closer to his goal of attacking the Wizard-kings' main territories and punishing them for their oppression and cruelty, but at the same time, the Barbarian King was also beginning to change. He became more and more arrogant, began to turn from a king into a tyrant and believed that in order to win he had to be more and more cruel and destructive. The wizards' last line of defense consisted of two fortresses, one of which belonged to the barbarians who allied with the wizards, and at the same time there was also a fortress of the mudlanders in the area, but crossing was only possible with magical passages, as the fortresses were between mountains. Tarnum believed that his enemy was about to raise a serious army, so he sent his advisors to other cities to recruit a new horde, but he felt that the best choice was Jarg's descendants. After building his fortress and gathering a small group, Tarnum set out, but many did not know what he was up to.
Not far from outside his fortress, he met a group of forty peasants who were Jarg's descendants, and the rebel leader offered to join him. They, on the other hand, were too afraid of the wizards and also said that Tarnum was supposed to die soon. However, the barbarian king believed that this was just an excuse and that they really wanted to join the wizards, so he killed them all to remove the threat. Not far from the fortress of the barbarians, Tarnum and his group found an ore pit, but a little further away, eighty-eight peasants who fled from the barbarians were hiding. The barbarian king realized that they were running away from them, but he thought it was because they wanted to join the wizards, so he killed them all. To the north of the barbarian fortress was a windmill, where Tarnum encountered a hundred and twenty peasants, one of whom was shouting and begging them to leave the mill alone. The barbarian king didn't want the mill, he just wanted the peasants to fight with him against the wizards, but whoever spoke instead of the others shook his head and tried to make the king understand how afraid they were of the wizards' retaliation and that they couldn't do that. Tarnum clenched his fists and didn't understand why they didn't want to stand by him, but he didn't stop his anger and killed all of them, then looted the mill.
The next day, he found a crystal cave with a hundred peasants. The miners held pickaxes and shovels in their hands as weapons, their leader told Tarnum that they did not want to fight, but because of the anger of the wizards, they would not go over to the side of the barbarians. The king shout to the skies, then launched an attack and all of them were killed by the barbarians. From then on, however, in Tarnum's eyes, the peasants were ordinary traitors and he didn't really want to offer them the opportunity to join him, but simply chose to kill them. He met one hundred and forty-six peasants not far from a shrine of magic thought, but this particularly annoyed the king, as he believed that they were clearly traitors, so he launched an attack without any diplomatic steps and killed all of them. Not far from the shrine, the barbarians found a tower inhabited by orcs and a village. The orcs joined the barbarians and they burned the village, only to realize later that the population had fled, but Tarnum believed that the traitors wanted to go to the wizards to join them, so he went after them. He found them, one hundred and eighty peasants, all of whom were killed by the barbarians. The next day, the barbarians pushed further west towards the magical gateways, but they encountered a large army of five hundred and thirty-two peasants, but they did not flee. Because the increasingly paranoid and cruel Tarnum turned the population of the area against the barbarians with his actions, and the peasants now openly fought against them. This did not interest the barbarian tyrant, he launched an attack and the barbarians killed everyone. Then they first approached the passage that led them to the fortress of the mudlanders. However, as they crossed the passage, they met a group of two hundred and forty peasants in the swamp. One of the captains advised Tarnum to leave them as they were too weak and it would be a waste of time to fight them, but the barbarian tyrant did not take the advice and attacked them, killing them all. The next day, before attacking the fortress, his scouts found campifres in the south. Tarnum believed that this is a reinforcement of the fortress, perhaps raiders or peasants loyal to wizards, so he launched a surprise attack. There were peasants, one hundred and thirty in number, but all of them died. Tarnum then wanted to attack the fortress, but a group of one hundred and ninety-eight peasants was waiting for him. Tarnum thought it was a counterattack from the castle, so he launched an attack and killed them all. He then besieged the fortress, which was defended by one hundred and sixty-two peasants together with the mudlanders, but the barbarians easily broke through the defenses and killed almost everyone.
Several days after the events, nine days after the construction of the barbarian fortress, Tarnum called his captains together and ordered everyone to burn anything what they saw and kill anyone or anything they could. The captains and veteran warlords fidgeted and looked uncomfortable, but because Tarnum's stern expression they knew that they could not argue and must obey. The next day, Tarnum received a report that his will was fulfilled, the villages began to be burned, but at the same time a large number of refugees also appeared, however, the tyrant believed that they were also the minions of the wizards. Three days later Tarnum got an unpleasant surprise. He sent a small force to destroy a village, however they never returned and Tarnum personally noticed that the village was completely unscathed. Some of the barbarians began to desert as the tyranny of their leader became too much. Five days later, one of Tarnum's trackers reports on the missing group and their leader, the goblin captain Derg. According to the report, they were on their way home, but Tarnum called the goblin captain a traitor and ordered Hardac to bring the cowardly goblin back alive. At the same time, he wanted to deal with this matter as swiftly and ruthlessly as possible, as he believed that if it came out, it would reflect badly on him and threaten his power and goal. Two days later, although Tarnum crossed the other passage and successfully broke through the wizards' defenses, a great tragedy befell him. In one of the villages, Tarnum thought he discovered a familiar face among the corpses, who looked a lot like his mother. The woman was a year older than Tarnum and he felt in his heart that even though he had never met her, the dead woman was none other than his eldest sister Anada, and the barbarian began to weeping as he realized that his sister died because his orders. This tragedy, however, did not change the behavior and methods of the barbarian tyrant. After capturing the wizards' fortress, he found a sawmill to the south, but two hundred and thirty peasants suddenly appeared from behind the trees. The woodcutter peasants didn't want any harm, but Tarnum thought it was an ambust and shouted the attack order and all of them were killed by the barbarians.
Although Tarnum also defeated the wizard-allied barbarians, his victory did not make him happy, as discontent against him grew among his captains. The tyrant, after the death of his sister, was tormented by a nightmare where he killed everyone, friend or foe, with his sword. Eight days later, Hardac brought Derg before Tarnum, whose men were all dead, but the goblin said that he was ashamed of the tyrant's actions and wanted to escape sooner. Tarnum didn't kill him, but had to duel against Hardac, and he easily killed the goblin. Two days later, Tarnum called his captain together again, but they behaved quite differently than before. The leader questioned them angrily, sticking his dagger into the sand, but they said nothing, shrugging their shoulders and staring at the tyrant, whom they rather feared, and they no longer admired him as before. Two days later, two captains got into a drunken fight, Tarnum just watched them with the other barbarians, he was even about to cheer, when suddenly one of them pulled a dagger from his boot and killed the other. The barbarian leader was surprised, since it is not customary to use weapons in a fight, when everyone expected that he make a decision, he simply said that the argument has been settled.
However, the atmosphere among the barbarians, especially the captains, became more and more tense. Three days after the murderous fight, Tarnum was walking around the camp, disguised in a black fur, when he heard his captains arguing. They believed he had gone too far and gone mad, killing innocents was a completely unnecessary and unjustified decision, but Hardac still stood by him and told the angry captains that Tarnum was fighting for the freedom of the barbarians. Four days later, the captains argued again, they increasingly believed that the war had cost too much, but Hardac still stood by Tarnum, but there was a long silence, when one of the captains told him that the war had caused him to die his son. This caused great pain to the barbarian captain, but Tarnum believed that he would still stand by him. Four days later, however, Hardac entered Tarnum's tent late at night, when everyone was already asleep. He asked the tyrant to stop the unnecessary killing, and Tarnum was a little surprised. He felt disappointment and pain, not only because Hardac joined the other rebel captains, but because he was his friend and perhaps his most loyal companion. Tarnum closed his eyes and told Hardac that they would discuss everything during a feast and he was right. The captain smiled as he thought the king would listen to him and left the tent, but Tarnum made a much darker decision. During the feast, there was poison in each of their cups and everyone died except him, including his friend Hardac.
==== Steelhorn ====
Tarnum expected his warriors to break and desert after the death of their captains, but the opposite happened. His army loved him, considered him a glorious and great leader because of his victories, and rejoiced that he became sole leader. Accordingly, Tarnum gave a speech and announced that he would not stop until he ended the reign of the Wizard-kings and captured their capital, Steelhorn. However, the wizards also prepared for the invasion, and the leader of the defense was Tarnum's archenemy, Kurl. As soon as Tarnum built a fortress, not far from the main areas of wizards, he immediately set out with his horde. However, not far from the fortress he met a lone knight with a lot of peasants. The knight declared that he would protect the innocent alone, but Tarnum believed that since his captains were already dead, he was completely free to do whatever he wanted. His arrogance was greater than his humanity and he attacked the group, killing the knight and all one hundred peasants. He then killed a peasant horde at the nearby sawmill, then continued to advance towards a magical passageway that would take him to his goal.
Three days later, Tarnum's spies reported that there were two castles and three towers between the barbarian horde and Steelhorn, but the enemy did not yet know that the barbarians had arrived so quickly near their home. The tyrant believed that the victory here would be given by an unexpected and quick attack. To the north of the fortress, the barbarians found a gold mine, where there were orc and goblin miners, but they did not flee. They were runaway slaves from the Bracaduun empire, but they were too exhausted to fight and flee. The miners didn't know who they were up against, which amused Tarnum, and he then offered them to join him, and the miners accepted the offer. Four days later, Tarnum's seer told the barbarian leader that he must gather the broken pieces of the Statue of Legion and his future would be glory and power. Two days later, one of Tarnum's scouts returned from the ocean with information from an eastern tower. He said that wizards use magical whirlpools in the water to facilitate travel, but the whirlpools absorb a small portion of the armies.
Tarnum and his new horde then set out and after defeating a pack of archmages, they crossed a magical gateway and were in wizard's territory. However, there was already an unpleasant surprise, because when they wanted to attack a group of zealots, due to a careless cook's mistake, part of the supplies caught fire and new wagons were needed. The price of these was one thousand and one hundred gold. They then advanced in a southerly direction, killed many peasants, then captured a castle and wanted to besiege a neutral castle. However, in front of the castle, a huge horde of two thousand seven hundred peasants was waiting for them, called Tarnum as a murderer and they attacked the barbarians, but they didn't have much chance, they killed all the peasants. The barbarians easily captured the castle, and then continued to advance eastward. Four days later, Tarnum received a little joy as at least fifty of his soldiers told him that the children born during the rebellion were named after him. This suited him well, as he felt that his people respected him very much and that he was on the right path. Not long after taking the first castle, Tarnum encountered mercenaries, their leader was a grim-looking figure who grinned cocky at him. He said that the wizards had paid them to kill the barbarian tyrant, but they had decided not to intervene and wait for the war to end, then left.
A week later Tarnum had another nightmare where everyone he saw was bloody, torn and dead because of him However, he still felt that he was on the right path, admitting some of his actions were mistakes and regretting them, but saw other actions, such as killing Hardac and the captains, as necessary evils. The barbarians then moved on, successfully defeating a raiding party and a pack of archmages before laying siege to the eastern tower. The defense here was already stronger than at the previous castle, but in the end the barbarians won here as well, and then captured the harbor and the areas around the tower. Six days later, Tarnum heard news that the lands of wizards had magical powers due to the many experiments and spells, and that the magic power in these lands had also increased.
Tarnum and the barbarians also captured the port not far from the tower, and then the barbarian leader looked at the ocean. He remembered the magical whirlpools and the fact that wizards could attack him at any time. This came to pass, for as he boarded the ship, Kurl attacked him with an army, but was defeated, and the evil wizard fled. After that, when Tarnum sailed north, he suddenly noticed the head of a statue on top a guano-splotched spire of stone. When he started to think about how the head got there, angry griffins suddenly attacked the barbarians, but they killed the monsters. After the fight, Tarnum was amazed to realize that this head belonged to the Statue of Legion. After that, he did not use the magical whirlpool, but reached the magical lands through a magical passage on a smaller island. After the barbarians broke through a well-defended garrison, they continued to advance, and the wizards' defenses were further reduced. A week later, Tarnum believed that since his horde was dwindling and supplies were becoming increasingly difficult to solve, he would replace them with the inhabitants of the cities of Bracaduun and use the same method that the wizards used against the barbarians. He forces them by taking away members of their families.
Tarnum and the barbarians looked at the lands of the wizards in wonder at how beautiful they were and full of things that looked like miracles. One of these was a tree that produced gems, and Tarnum ordered his warriors to bring the tree with them. The barbarians then attacked the next tower in the south, which they successfully captured, and then sought to explore the area east of the tower. Suddenly, Tarnum's entire army turned to stone. He wondered what had caused this and used his sword to probe among the warriors and monsters turned to stone to see what kind of magic it could be, but he only saw a shadow. The tyrant sensed an attack was coming, but reacted late and slowly. The shadow poured over Tarnum like a giant wave, who was suddenly blinded, his muscles stiffened and he tried to slash with his sword, but it hit nothing. But suddenly his sword hit something, the shadow started to scream and all the evil spells disappeared. Tarnum found himself on the ground, but his sight had returned, he could move his muscles again, and his warriors and monsters gathered around him. This was an instructive lesson for the barbarian leader, that without his perseverance and efforts, he too would have turned to stone and his mission would have ended. At the same time, the tyrant received an unpleasant surprise, as a week later, a senile goblin suddenly jumped out of the trees, who was none other than the nameless goblin whom Tarnum himself had made his advisor. The goblin shouted that someone had poisoned the advisors and that the culprit must be found. As Tarnum was about to reach for his sword, the goblin disappeared. Nine days later, Tarnum received great news. After the sorcerers and their minions were expelled, the population of Tarnum's homeland increased significantly, the city became a commercial and cultural center, which the people of the community named Tarnia. Moreover, the artisans wanted to build a huge statue of the great barbarian leader, which suited him very well. Tarnum did not want to believe that he had become such a successful leader, and these many awards further inspired him that his campaign would soon end in glorious victory and he would soon be able to return home.
Eventually, the barbarians used the magical whirlpool, some of their soldiers lost, but the whirlpool actually transported them to the inner territories of the wizards. When they landed, Tarnum saw an angry man digging on the road, who threw away his shovel, picked up a chest from the ground and began to rage. When the old man wasn't paying attention, the barbarian tyrant secretly picked up the chest and rode away, so the two thousand five hundred gold became his. Then Tarnum and his horde set out and captured another castle. Four days later, something unexpected happened. A skinny man walked up to Tarnum, reeking of perfume, and he was the messenger of the wizard-kings, bringing an offer of peace. However, Tarnum did not hold back, he questioned the fact that he was now being called a king and not a criminal, the messenger was a little afraid. The messenger said that the wizards recognize their mistakes and consider further bloodshed unnecessary, so they want peace between the two nations. However, the barbarian tyrant put his pride and personal vendetta before him and began to laugh. He believed this was clearly a sign of weakness and his enemies began to actually break. Tarnum stated that the killings made sense to him and that he was only returning the oppression to the wizards that they had inflicted on the barbarians, and stated that his anger would not end until he killed all the wizards. Then the messenger left the camp of the barbarian tyrant.
The barbarians marched and captured the last castle of wizards that protected Stellhorn. However, not far from the castle, next to a water wheel, Tarnum's horse stepped into a nail, started to bucks, and then threw the barbarian tyrant off him into a mud pond. The situation was quite humiliating, no one dared to laugh, but this was not very good for the army's morale, so they moved on. Five days later, the scouts brought an old man to Tarnum, whom he immediately recognized, he was his father. However, he was ill and already too weak and old to walk, but he wanted to see his son,the scouts found him on a road. Tarnum immediately called a witch to take care of his sick father. However, after five days, the situation did not improve, and the healer even told Tarnum that the old father would die soon and that he should speak to him one last time right now. The father wanted to know with his last strength why his son was here and walking this path, because he had heard many things that worried him, but before he could bear to say that he came here because of him, the old man closed his eyes and fell into an eternal sleep. Tarnum tried to think to himself that he didn't know what his father was talking about, but he actually had an inkling, but he wasn't really worried, as he believed it would be revealed in another nightmare.
Three days after his father's death, Tarnum received a letter from the senile goblin, who was still searching for the person who poisoned the advisors. The barbarian tyrant was surprised that the goblin could write, even though his spelling was not the best. Three days later, when Tarnum was sleeping, he noticed a strange, soft noise. It was the senile goblin who held a dagger at Tarnum and announced that he had found the advisors' killer. The barbarian tyrant thought the goblin knew the truth, so he pretended to relax as he reached for the knife that lay under the bed and plunged it into the goblin's chest. However, the goblin only wanted to admit that he thought he had killed the advisors, since the elk he had brought had been dead for two days and its meat was possibly rotten. The goblin muttered as blood flowed from his mouth that he got what he deserved and everyone would one day get what they deserved. He then died, and the barbarian tyrant did not know that this would be very true for him. Two days later, Tarnum had another dream, but only his loved ones and friends were here, but the bloody sword was still in his hand. However, in this dream, he entered a large, magnificent hall where it was bigger than any he had ever seen. In front of Tarnum stood his family, Yalla and Hardac, who frowned and turned their backs on him. The dream ended, but even now Tarnum did not understand that this was a sign that he had completely strayed from his initially true and good path.
However, he didn't really care anymore as everything was ready for the final attack on Steelhorn. In the final battle, the barbarian king again fought against Kurl, but he killed him and the barbarians won their last great victory. Tarnum's campaign of revenge was successful, the Bracaduun empire completely collapsed and the wizards lost their influence, but another kingdom was rising. A knight, Rion Gryphonheart, founded the kingdom of Erathia, but the barbarians of Krewlod and the new kingdom were at war. Tarnum led an army against Erathia and dueled Rion, who in turn defeated the barbarian tyrant when he inflicted a severe wound on his belly. After his death, Tarnum entered the legendary Hall of Judgement, where he was found unworthy due to his actions, the Ancestors gave him punishment. They cast him back to the mortals, where he had to perform the actions expected or issued by the ancestors. Here began the immortal hero's long journey in search of redemption.
=== Conquest of the Underworld ===
==== Cerberus Gate ====
After defeating the barbarian tyrant, Ryon Gryphonheart fought the demons from the Underworld and defeated and blinded their leader, Duke Deezelisk, who fled back to the realm of darkness to seek revenge. However, this time Ryon died not long after, and his daughter had a terrible vision. A demon named Jorm broke into paradise and took Ryon's soul with him, desecrating the land around him. It was then that the ancestors entrusted Tarnum with his first mission. He had to save Ryon's soul and defeat Jorm. He was summoned to the kingdom of Erathia and seeing the faces of the knights, he realized that he was the only brave person who would take on the task of helping the king's young daughter who was already a queen. At the same time, Tarnum realized that the ancestors had quite a twisted and dark sense of humor, as they did not forget his crimes and he had to save the soul of the person who killed him. He then began to dwell on the past as he believed that he had died too soon, as he later realized that he had committed too many crimes and wanted to change, as he realized that he had become unworthy to enter Paradise.
The next day, Tarnum strongly doubted the will of the Ancestors. Although he acknowledged that Ryon was a great king, believing that he had caused his downfall, the barbarian still felt the mud and the cut in his belly, believing that his former enemy was not worthy of saving him and wished him bad things. At the same time, he found a gold mine east of the town of Meddington guarded by skeletons. However, as soon as they saw them, the skeletons immediately reached for their weapons and shouted that they died because they did not hand over the mine and they will not now. However, Tarnum didn't care that the miners had made the same mistake twice and were losing again, now as undead. The next day, Tarnum surveyed the area, but the border of the Underworld was dangerous, and to the north was a hellish fortress that had been harassing the soldiers and inhabitants of Erathia for decades. The knight believed that it was necessary to kill the demonic creatures in the area if they wanted to cross safely.
The next day, Tarnum spoke with his advisors and they agreed that more attention should be paid to the recruitment sites, and that the town hall could be developed later. Two days later, one of the advisors suggested that they focus on the mines, secondary to the treasure and resources around them, and recruit heroes for the army. Meanwhile, Tarnum had captured an infernal fortress, but it wasn't what he was looking for, it lay even further north. Tarnum then wanted to capture the western gold mine, but before that a pleasant event happened to him. He wanted to take a break not far from the mine and suddenly saw a bird in the shadow of a cool forest. This bird was resplendent in all the colors of the rainbow, it was the famous Quei Bird, which looked almost straight into the knight's soul and then flew away, but left behind a sparkling blue feather. The soldiers took this as a good sign and their will to fight increased. Then Tarnum and his soldiers attacked the mine which was defended by troglodytes, but they didn't have much chance.
Six days later, Tarnum was still thinking about Ryon, and his envy was great. He believed that his empire fell apart and the barbarians scattered because of the king, and he considered the decision of the ancestors to be unjust and meaningless. Three days later he received a sealed letter from Queen Allison, who hoped that things were going well and that he liked the town of Meddington, but asked him to hurry as she felt that her father's soul was suffering more and more as the days passed. Tarnum guessed that the girl was waiting for an answer, but he didn't want to write her a letter yet, but concentrated on the task at hand. After defeating familiars and gog demons and capturing some mines, he found a tower. One of the defenders of the tower stated that if Tarnum would hand over eleven roal griffins they would be allowed to pass, the knight accepted the offer and they were allowed to pass after the griffins were handed over. Here they found a keymaster who revealed the password to the passage that led to the evil fortress in the north. However, Tarnum looked bleakly at the passageway as the land they were going to was dead, scarred, and everywhere was ash, lava, and death. He believed that the Underworld would be worse, but the soldiers were shaken by this sight, however, they were surprised when they saw that their leader showed no signs of fear and bravely went on. The knights launched an attack and successfully defeated the demons and captured the northern fortress. After the queen's letter, Tarnum wrote a reply three days later, in which he said that things were going well and that he would find the gate of the Underworld within a few weeks. Three days later was the anniversary of Tarnum's death, and he reflected that it was his fault for challenging Ryon to a duel and that his arrogance and pride had blinded him too much. He found a hut in the infernal lands, where a strange seer gave him a four-leaf clover, and then he wanted to prepare the army to approaching the gate of the Underworld.
Three days later, the queen again sent a message to Tarnum, in which she wrote that the monks and zealots of the country were convinced that the knight was serving the good cause and would join him later. However, she also wrote that she would be happy to kill demons, but due to her duties, she cannot go there. Tarnum then chuckled as he admired her fighting spirit. Meanwhile, Tarnum found another tower where the defenders wanted proof that the knight was truly fighting for the good cause, so they asked seven wight to destroy them in exchange for guaranteeing passage. The knights handed over the wights, whose souls were appeased, and then they kept their word and let them pass. However, Tarnum listened to his barbarian instincts as he thought the demons wouldn't leave many places unguarded, then smelled a faint smell of sulphur. The hiding magogs saw that the leader of the knights had discovered the trap, so they suddenly attacked them but were defeated. He then found a keymaster’s tent where the key master told him the password to a north-west tower. After Tarnum found the place and made his way through the tower, he encountered horned demons guarding a large bag of gold, but the knight defeated the monsters and obtained the bag.
For five days, Allison sent a letter to Tarnum almost every day, explaining that he really wanted to kill evil creatures, but was worried about what people would think of her. The knight thought she would make a great barbarian, but at the same time he learned the feeling and fear that comes with having to answer a letter to a worried, enthusiastic person. Four days later, Tarnum reflected that knights and barbarians had many things in common. Both are honest, they believe in protecting and respecting the family, and Erathia used to be a barbarian territory and so was most of the population. At the same time, the knights placed the command of their lord or king above the community. Tarnum, on the other hand, believed that the culture of the barbarians had become too violent and chaotic over time. Six days later, Tarnum was in a bitter mood and thinking to himself. Last night some young soldiers and their sergeant were talking about the barbarians, but Tarnum felt great shame and sorrow. The sergeant said that the barbarians looted a lot, killed innocents and even killed in places where there were no soldiers. He also said that they are mindless savages and the only good thing about them is that they kill themselves. Tarnum could not bear to listen to this any longer and preferred to go to bed early, but he tried to convince himself that the sergeant was wrong.
Six days later, Tarnum began to believe that destroying the creatures of the underworld was atonement for the many innocents he had killed in the past. He thought his goal could be the unequivocal destruction of evil. Nine days later, Tarnum and his army were close to the gates of the Underworld. At the same time, he was a little afraid of what would await him after entering the realm of darkness, but at the same time, but he now accepted his mission and swore to free Ryon's soul. The knight and his army found a garrison, not far from it old campfires, bones and the remains of animals. They only reacted too late when they were attacked by gogs, but they were outnumbered by the knights and they killed the monsters. They then attacked the garrison, which was already protected by more serious and powerful demonic beings, but managed to break through. Tarnum then approached the passage, but before that he wondered if he was well prepared because those creatures down there might tear him apart. After making sure, he and his army went down through the passage underground, but before going any further he remembered the promise he had made to Alison that he would write her a letter after securing the passage. The knights met seven archdevils who prevented them from move further, but Tarnum and his soldiers defeated them, so it was almost completely possible to pass from the earth to the Underworld.
==== The Boatman ====
After Tarnum and his soldiers had reached the first level of the Underworld, they built a fortress while he was already planning to advance to the next level However, he had heard that without proper help in the Underworld, it would take all eternity to find the gate to the next level, so he needed someone who knew that level. Only the Boatman knew the right way, but he also asked for something in return for his help, and it was the Orb of Inhibition, a powerful magical item that the efreet, Xyron stole from him. Tarnum had no choice, so he had to get the orb.
Three days later the advisors moved into the castle and scouts were sent out to get reports, but Tarnum was a bit worried that they wouldn't have a good week as the tunnels were quite difficult to navigate. However, the lines of communication were quickly restored and he was looking forward to Queen Allison's letters. However, at the nearby gold mines, he found an old man who was probably an adventurer. However, his armor was rusted, his sword snapped off above the hilt, and he was close to death. He warned the knight that the enemy could attack from anywhere and to be careful. Tarnum then ordered some of his soldiers to bring the old man to the surface so he could see the sky one more time before he died.
The old man was right, because Tarnum was attacked by eight gogs at the gold mine, and zombies attacked the soldiers of Erathia, near a griffin tower not far from them. Four days later, Tarnum received a letter containing tactical information. In the letter, it was described that there are three routes leading to the castle, but the routes are extremely difficult to defend because the routes are connected to each other or the enemy can attack from anywhere. The writer of the letter advised to clear the nearest area to create a stable base there, because they will never win if the enemy is too far away and can attack from anywhere. Tarnum thought the advice was good, but there was a problem that he only had one army and not three because of the routes. Four days later, Tarnum was advised by the advisors' spokesman to recruit as many heroes as possible to adequately defend against the enemy's attacks. Meanwhile, however, he met a ratty looking person who advised him to recruit as many gogs as possible in the hall of sins, because a seer would need them.
Three days later, Tarnum saw that things were going well, but the past attacked him from behind again. An old soldier spoke of how brave Ryon was to challenge the barbarian tyrant to a duel so as not to spill too much blood unnecessarily. The brutal king was stronger and taller, but at the same time blinded by his unquenchable rage, Ryon used his skill to gut the king, whom the old soldier only called a stupid savage. He also said that the army of the barbarians was completely sure of the victory of their king and believed that he was invincible, but after the death of the tyrant they fled and were completely scattered. Tarnum walked away after hearing this, but thought to himself that the old soldier would be digging the latrine for months. Two days later, however, something good happened to Tarnum. Queen Alison again sent a letter thanking her very much and the many provisions collected by the nobles of Erathia. Tarnum was a little surprised by the woman's familiarity and was already starting to feel a little close to her. He wrote his reply six days later, even though her praise of her father angered him again. He did not understand why he was looked down upon so much and remembered as a real monster. In the letter, Tarnum thanked the queen for her help and support, but only wrote her name at the end of the letter. He thought it was a bit cold and short, but it would do for now.
Things were indeed going well, but sometimes he and his soldiers faltered. In a northern part, for example, many bones were found on the ground, and the soldiers did not want to go any further. Tarnum also felt that something was wrong here and that it was not easy to convince his soldiers, but when he told them that they were no longer little children, but grown men and soldiers, they straightened their backs and went on. Four days later, one of the scouts returned and told Tarnum that they had found the location of the Orb of Inhibition and knew what to do to get it, at which point Tarnum clenched his fist. He ordered her to clean up, rest and sleep. The ragged-clothed scout was a little confused, but he bowed and left. Tarnum thought his advisors would ask him why he didn't want information right away, but he was used to not being pestered with questions if his expression was tense. Four days later, Tarnum felt his advisors might be suspicious that he still hadn't spoken to the scout, but he was still doing so because of his past. At the same time, he didn't want to fail anymore and the Ancient mission finally made sense in his eyes, but he believed that Ryon's soul deserved this to suffer a little longer. Then he tried to really let go of his anger and wanted to talk to the scout.
The scout's report was detailed. He said that the seer who lived south of the castle wanted fifty gogs, and in exchange he would give him an artifact, the Surcoat of Counterpoise. The relic must then be given to a keymaster who will provide a password. Furthermore, another seer who lives north-east of the castle wants an artifact, the Shackles of War. If he gets it, he will hand over an archangel and the way will be clear for them to get the orb. Five days later, Tarnum found it a little confusing that these demons could navigate the tunnels well, and that getting the orb wouldn't be too easy. He believed that the only and safest way was to visit the seers personally, and first he wanted to find the one who wanted fifty gogs. Then he remembered the strange figure's advice from earlier about where he could recruit these creatures. Four days later, Allison wrote to Tarnum again. In the letter, she wrote that she really wants to join him, but her advisors strongly oppose this, but she does not think it is fair that many people die while she can do nothing for her father and for them. She asked the knight to let her know when his position was certain to start her journey. Tarnum found the seer, who gave him the Shackles of War in exchange for five thousand eight hundred and forty-three gold. Four days later, Tarnum wanted to write a reply letter, however, according to one of his advisors, his letters were practically unreadable, so he learned how to write a letter well with a scribe. In the letter, he wrote that the campaign was going well and the demons hadn't shown much resistance so far, but it would be for nothing if they didn't find the boatman and orb. Furthermore, he wrote to the queen that if they were to provide this level, she could safely join them, it would be good for the soldiers' molars, and another adviser could take care of the queen's official duties. Tarnum's hands were tired, but at the same time he didn't understand why the nobles spent more time formulating their words than training their troops. Tarnum also found the other seer, but familiars with a shiny helmet were playing in front of the home. When they saw the knights, the horde immediately attacked, but were defeated.
Five days later, Allison wrote to Tarnum that she was on her way and would arrive in two months. The knight thought that the queen might already be very excited, but at the same time, he only needed her to increase the fighting spirit of the soldiers, but he did not want her to personally participate in the bloody battles against the demons. At the same time, he knew he shouldn't be too hard on her or she would run home. Tarnum also found the other seer, who was an old knight. He said that he needed fifty gogs to keep the imps away from him, who really annoyed him. After Tarnum handed over the creatures, the old knight gave him the Shackles of War.
A week later, however, an unpleasant incident occurred. While Tarnum and his army were away, a band of magogs and imps desecrated the castle. The Magogs damaged several buildings with their fireballs, and the imps committed disgusting vandalism. They smashed what they could, wrote such obscene speeches on the walls that even the toughest soldiers were offended, and their snots were thrown everywhere. Repairing the buildings was quite expensive for the knights.Tarnum, on the other hand, also found the keymaster, who told him the password in exchange for the Surcoat of Counterpoise. A week later, the demons struck again, this time Tarnum's camp was attacked by pit fiends. The raid of the demons almost resulted in disaster for the knights, but then Tarnum jumped out of his bed shirtless and began to howl loudly, barbarically at the opponent. The demons were so shocked when they saw and heard this that they left the resources and fled. Tarnum then found the other seer who had come here many years ago to study the differences between demons and angels, but the demons always escaped. This person was a personal good friend of the boatman and then made a deal with the knight. He handed over an archangel in exchange for the Shackles of War. Then the knights found a tower whose guards wanted to get home with their families, and in exchange for the archangel they were allowed to pass. Tarnum finally found the Orb of Inhibition, but it was guarded by an efreet warlord, Xyron, with his demon troops, but the knights managed to defeat them. Then they finally got the artifact and gave it to the boatman, who showed them the way even deeper.
Four days later, Tarnum again studied the differences and similarities between knights and barbarians. The speech, clothing, armor and weapons of the knights were more polished than the barbarians, Tarnum considered this overly demanding cleaning a waste of time. At the same time, he observed that under the influence of alcohol, knights are not much different from barbarians. Five days later, after a difficult day, Tarnum continued to research the topic, so he asked some young knights why they were fighting and what their goal was. One of them said that for the glory of his family name, his queen and his country, and to get himself a wife and become a war hero. As the others agreed and began toasting each other, Tarnum noticed that the knights were fighting for the glory of themselves and their leader, while the barbarians were fighting for personal glory and the safety of the community. Two days later, Queen Allison arrived at the Underworld Gate. She remained on the surface, but sent reinforcements to Tarnum. Three days later, reinforcements arrived at Tarnum, to whom they even brought gold, and then they set off even deeper into the Underworld.
==== Truth Within Nightmares ====
This time Tarnum had to face a notorious necromancer who later became a lich. It was Sandro who held the keys to the next level of the Underworld. His opponent, on the other hand, was in the deepest, most vile parts of these caves, and it was said that two lesser demonic barons also protected this plane. Already on the first day, a ragged griffin fell in front of Tarnum, it looked like it had fought a lot and the creature had the Shackles of War on its feet. The knight took the artifact and ordered his soldiers to bury the proud creature. Three days later, Tarnum dreamed of his barbarian past, of his vast armies, fighting under one banner for a noble cause. He thought he did the right thing and missed those days. Then the knights started and it was the first time that Tarnum and his army fought against the undead.
Two days later, Allison and Tarnum were finally able to meet each other and she moved into the castle. However, the knight didn't want her to be in too much danger, so he asked her stay in the castle as he needed someone he could trust. Tarnum, however, respected the queen along with other men, as she was outspoken, bold, and proud compared to most Erathian women. Three days later, Tarnum dreamed about his past again, this time about his first victory over the wizards. The wizards were cowards and afraid, but so were the barbarians, and in the beginning the free life was unusual for them. They gathered around Tarnum, for whom this was a glorious moment and he always remembered it.
Two days later, Tarnum had already obtained the Heavenly Enlightenment and received reports that the Sword of Judgement was here on this plane of the underworld. According to the clerics, the combination of a few artifacts can create the Angelic Alliance, a formidable weapon that will once again cast pray upon any army and would be an extremely useful item for the forces of good. Three days later, Tarnum dreamed again, this time about Hardac. He remembered that he was older, more experienced, and a lowly footsoldier of the wizards, but he later became perhaps Tarnum's best friend and one of his most trusted captains. In one of the battles, Hardac fought against a pack of gremlins and was wounded in the side, but refused to retreat and fought to the end. Tarnum wanted to save him anyway, so he broke through and took him to the healers, and although the battle was won by the barbarians, but at the cost of heavy losses. After that, the two barbarians finally became friends and stood by each other until the end. Four days later, Tarnum dreamed of his friend again and remembered that they had truly become good friends when, during a meeting, Hardac proposed a new strategy to Tarnum against the combined forces of mages and nagas. The nagas were lured away, and after the wizards were also killed, their losses to the barbarians were minimal and Tarnum knew then that he could trust his companion. Four days later, Tarnum could sleep less and less, because in his dreams he heard the screams of the dying and he shuddered more and more from new nightmares. Then Tarnum met an old man who came out of a blackened forest and told the knight that if he followed the path he would find the Hourglass of the Evil Hour that a seer was looking for and he could get a reward if he took it to her. For the useful advice, Tarnum gave the old man twelve gold, then went on with his army. Five days later, Tarnum dreamed again, this time of his first archenemy, Kurl, and the four bards. This time he dreamed the opposite of reality, the evil sorcerer executed all the bards, so Tarnum showed him no mercy and killed him. He cried and broke down, but he woke up and was relieved to find that his people's history was safe because he had freed the bards in time.
Meanwhile, Tarnum met a crippled old demon but did not kill the creature because it gave him good advice. He advised the knight to have all the artifacts in one person, as it might happen that someone steals one of them and disappears with it. The knight gave the demon three hundred gold in exchange for the good advice. Tarnum then met a ragged-looking, middle-aged woman who was quite hot-tempered and asked for two hundred gold, in exchange for information. The knight decided that today would be a good day, so he gave her the gold. The woman said there was a castle to the east that belonged to the undead but could also be guarded by bone dragons, so the knights had better be careful. The information was indeed true, there was a castle in the middle of the dark mist and it was guarded by the undead, but Tarnum captured it, and not far away he met the medusa queens, and when he defeated them, he found the Hourglass of the Evil Hour.
Four days later, Tarnum thought of Allison, that she was fortunately not on the battlefield and that she had distracted him from the his disturbing dreams. However, something caught the barbarian's attention, mainly because of his mannerisms, but his fiery red hair was familiar to him, as this hair color was common among barbarians. However, he knew they had met before, as Tarnum had died before she was born. Meanwhile, Tarnum encountered an escaped slave who told him that the demons knew about the threat and the Angelic Alliance, so they were protecting the Sword of Justice. The knight gave him a hundred pieces of gold, then ordered him to be taken to the castle and his wounds treated. At the same time, Tarnum found a monolith two way and realized that it would actually lead him to the castle, that the middle-aged woman was talking about, and the castle of the undead was not what he first thought of. After crossing with his army, he found the castle and successfully captured it.
Four days later, when Tarnum was polishing his armor, he saw his face, he had dark circles around his eyes and he had lost weight. This was due to lack of sleep, as he slept less and less as his memories in his dreams were distorted, bad and scary. He thought he was having bad dreams because of this evil plane of the Underworld, but suddenly he couldn't take it anymore in the saddle and fell asleep. This time he saw the mud landers and himself when he conquering their territories, but he felt the stinging pains, the painful insects and the stench of the plants. Four days later, he dreamed of the mud landers again as he forced them to fight by his side. He walked through the open gates of a fortress, his body covered in mud and blood, and then he saw the throne of the Mudlands King and a lizardman who was so gaunt and pale gray that he was almost dead. The lizarman told Tarnum that now it was his right to destroy the people of the mud landers or to rule over them. However, the barbarian rejected the throne and rule and then awoke. Still smelling the stench of rotting plants, he pressed his fists to his temples and began to cry. Four days later, Tarnum dreamed of a battle, but when a young soldier tried to wake him up, the knight suddenly drew his sword and cut him. Fortunately, the man jumped away, one of his ribs broken and injured his side, but he did not die. Tarnum was very sorry that he had hurt this man, even if he only thought it accident, and then he talked to a priest about his dreams. The priest told him that the other soldiers also had bad dreams, but Tarnum's were worse than the others, so he gave him a medicine that did not help the dreams, but the knight could finally feel rested, as the priest believed that the exhausted leader not exactly the best. Tarnum later met a beautiful girl who advised him to look at all the learning stones, as every little thing could help him in his quest. However, when the knight wanted to give her gold, he noticed that the woman turned into a demon, and this was an ambush. Ten demons attack the knights, but they are successfully defeated.
Four days later, Tarnum dreamed again, although when he saw himself at the head of barbarian armies, he knew immediately that he was in a dream. Again he led his armies, glorious and proud, until he saw the mud landers, gnolls, and lizardmen chained, they were his slaves. The wizards also treated them cruelly and the mud landers suffered greatly, but only then did Tarnum realize that he had only adopted the methods of his enemies and he became the new oppressor of these creatures. When Tarnum woke up, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. Four days later he dreamed again. He saw the trap at Wallpeaks this time, when the wizards unleashing an avalanche on the barbarian armies and Tarnum attacking people he believed to be his allies. Because he had to act quickly, he left the conquered peoples and slaves behind, but he felt the cold tongues of the mud landers on the back of his neck and that he earned their anger with his actions. Four days later, Tarnum dreamed again, this time of the innocent peasants he had killed who did not want to join his cause, but instead remained servants of the sorcerers. He stood alone in the Underworld on a field of bones where he heard the silent scream of skulls, then he put his hands to his ears and admitted that he was wrong and that he had gone from being a freedom fighter to a murderer, blinded by arrogance and anger. When he woke up, his soldiers watched him with confused and frightened faces, seeing that their leader was also a sleepwalker. Meanwhile, he found one of the seers, to whom he gave the Hourglass of the Evil Hour, and in return he received knowledge. And he gave the Orb of Inhibition to another seer, who found it again and in return his magical power increased.
Five days later, Tarnum dreamed again, but the situation was getting worse. Tarnum watched as his warriors and monsters slaughtered the innocents, then a woman with fiery red hair ran out of her hut and was chased by some ogres. She screamed and ran, but she fell and turned to face her pursuers, and it was then that Tarnum felt that she was his sister, as she looked so much like his mother. He raised his arms and tried to stop the monsters, he shouted at them, but it was too late. However, he did not see his death anymore, because he woke up, screamed, tore his tent and was angry with everyone who came near him. He was getting more and more tired of his past and didn't want to remember anything, but he knew it wasn't over yet.
Two days later, Allison met Tarnum, followed by only one frightened escort. The woman was angry, she looked at the knight with a frown, but he was extremely exhausted, the queen wanted to talk to him personally. When it was just the two of them, the queen told them that she had received word that her knight had gone mad, so she was taking his command. However, Tarnum was so exhausted and tired that he could not control himself and laughed at the queen. The knight behaved very disrespectfully, he declared that he will not let the soldiers die because of the girl's childish dreams, that they must be led by a real killer and that he knows very well what it means to fight. He then turned his back on her, but Allison declared that this was his army and slapped Tarnum on the back of the head for his disrespect. When he turned around, she wanted to slap him in the face, but the knight caught her hand and lifted her up easily, teaching her that she was weak. He didn't want to hurt her, but he gripped her arm a little tight, but she kicked him in the groin and the fight ended. Allison told her not to touch him again and ran away, and Tarnum was waiting for the knights to collect and execute him, but they didn't. Four days later, there was tension in the knights' camp. Queen Allison stayed with them, but Tarnum and she stayed apart, she ordered one of her captains to teach her swordsmanship and she was a good student. At the same time, Tarnum did not give many orders, he tried to stay low, half of the knights stood by him, and the other half wanted him dead for touching the queen. He knew well that if he made one wrong move, the knights would fight against each other and the mission would be a complete failure, but at the same time he observed that there might be more to Allison than he first thought. Two days later, Tarnum had nightmares again, for him this feeling was like a maggot in his memories, which constantly torturing him. He saw the ogres trying to smash his sister's head with their clubs again, but this time he didn't want to wake up. But then a horseman came and killed the ogres, and although the rest of the village could not be saved, Tarnum's sister survived the attack. The barbarian was shocked when he saw the armored hero sitting under a tree with the sister, and the woman was expecting a child, then he looked towards the hero and saw that it was Ryon Gryphonheart. Three days later, Tarnum put the details together. Ryon saved his sister from the rampage of the barbarian hordes and they had a child together, so Allison was Tarnum's niece.
A day later, Tarnum walked up to Allison who was practicing with his sword and apologized for the disrespectful behavior but refused to look at her face, his head staring at the ground. The queen forgave him, admitting that she was at fault, but the knight refused, saying that he had been tired lately and couldn't rest, which she understood because the Underworld had a bad effect on everyone. Meanwhile, he found another seer who gave him valuable experience in exchange for an artifact, the Ambassador's Sash. A week later, Tarnum and Allison's relationship was restored, and the knight even agreed to become her instructor and teach her how to fight and take care of herself. The nightmares tormented him in the same way, but for Tarnum, the terrible memories of the past showed nothing new, so he started to get used to these dreams and was finally able to rest. Six days later, Tarnum decided not to tell the queen who he really was, as he needed her trust and finally felt he had an important purpose to do good with. Tarnum then finally found the path and passage that would lead them to Sandro who was waiting for them with a lot of undead. However, as the others were defeated by the knights, he was the last enemy in the cavern of the plane, and Tarnum defeated the lich and took the keys that would take him to the next level of the Underworld.
==== Twisted Tunnels ====
Tarnum's next opponents were the overlords. Allison wanted to join the fight, but Tarnum convinced her to start with simple tasks first, so she chased the monsters that were still raging in the previous level of the Underworld. At the same time, Tarnum's task was already much more difficult, since the vanguard unit who sent them here sent him a message that one of the overlords had killed their captain, but they were still alive and needed help. The knights approached the fort of Steadfast, but some guards warned them that they had not yet finished securing the castle, and that enemies had sneaked into Point Dume. Not far from the fortress, in exchange for some sulfur, an unknown
person told Tarnum that an ambush could be expected almost anywhere, so it was not very wise to try to win him with troops. A scarred and frail harpy hag then told the knights in exchange for sulfur that if they defeated her sisters in the north, they could obtain a artifact, Lion's Shield of Courage. Four days later, Tarnum was worried because the enemy was using a very different strategy than he was used to. The place was a maze, enemies swarmed everywhere like cockroaches and there were casualties.
Four days later, Tarnum received a report that Allison's campaign was going well and inquired as to what was going on down below, but the knight couldn't really answer as the fight against the overlords was difficult. Five days later, Tarnum confessed his greatest crime to himself, but with no one to tell it to, he took pen and ink and wrote that his greatest crime was killing Hardac, his best friend and advisor. Five days later, with the constant fighting, Tarnum began to think more and more about how well Hardac saw the things. He saw the direction the barbarian tyrant's hate war was heading, the warriors morale were low, they wanted to see their families, and the captains were ready to get rid of the tyrant, even at the cost of a duel to the death if necessary, and Tarnum knew he couldn't win against all of them face to face. He realized that his friend wanted the best not only for him, but for everyone, the barbarian people. Five days later, Tarnum continued his confess. He made a deal with a chained wizard that if he kept him alive, he would produce for him the poison with which he later killed the captains. However, he couldn't risk the wizard talking, so he tested the poison's potency on him first. It was tasteless and odorless, yet effective. Five days later, Tarnum continued his confession, describing how he had lied to his captains, announced the end of the war, and had a victory feast. Tarnum poured the poison into a cup of ale, which he shared with his captains, and when it reached him he pretended to spills it. Then his captains began to choke and curse his name. The next morning, Tarnum lied that wizards had done it, so the war continued. Five days later, Tarnum buried the paper in one of the tunnels, but at the same time he felt that writing down his crimes did not make him feel any better.
Four days later, Tarnum received important information. His soldiers found an old woman in a hellhound's cave, who said that if they brought her home, she would tell them who the certain demon the knights were looking for. The woman's home was a crumbling structure, covered in dark fungus. Despite her old age, the woman was very energetic and grateful. He said that the demon was called Jorm and that he used to stay in the deepest parts of the Underworld, but he never stayed in one place for long. He said that there might be only one person who knows where he is, and that is Deezelisk, the Duke of the Bottom. Four days later, even though he finally had some useful information about the mission, Tarnum was worried about the price Deezelisk would want for revealing the whereabouts of Jorm and Ryon's souls. He didn't think it was the best thing to do dealing with demons. Four days later, Queen Allison unexpectedly galloped into Tarnum's camp and wondered why the knight hadn't answered her letters, because she was already very worried. The knight told her what he knew about Jorm and Deezelisk, which pleased the queen, but she asked that he inform her of new informations and reports more often in the future. Tarnum nodded. However, Tarnum felt that she was testing his patience as she sent him letters for four days with almost the same questions. The knight felt that she was slowly taking care of him like a mother hen.
Four days later, a new letter arrived, but this one was completely different. Allison said that there were problems on the upper level, because a group of magogs played a dirty trick on them. There was a raid, they were outnumbered and trapped in a cave for a few days, and the queen was curious as to what Tarnum was doing, how he was such a successful commander and how he handled the news of fallen soldiers under his command. At the same time, Tarnum was upset when he learned through his contacts that the queen was very unprepared to handle the situation with the magogs. The knight wrote a rather blunt and stern letter, but at the same time his goal was for her to learn from it and to get to know him better. In the letter, he wrote to the queen that she cannot be a leader who is so irresponsible and that many good people die because of childish heroics, at the same time he also wrote to her that the leader's task is to do everything possible to achieve victory in order to keep as many of his men alive as possible , despite the odds. Four days later, Allison sent a short reply to Tarnum in which he was very sorry for her failure, but at the same time learned from it. Tarnum, on the other hand, progressed well, defeated the overlords and was able to go even deeper.
==== Jorm's Ambush ====
Tarnum had to obtain an artifact in the next level, the Spirit of Oppression. At the same time, unfortunately, he saw that the mental state of his troops was deteriorating due to the ever stronger and more evil effects of the Underworld, so he had to make an effort. Tarnum left his castle, which was built in the new level, but a captain with several new recruits looked after it. Right in front of the castle, he met a young man who was a runaway cook's assistant and wanted to join the army. Having shared information with Tarnum about an artifact guarded by bone dragons, the knight allowed the boy and his friends to join him. Four days later, monks discovered that another part of the Angelic Alliance was located here, Celestial Necklace of Bliss, a powerful holy artifact. However, it was rumored that the artifact could only be obtained by completing certain trials. Four days later, Tarnum learned of his enemy, a demon named Zydar, who had built several garrisons to slow the knights' advance. Meanwhile, Tarnum was already strong enough and it was no particular problem for him to break through the garrisons and defeat his opponent.
Six days later, Tarnum's scouts brought some interesting information. Jorm knows that the knights are in the Underworld and knows about their mission, so it can be expected that he was thoroughly prepared and the power of surprise was out of the question. However, it was strange to Tarnum that the demons feared Jorm more than the knights, and that the demon somehow knew too much about the knights' mission. The demon also built barriers between the next world, but he could not destroy the gateways, and at the same time, passage was only possible with keymasters. There were three gates in this world, but only one led on. However, Tarnum did not expect that Jorm would not only defend himself, but also launch a counterattack.
Eight days later, Tarnum wrote bad news to Allison. Four days ago, Worthington was attacked, according to him, the attackers were cowards because they only dared to attack at night, and at the same time, several buildings were burned to the ground or damaged, but there were no dead. The goal of the attackers was not to kill, but to demoralize and intimidate. At the same time, Tarnum warned the queen that the tunnels were now dangerous and that she should only travel in them with a heavy escort. However, this was not the last time, as Jorm's demons harassed the castle's soldiers continuously for five days, every night, with their constant screams, so the defenders could not rest and were tired. Tarnum was told this by a messenger from the castle, and the knight agreed that the molar was low and the soldiers should rest a little. Five days later, the scream did not stop, the enemy kept taunting the knights, they sounded like tortured cats. Due to the soldiers' lack of sleep, the demons sometimes got too close to them to really hurt them, the tension and tempers between the soldiers kept rising, making it more and more difficult to keep order. One day there were six fights, and later the soldiers did not even remember what they had fought about. Tarnum knew that Jorm's true purpose was to divide the Knights' forces from within and turn them against each other.
Five days later, an unpleasant blow befell the knights. The demons did not scream and taunt, so the soldiers were finally able to sleep, only a few remained on duty. However, this was exactly the goal of the enemy, the over-exhausted soldiers were fast asleep, so they did not hear when the enemy sneaked into the castle and the demons stole seven thousand gold and many raw resources. Tarnum definitely wanted a solution, because he was afraid that another raid by Jorm would claim human lives. Four days later nothing happened, but Tarnum and the knights waited, but the demons did not come and it was unusually quiet. Only the monks were calm, the soldiers were confused because they were afraid of the unpredictable moves of the enemy. Five days later, it was still quiet, but Tarnum spoke to the monks, who told them that the meditation techniques they learned at the beginning of the mission allowed them to stay calm and withstand the taunts of the enemy, so the knight believed the soldiers should learn the same. Five days later, the soldiers were already practicing meditation and Tarnum was a little surprised that none of them rejected it, they were all open and wanted to rest in peace. Six days later, a serious result occurred. The demons tried to sneak into the castle again, but the soldiers were calm, prepared and rested, so they easily drove off the intruders. It is very likely that Jorm then realized that his psychological warfare was no longer going to work, so he would have to continue the fight in open combat.
Six days later, Tarnum learned what Deezelisk wanted. He was blinded a long time ago, but because of his great power, no one dared to challenge him, so he remained the duke of bottom. At the same time, there is an artifact, Pendant of Second Sight with which he can regain his vision. Tarnum still doubted the demons' loyalty, but believed that Deezelisk would really help him if he regained his vision. However, Jorm also knew about the artifact, a cleric discovered it, but he was captured and probably died. Tarnum felt sorry for the cleric and hoped that he would rest in peace in Paradise. In the meantime, however, the knights successfully reached the keymasters, who helped them in exchange for a lot of gold, and Tarnum found the Celestial Necklace of Bliss and the Spirit of Oppression. After that, he reached deep into the Underworld.
==== Old Wounds ====
After building his fortress, Tarnum set out to find the Pendant of Second Sight, but it was not an easy situation, as Jorm bribe the demons, overlords and their minions on this level to stop the knights. At the same time, the demon did not expect that the bribed villains would not be allies of each other, but would also fight against each other alongside Tarnum. At the same time, the knight needed more captains, because according to the scouts, these caves were so huge that they had to explore an entire world in order to find the artifact. At the same time, Tarnum knew in the past that the inhabitants of the underworld tend to accept bribes, so he expected a possible ally, but he didn't really find one. At the same time, a scout also brought good news, because not far from the castle, a group of Magogs were guarding the next piece of the Angelic Alliance, the Sandals of the Saint. In a short time, the knights found and defeated the monsters and obtained another sacred artifact.
Four days later, Tarnum became increasingly pay attention of one of his captains, Mensor, who brought him the information. His appearance was completely average, his hair was dark brown and he had no distinguishing features. However, compared to the other captains, he was quick-thinking and had an excellent memory, which was a special advantage for the success of the mission. Four days later, Mensor's spies reported an island surrounded by a vile, bubbling lake filled with poisonous gases and dark smoke. They tried to get to the island but could not find a shipyard. Four days later, Tarnum was a little worried that if he didn't come personally for the Pendant, Deezelisk would take it and trick him, but he didn't even tell his own men the real mission they were here for. He only told Mensor, with whom they came up with a good idea. Mensor makes the soldiers believe that the goal is to find a powerful artifact that will help free Ryon's soul, and Tarnum ordered that all found artifacts be reported to him by the soldiers and captains in order to ensure the credibility of the plan.
Four days later a messenger arrived from Queen Allison and brought a report to Tarnum. A band of minotaurs had successfully hid after the defeat of the overlords, and now they attacked the queen and her soldiers. Tarnum was worried if Alison was okay, but the messenger reassured him that they had won and the queen was fine. He said that it was as if she had fought alongside her father, she firmly led the soldiers, fought tactically, bravely and skillfully, and the knight was happy to listen to his niece's success and talent, he was proud that she had finally learned from him. He ordered the messenger to return and tell her that he was impressed. He believed that the girl was an adult and no longer needed to teach her.
Four days later, however, Mensor's behavior changed a lot, because he watched almost every move of Tarnum suspiciously and tensely, but the knight did not understand how he could accuse him, because he had done nothing wrong. The knight knew that he was extremely loyal to the queen and would do anything to protect her, Tarnum believed that he could have finished him in the past, but he wanted to let go of his old ways when he was still a barbarian tyrant. Four days later, Tarnum learned some interesting information about Deezelisk. The demon attempted to conquer the kingdom of Erathia, but failed and lost his vision in the battle against the knights. He is still sulking about this and is surrounded by many loyal servants.
Four days later, some of Mensor's spies built a raft and tried to cross the water, but this ended in disaster, because there was some acid in the water that corroded the eat apart the boat and the people on them. The only survivor suffered severe burns and was not sure if he would survive, but he told what he knew. He said that the lake was littered with many wrecks, guarded by the ghost of the dead, and that they actually saw an island in the middle of the lake. Tarnum asked Mensor that the spies should not attempt to cross the dark waters again until a safe way was found.
Four days later, Tarnum was listening to the stories of others, which he enjoyed doing because it distracted him from his loneliness and his mission, but Mensor unexpectedly asked him where he was born. Tarnum almost choked on his beer, but took a big gulp and answered. He said that in Aberton Falls, which was a small village between the borders of Erathia and Krewlod, and that they often dealt with barbarians. In a harsh tone, he said that his parents and one of his sisters had been killed by a brutal savage and his other sister had been kidnapped. The pleasant mood turned dark, and Tarnum wasn't lying as he was talking about himself, a brutal savage whose wrong decisions had killed his family and one of his sisters who had been killed by his own followers. Four days later, Tarmum put away Queen Allison's letter, whom he already saw as a great leader and cared for her people, so he thought it was time for her to join him and let her take command. Four days later, Mensor caught three men trying to escape with valuable information, including Tarnum's true mission, the knights' position, and the size of their armies. The knight wondered how the captain knew about this, who just smiled and said that he was watching everyone. The three traitors were killed. Four days later, Mensor obtained information from a prisoner who served the demon lord whose banner was orange. He said that the demon lord's primary fortress could not be reached at this level of the Underworld, but he could attack at any time through a one-way monolith passage. Tarnum and Mensor agreed not to share this information with the soldiers, because otherwise they would think their fight here was futile.
Four days later, Tarnum and the soldiers were again drinking ale around the campfire, the knight drinking a little too much, when Mensor was curious again and asked who trained him to be a knight. Tarnum believed that if he said a person's name who was alive, he would be called a liar, but he had been preparing for this question for some time and said that Sir Thandos had trained him. Mensor said in a surprised and mournful mood that he was devastated to learn of her death. Sir Thandos was eccentric and recruse, but he was a great knight who was liked by Ryon Gryphonheart as he once saved his life. Tarnum thought he answered well, then raised his tankard and shouted to drink for Sir Thandos and his glorious deeds, and the soldiers cheered and enjoyed their drink. Four days later, Tarnum saw Mensor growing suspicious and paranoid, and the knight worried about what would happen if he found out who he really was. He knew that as a barbarian king he had quite a bad reputation among the knights, but he was more worried that Mesor would be completely devastated if he was shocked to find out that Tarnum was long dead but still alive. He hoped to give up before he realized that coming back from the dead wasn't all that impossible. Four days later, Tarnum walked out to think alone, which was risky, but he took it easy as he believed his immortality was enough protection. Then he saw that Mensor had met an Erathian knight, whom Tarnum did not recognize, but he was secretly hiding and thanks to his barbaric hunting skills he was able to get close enough to hear what they were talking about. The knight was the son of Sir Thandos, who said that his father had only two squires, he and his brother, there was never one named Tarnum. The immortal panicked, feeling that he messed up, and his barbaric instincts told him to kill the two men, but he didn't want to, as they weren't bad people.
Four days later, Tarnum knew that Mensor had discovered the lie, but he thought the captain wanted to know everything, and the knight slept little, believing he might one night put a knife to his throat. Four days later, however, Tarnum received good news. There were still monsters left in the previous level, and they had even launched two powerful attacks against the castles, but Allison had successfully won continuous victories over them, something that Tarnum was proud of. He received several letters declaring that she was ready to be knighted, but that only Tarnum could have the honor of doing so. The knight quickly wrote a letter in which he asked Allison to join him as soon as possible and believed that it was time for him to repay the trust she had placed in him and finally put aside his problems with Mensor. Two days later, it became apparent that Tarnum was too distracted by his concern for Mensor, as two thieves stole twelve thousand gold and some resources from the castle. The knight believed that this mistake should not be made twice.
Six days later, Mensor's spies brought back useful information. The Pendant of Second Sight was indeed on the island, but theres a tower in front of it, surrounded by archdevils, and there was also a guard post nearby. According to the spies, the guards of the guard post demand a lot of gold for the passage, but there is no information about the guards of the tower as to what they are demanding. Six days later, Mensor wanted to talk to Tarnum personally after the strategy session, but the immortal already knew what was going to happen. The captain said that he knew who he was and was passionately curious about how he could still be alive and that the man showed no signs of aging. When he called him a murderer, Tarnum yelled at him to be quiet, then declared that if he revealed who he really was to the soldiers, everyone would die because of him. He threatened the captain that he didn't have to understand his story, but he would show him what a tyrant he was if his curiosity would get the soldiers or Allison dead.
The two men did not speak to each other for two days, and then Tarnum invited Mensor into his tent, who saw the hatred in his eyes and prepared for a possible assassination. Tarnum informed him that if this all ends, he will never see him again, but there is an important secret that, if revealed, could destroy the kingdom of Erathia, and he wanted to tell this to Mensor, who, despite his anger, was curious and knew that the knight was not bluffing. Mensor did not want to believe that Allison was Tarnum's niece, and left the tent in shock and confusion, and the knight and the knight had difficulty to sleeping. Twelve days later, there was no assassination attempt on Tarnum, but Mensor treated him coldly. He did not speak to him, he only sent the reports to him in writing, and he refused the knight's explanations. The Immortal suspected that Mensor's hatred came from deeper.
Four days later, pit fiends launched a surprise attack on the knights' camp, but Tarnum reacted in time. He saw Mensor fight one of them, but he was better as a spy than a swordsman, Tarnum then pushed him from the side, the captain fell over one of the bodies, and then the knight killed the monster. The other pit fiends were also killed, but the monsters burned some of the supplies, causing material damage. Mensor did not say a word to Tarnum, he only had minor wounds, and the knight sent him to a healer. Four days later, Mensor asked Tarnum why he had saved him, but the knight replied that friends do that for each other, but he did not want to see his angry gaze, so he sharpened his sword. The captain asked if his secret would be safe if he died, and Tarnum just replied with a simple "Uh huh". Mensor shook his head and left the tent. Four days later, Mensor walked into Tarnum's tent, holding two mugs and an amber ale. Tarnum jokingly asked if it was not poisoned and drank before the captain's answer, showing that he trusted him despite their differences. Mensor also took a sip and said he was ready to hear Tarnum's story. Four days later, after Tarnum had told his long story, there were quiet days, when Mensor rode up to him. He said that Ryon's wife, who was Tarnum's surviving sister, cried for days when she learned he was dead, and that Ryon even returned to the battlefield to retrieve his body, but could not find it. Tarnum cried when he learned that his sister respected him despite his deeds and that Ryon was truly a good person who respected her feelings. Mensor also said that his sister forgave him, but he could not forgive the barbarian king, as several members of his family had died because of him. At the same time, with some effort, he declared that he forgave the present Tarnum, seeing that he had truly changed, and then held out his hand in friendship, which Tarnum gladly accepted. Eight days later, Tarnum believed that if his sister forgave him, he would also forgive the Ancestors, but at the same time, he did not understand why he was given a second chance when his hatred had caused so much destruction.
Things were going well, at first Jorm's bribed minions caused a lot of trouble and chaos, but the knights eventually managed to find a shipyard and were able to cross the dark, acidic water and land on the island. Here they killed the archdevils and then reached the guard post, where the guards wanted a total of fifty thousand gold in exchange for passage. And for a while there was a man at the tower who was waiting for Tarnum because he wanted to ask him a question. The man asked the knight why he had led his people astray. The old man was familiar to him from somewhere, but he thought it was impossible, then the old man says that he was angry, shakes his head and walks away, ensuring passage. Tarnum then obtained the Pendant of Second Sight and believed that Deezelisk would finally hand over Jorm to the knights.
==== The Queen's Command ====
Deezelisk regained his vision and offered Jorm's life for the gift, the queen accepted the offer, but Tarnum was suspicious and warned her against it. Building another castle was a lengthy process, but Deezelisk provided one of his hell cities to speed up the quest, but Jorm was not with him. Tarnum still didn't trust the demon, especially now that he would be fighting on their side, but Allison was satisfied and had already taken most of the command. The next day, Tarnum knighted Allison, although he thought the sulphur-smelling blistered place was not a good place to have ceremonies, but he thought the time had come. After the ceremony, Tarnum presented his own sword to the queen, who was very grateful, and then they turned to the crowd and celebrated. Three days later a group of imps and gogs joined the knights, Tarnum not knowing if they were loyal to Deeselik or Allison.
Four days later, Mensor tried to find out Jorm's whereabouts without success, but learned that he also did not trust Deezelisk. Tarnum, however, saw that the situation was difficult as he could be fighting in territory known to Jorm, while the knights needed resources and more troops to explore the area. Even a week later, Jorm was still nowhere to be seen, but his minions were launching attacks, and Tarnum had a bad feeling in his stomach, feeling that trouble was coming. Six days later, Tarnum and Allison dined together, and the knight expressed to the queen that he felt she really didn't need him anymore, but she told him that he was her confidence and that she felt a special bond to him. The knight knew what she was thinking, the queen asked him to stay with her and appointed him as her personal protector. Tarnum promised her, but he had a hard time holding back his emotions, knowing that he couldn't keep his word.
Six days later Mensor found Jorm but told him that the knights would need keymasters and a strong army if they were to win. Six days later, another report came in, saying that Jorm and his castle were protected by a guard tower, but that the guard was only allowing Tarnum through. Six days later, Deezelisk sent demonic troops and monsters to the knights and twenty thousand gold. The queen was very grateful, but Tarnum still did not trust the demon, instead asking Mensor to begin investigating in secret. Six days later, Allison also gained the loyalty of the demonic city, as he treated them completely differently. She did not torture them, did not force them to work and treated them humanely, and the population was grateful for that. At the same time, Tarnum was worried about what would happen if they had to choose between Deezelisk and the queen. Six days later, Tarnum began to worry a bit as Mensor did not return and worried about what might have happened to him, but at the same time he had to focus on the mission. After much searching and persistence, Tarnum finally found Jorm, who was already waiting for him with his army in his castle. The battle was not easy, and Jorm was surprisingly talented and strong in magic, but Tarnum eventually defeated and killed him, only to be trapped by the enemy. Duke Deezelisk betrayed Tarnum and kidnapped Allison, and his demons surrounded the knights' army.
==== Never Deal with a Demon ====
The demons killed the knights and their captains, but Tarnum, being immortal, successfully teleported back to a castle, but he was very angry. He had guessed all along that this would happen, yet he walked into the trap. he saved Ryon Gryphonheart's soul and killed Jorm, but Deezelisk kidnapped Allison and he locked her in the torture chamber of his castle. Tarnum and a small force of knights successfully built a castle on this hidden level of the Underworld, and some of the demons rebelled against Deezelisk and fought on the side of the knights. Three days later, something unexpected happened. Tarnum was visited in his tent by the soul of Ryon Gryphonheart, but it was not as powerful as when he saved him from Jorm. Both of them told each other that they have moved on from the past and have no hatred against each other. Ryon, on the other hand, asked Tarnum to save his daughter, because Deezelisk started torturing her and he couldn't do anything. The knight leader wondered why the demon hated Ryon so much, who explained that he once tried to capture Erathia but failed, blinding him and sending him back to the Underworld. Two days later, Tarnum received important news again. Mensor was alive and imprisoned not far from his castle, but he was protected by a strong guard post. Five archdevils guarded the dungeon's keymaster, but after these creatures were defeated by Tarnum, he found Mensor, who angrily told him that Deezelisk had lied to them and planned to kidnap the queen, then shouted for him to be freed. The knight leader opened the cells and Mensor joined him with a small army.
Three days later, Ryon's spirit returned to Tarnum's tent with tears in his eyes. He himself said that Deezelisk tortures his daughter very cruelly and blames himself for not being able to do anything. The knight leader then encouraged the king's spirit to stay with his daughter and give her strength, and the treacherous demon would pay for every day he touched her. Ryon smiled and saw that Tarnum was turning his revenge on the right enemy. A week later, Tarnum had nightmares again, but this time it wasn't about the Underworld, but his own fears of what Deezelisk might do to Allison. Ryon's soul appeared again, but this time it looked ghostly and weak. He realized that he could protect Allison from some of the pain, but since Deezelisk had immense power down in the Underworld, he couldn't continue this indefinitely. He told the knight leader that it was the demon's plan to have Jorm kidnap him from Paradise and that he could lure Allison underground and that the queen's dream was a magical manipulation by Deezelisk as he knew that if he started torturing her then the dead the king's soul will protect her and thus destroy him. Tarnum wanted to lay a hand on the king's shoulder, but remembered that he was no firmer than a soft breeze, then said that Deezelisk had completely ignored him, and Ryon knew that his former enemy's desire for revenge was not to be underestimated. However, the evil demon did not completely underestimate his enemy, as six days later one of the caves collapsed and buried one of the transport wagons. By the time they got there, there were only dead people and lost supplies. This was two thousand three hundred and fifty gold, four portions of wood, and three portions of mercury and sulphur. They began clearing the cave so that more supplies could arrive. A week later, Mensor tried to interrogatt some captured demons, but they were so afraid of Deezelisk that they couldn't tell much information. Tarnum was a bit upset and thought that his old barbarian self would have tortured them long ago and they would have talked then, but those days are gone. All that was certain was that Deezelisk's secret castle was perhaps in the deepest part of the Underworld, behind an subterranean gate. Six days later, Tarnum wondered if the Ancestors had sent him on this mission, but after a long time it had become his personal mission. He wondered what they wanted to teach him. They may have wanted to teach him a lesson in revenge, as the revenge against the Bracaduun wizards had shamed him in his current immortal state, and Allison's vengeance against Jorm had led them into a trap. He believed that Deezelisk, like them, was trapped by revenge, but the knight leader swore that he would defeat him with his own weapon, that is, with painful revenge. Six days later, when Ryon didn't have to protect Allison, he was trying to find out where he could find Deezelisk, which was a great help to Tarnum, as a ghost was great for spying. The evil demon built his castle in an inaccessible place. There was a monolith passage in a tunnel that led to the tent of a red keymaster. Beyond this is an underground gate and only by crossing it could you get to Deezelisk Castle.
Six days later, Tarnum sent a messega to the lords of Erathia by swift horse messenger to send help. He described how the queen has been kidnapped and they are fighting against a terrible enemy and are getting exhausted, so they need help. He also described the tortures so that his request would be credible and he urged them. Ten days later, reinforcements arrived at the knights' castle. The well guarded tunnels and the Erathians’ excellent works were able to effectively send troops and free people to join the fight against the demons. Two days later, Ryon Gryphonheart's spirit reappeared in the knight leader's tent, but it was getting harder to see. His soul was faint and barely noticeable. He slowly raised his head, blinked twice, but couldn't speak because he was tired. Tarnum understood without words that he was dying and if that happened, Allison would die too. Three days later, Tarnum received a message that his call had been successful and that large reinforcements would soon arrive. The nobles of Erathia banded have railled to save the queen. In the upper levels they were constantly attacked by demons and other monsters, but the Erathians had had enough and decided to destroy every inch of this unholy land. Eleven days later, Tarnum was worried and excited at the same time. Deezelisk was well prepared for the attack of the knights, and was also worried about what might have happened to the girl and the king, as Ryon's spirit had not appeared before him for quite some time. Still, he was enthusiastic because he believed the demon wouldn't be able to escape anywhere, as some ex-slaves had built a guard post in front of the underground gate, only letting Tarnum or the knights through. Five days later the great reinforcement arrived, which was a great army, including archangels. The knight leader was ready for the final assault on the deepest point of the Underworld. Deezelisk's castle was guarded by an extraordinary number of demonic creatures and monsters, and the demon lord was indeed quite powerful as he used almost most magical elemental spells at a master level. The fight was long and hard, but in the end Tarnum was victorious and killed Deezelisk, destroying the lord of the Underworld. They found Allison in the castle, who was alive and managed to save her life. Allison then appointed Tarnum as the queen's protector, but he was nowhere to be found, only his polished armor on his bed. The immortal hero had fulfilled his mission and thus had to return to the Ancestors.
=== Revolt of the Beastmasters ===
==== Hopewielder ====
After rescuing Allison and Ryon's soul and defeating Deezelisk, Tarnum returned to the Ancestors, who tasked him with another mission. However, Tarnum felt that he had to face his past again. Because it was the mudlanders who he harmed a lot in addition to his own people, since he pushed them into slavery. Tarnum was then suddenly captured and taken to prison, where he was chained. However, the muscular barbarian broke the chains, beat a guard unconscious and escaped from prison. He then entered the swamp, dressed up as a beastmaster and started cutting the prisoners' chains with his sword. This time, Tarnum had to face the forces of Erathia, who were no longer ruled by Allison, but by a nameless tyrant known only as Mad Gryphonheart. He subjugated the mudlanders and enslaved them. He was supported by three of the Erathian nobility who were not exactly known for their good qualities. They were Lord Onsten, Baron Paglon and Earl Rambert. Tarnum first had to face Onsten, who was notorious for his brutal cruelty.
Two days after his liberation, Tarnum believed that one of the successes of the rebellion would be if the news of the uprising spread among the slaves. This was not easy, as there was a law that slaves could not stand in groups of more than three or they would be whipped. At the same time, Tarnum knew that the mud landers should not be underestimated, as even after hundreds of years of slavery they were able to gather strength from deep within. They were joined by lizardmen and gnolls at the nearby mines, but there were also minor battles against the soldiers of Erathia, they were ordered by Onsten to mercilessly kill escaped slaves if they refused to return to work. The rebels seized the mines and killed the guards, but what they found there horrified everyone, even Tarnum. The slaves were chained to the walls, very emaciated and smelly as they could not clean themselves. They had to work, live and die here. Tarnum found it hard to believe that someone could be so cruel, not even the wizards oppressed the barbarians so much. He believed that the Erathians were not evil people, but if they were led by madmen, then unfortunately they would carry out their orders. The rebel leader believed that if a creature were enslaved for too long, people would forget to treat them as living beings and see them as tools. Not far from the swamp fotress, they found a mystical garden guarded by halberdiers, and one of them told them that every week Onsten steals the gold of the leprechaun who lives here, but if anyone else dares to do it, the person will be killed by the soldiers. However, Tarnum believed that he wanted to teach the hypocritical nobleman a lesson as soon as possible, so he killed the soldiers and took the leprechaun's gold, but using it for a noble purpose. Meanwhile, Tarnum and the rebels killed several swordsmen in a hidden area and found the treasures looted by Onsten. Six days later, a massacre took place, which the rebels also learned about. A large group of escaped slaves surrendered to Lord Onsten and begged for mercy. However, instead of mercy, the evil noble put chains around their necks and then ordered them to dig a hole. The slaves then had to go into the hole and were executed by Onsten’s archers. This news almost broke the fighting will of the rebel army, but Tarnum felt a great hatred for his opponent. The rebel leader's original plan was to lead his army safely out of the area, but after that he believed that a glorious victory would bring the rebellion to fruition and wanted to kill Onsten personally.
Three days later, Tarnum met his new advisor, an old, wizened gnoll witch named Adamina. One of her eyes was removed due to an old wound, but the other was alert and watchful, and her hands suffered from arthritis, but the others still respected her. Tarnum felt that he had once again met a person who could help him redeem himself and atone for the sins of his past. They met for the first time when the rebel leader wanted to water his horses, and she came out of the thick swamp. They talked about hope, but the Witch was a little surprised that Tarnum talked quite a lot about the mud landers as belonging to his people and that he cares about them. After that, Tarnum's plans were successful. He defeated Onsten's troops, besieged his castle and personally killed the evil noble.
==== The First Law ====
After Onsten's death, the Mad King Gryphonheart took the threat seriously and ordered his second most important minion, Baron Paglon, to put down the uprising. The baron had more soldiers and castles, so he was already a serious opponent for Tarnum, but no one expected that he would fight with very mean methods. The king was so enraged by Onsten's defeat that he killed the messenger who brought the message and burned his own stables. However, Tarnum wanted to hide the children, women and some of the warriors deep in the swamp so that I could fight Baron Paglon without any worries.
The next day, Tarnum wanted to send a scout who was a lean lizard man and knelt before the rebel leader, who in turn declared that he was his commander and not his master and to stand up. He sent the scout to where several rebels were hiding to get troops, but he had to make sure that no experienced warriors came, because they had to watch over the women and children. Tarnum's plan was to have gnolls and lizardmen join him as soon as possible, as he did not want Paglon to recruit them as slaves or soldiers. Meanwhile, Tarnum found a family of basilisks trapped, but his advisors warned him not to go near them, as the creatures could be enraged. However, he did not listen to them and freed the creatures, who became loyal to him and joined the rebels. Two days later, reinforcements arrived, consisting of gnolls and lizardmen. Three days later, Tarnum was sleeping when he was awakened by loud laughter and almost stepped on the tail of a basilisk. The reptile hissed, Tarnum apologized to the creature, which hissed again but did not attack him. A gnoll and a lizardman were fighting, screaming and clawing at each other in the mud. Tarnum intervened and lifted them, the lizardman wanted to wound the gnoll once more but scratched shallow furrows into the rebel leader's face. Tarnum then became very angry and let go of the gnoll and punched the lizardman so hard that he flew about ten feet and fell into the mud, then he punched the gnoll in his stomach. However, when he ordered them to tie their hands and feet, no one moved or said anything, and he realized only a little later that this kind of punishment was equivalent to slavery for them. Tarnum felt a little sorry for them, as they had no laws and no culture, only slavery. He declared that he would not enslave them, but that he must issue a punishment. Two days later, Tarnum released the two soldiers and summoned one of the Gnoll leaders, Brellick, to whom he gave special instructions. He ordered him to create a system of laws with the wisest members of the camp, what would be considered crimes and what would be the appropriate punishment. The rebel leader even gave him an example, he gave the prohibition of slavery as the first law. Brellick found this quite overwhelming at first, but the rebel leader believed he was up to the task. Three days later, Brellick wasn't making much progress, but Tarnum was helping him. He said that the laws protect them and can deliver justice, they can build a concrete system on which anything else can be built. Tarnum had a lot of faith in Brellick, who still didn't really understand the importance of his task, but he tried to fulfill it.
Four days later, one of the scouts reported to Tarnum that Erathian troops had arrived in two cities of Paglon and were carrying the king's banner. The rebel leader was a bit worried, as he believed the nobility and the king had put aside their arrogance and seriously sent the entire Erathian army here, which would have marked the clear end of the uprising. He knew that they were no longer viewed simply as runaway slaves, but as rebels and murderers. The king really took the uprising more seriously, but he only sent smaller groups for Paglon. Three days later, Brellick completed the list of laws, which turned out to be very long and was engraved on sheets of bark stripped from stubby swamp trees. Tarnum was both satisfied and not. Everything started with his law, followed by murder, theft, other crimes, then work, eating and even sleeping were written laws. At the same time, there was a law for almost everything without exception, Tarnum thought this incredibly long attempt was a monstrosity, but he believed that they could amend it. At first, Brellick thought he had failed and lowered his head, but the rebel leader suggested that he combine certain laws and come up with a much shorter but more understandable list. He liked the idea, but it took four gnolls to get the long list of laws out of the tent.
Three days later, Tarnum spoke to Adamina again, despite the fact that she too should have hid in the swamp with the other innocents, but the old witch wanted to speak with the rebel leader. The witch said that the male gnolls were not very good at organization, so she and other females would make the laws, which Tarnum agreed to. The rebellion progressed successfully, they defeated the armies of Baron Paglon and occupied two towns. However, two things stood out to the rebels. One is that smaller renegade gnoll troops appeared, led by cocky gnoll kings, and they were against everyone. The other is that they found rogues who immediately attacked the rebels, but after defeating them, Tarnum and his companions made an interesting discovery. The criminals hid thousands of gold and some treasure in their hideouts, obtained from runaway slaves who were killed. However, the rebels did not yet know that this was only the beginning of Paglon's nefarious plan.
==== By Royal Decree ====
Paglon was defeated, but managed to escape to another castle. Mad King Gryphonheart sent more reinforcements and a warning that if he was defeated again, he would be stripped of his title. However, the odds were against the baron, because Tarnum noticed that the castle to which he fled was surrounded by large mountains, so he built a garrison at the only entrance, which he provided with strong protection. Two days later, Tarnum was almost hit by a crossbowman's steel bolt with a parchment attached to it. The marksman ran into the swamp, and a rebel soldier brought the bolt to Tarnum to read what was written on the parchment. Gryphonheart and Paglon's plan was that the baron would give ten silver for every killed slave, so they incited robbers, murderers, thieves and pirates against the rebels. Five days later, Tarnum received a dark report from Brellick. The gnoll commander and his soldiers wanted to retrieve escaped slaves who were in a nearby pond and wanted to join the rebels. However, Brellick and the others came back with their heads down, the mood was gloomy and empty. Tarnum cursed when he learned that bounty hunters had attacked them, killed everyone, including the women and pups, cut off their heads and hung the bodies on trees. Three days later, Brellick and some gnolls brought a report to Tarnum, but they were afraid. The rebel leader knew that they had been slaves for a few months and had been whipped for bad news, and they thought they would be punished this time as well. However, Tarnum was calm and did not hurt them, he knew that if he gave a brutal answer, he would sink to the level of his enemies. One of the gnolls said they checked the supplies and an entire wagon was missing, Brellick said at least a dozen gnolls had deserted. Tarnum ordered Brellick to find and capture the deserters, but not to kill or harm them.
Two days later, they still hadn't been found, Tarnum then decided to search for them personally with a smaller group, while Brellick took the command of the army. They discovered some fresh tracks, crept through the mud and bushes as the leeches gathered on them. Finally they found a small cave surrounded by blackened trees, which were burnt. Tarnum drew his sword, his warriors prepared. He slipped on his hands and knees into the cave, where he smelled burned flesh. He already knew what he would find, but he wanted to see it with his own eyes, so he went on. He crawled into the back of the cave, but the smell was getting more and more disgusting. Finally he found the remains of the deserters. The bounty hunters ambushed them while they slept, beheaded them, stole their supplies, and then burned the bodies. Tarnum was then overcome with anger as he saw that these people were money-hungry robbers and murderers and wanted more and more to kill the Mad King Gryphonheart, but he knew that he could not be controlled by his feelings now, as he had to save a people from destruction. He then returned to the camp and led the army again. Four days later, Tarnum received more and more reports of continuous massacres, women and children were not spared by the bounty hunters, more and more of whom appeared in front of Baron Paglon's castle to receive their reward. Someone brought a cartload of heads to the castle in exchange for the silver. Tarnum then shout loudly as he was very angry but he knew he would not make the mistake he had made in the past to turn his army into revenge hungry and bloodthirsty killers. But then Adamina came in and asked him if destroying the enemy was the only way. The rebel leader told him no, but they must find a home and an community or they would remain weak forever. The old witch agreed with him, but then she recalled his story, in which she called him a great and horrible leader. Tarnum didn't know how much Adamina knew about him, but he stated that that particular leader had made a mistake and that one must learn from the mistakes of the past, otherwise anyone is doomed to repeat them. The witch nodded and had nothing more to say.
Two days later Tarnum realized something important, he believed the Ancestorts had inspired him in his dream. In the past, he taught the barbarians how to be strong, cruel, bloodthirsty and brutal, but without him, the entire horde fell apart because there was no other strong leader. He thought this was also true for the mud landers. Knowing that one day his time will run out and the Ancestors will call him back, he must find someone to lead this people in the right direction. Three days later, Tarnum observed a boy named Droglo, known only as Swamp-Boy. He was a human and not a slave, but he fought against the Erathians on the side of the rebels. He wasn't a strong fighter, charismatic, or resourceful, but he was determined and an excellent leader, and compassionate. Some gnolls brought Droglo to Tarnum as he released Erathian prisoners. When the rebel leader asked why he released the prisoners, the boy said that they were innocent, they did not kill women and children, and he punished the real criminals. Tarnum then asked if the soldiers were not guilty of other crimes, such as slavery. Then the boy replied that it was not their fault, but that of the mad king and the tyrants before him who had kept slaves before they were born. Tarnum then saw that he would be the certain leader he was looking for, but he had to change him a little more than a simple swamp boy. By this time, the rebels were making great progress. Many bounty hunters were killed, Paglon's remaining troops were also destroyed and the castle was completely surrounded. The baron realized that he had fallen into a trap, but then cowardly tried to pay off Tarnum. He offered half of his entire wealth if he would let him go, but the rebel leader was not interested in that. In Tarnum's eyes, Paglon was an even more evil person than Onsten, as the large number of killed innocents, severed heads, and the completely unnecessary slaughters had earned the rebel leader's wrath against him, so he rejected the deal. The rebels then began the siege, which was more difficult than the previous ones, but in the end they were victorious, and Tarnum killed Baron Paglon and put an end to the massacres of the bounty hunters.
==== The King's Son ====
Mad King Gryphonheart realized that with the loss of his second most important minion, he actually had to take the uprising seriously now. However, he did not personally go to fight against the rebels, but instead sent his eldest son, Niven, to defeat the revolt. Niven was sixteen, but an excellent tactician, intelligent, and well educated. Tarnum believed that the opponent would be even more difficult than before. However, the rebel leader did not yet know that besides Niven, there was the third most important henchman of the mad king, who was perhaps the most influential.
Tarnum put most of his forces under Brellick's command to take care of the large number of women, children, and invalids. He also warned the gnoll commander to avoid the roads and to be on the lookout for a surprise attack. Unfortunately, however, Tarnum was wrong, as Niven's forces did not attack him, but Brellick's forces and many died in the fight. However, the prince did not execute the prisoners or hurt them. However, it was then that the Mad King Gryphonheart's third and last most important henchman, Earl Rambert, appeared and pleaded for the execution of the prisoners, but the prince did not listen to him. Five days later, an unknown nobleman wanted to meet with Tarnum in person, but he, knowing his enemies, expected a trap, but accepted the invitation. Before the meeting, the Serpent Flies thoroughly scouted the area, but no trap was found. Based on his expensive clothes, he was indeed a noble, but compared to the previous villains, he was polite and calm. The nobleman said that most of Erathia's nobility did not support the mad king, if he were not so great his power and army would have been the victim of a coup a long time ago. Tarnum was a bit sarcastic when he declared that the nobility were afraid because they did not dare to get rid of the tyrant, but he became very tense and felt the bile rising in his throat when the noble also said that the mad king had not only sent him against them Niven to defeat the rebels, but to die. The Mad King Gryphonheart did not like him, as Niven was supported by most of the nobility, was gentle with the slaves and even managed to eliminate the dark plan of his father and Paglon, the blood bounty for slave heads, by offering a reward only for Tarnum's. The noble asked him not to kill Niven in exchange for a large ransom. The rebel leader stated that he would not aid the mad king's plans by killing the boy, but stated that he would not risk the lives of his men just because of him. The nobleman accepted the answer, and then both of them left the place.
Ten days later, Tarnum prepared for a special move and took Droglo with him as part of his instructions. He wanted to teach the boy that there were ways to win a battle that didn't require the absolute end of multiple lives. They moved slowly, their entire bodies covered in mud, wearing only loincloths and carried only a dagger. Droglo was a child and small, so he could hide easily, and Tarnum, despite his size, had more years experience. The prince's tent was guarded by only two guards, after they were killed Tarnum knocked the prince down and took the unconscious boy on his shoulder. A third guard appeared, but Droglo managed to kill him, and then the two rebels took the prince away. Droglo found a Wyvern nest near the camp, tamed the creatures, and then with their help they flew to the rebel camp. After Tarnum locked the prisoner in the cage, the boy noted that the rebel leader had been talking about honor more and more lately. He was more and more proud that the boy was wise, a quick learner and could really become a great leader. Droglo wondered what they were going to do with the prisoner, Tarnum told him that he would teach him a few things and show him the truth about his father's reign of terror.
Five days later, Ear Rambert sent several warnings to Tarnum to return the prince at once, but he did not respond to them, believing that they could not be certain that they had him. However, in his latest letter, he threatened the rebel leader that he would execute the hundreds of prisoners one by one if he did not bring the prince back, in which case Tarnum did not want to risk it. Three days later, Tarnum and Niven spoke for the first time. The prince was extremely calm compared to his age group and tolerated captivity well. He wondered what the rebel leader wanted from him, and he replied that he wanted to show his father's tyranny. The boy doubted that he wasn't interested in lies, but Tarnum told him to just listen and pay attention, but he didn't have to believe him. He gave his word that he would let him go no matter what, however, he behaved in such a way that the boy could see that he was not dealing with a fool. He further asked him to write a letter to Earl Rambert not to execute the prisoners. Knowing that Niven is honest and humane, he should help him. After a few silent looks, the boy nodded, asked for a pen and paper, and wrote the letter. Three days later, Tarnum led Niven around the camp, his hands bound behind his back, Droglo with them as a guard, holding a spear to the prince's neck. He showed him recently freed slaves with fresh whip marks, even children. The prince said it was a bit convenient, since he had never seen slaves in such a state and now Tarnum was trying to show him this. Tarnum was a little shocked when he realized that the prince thought it was a fake, but then something else came to his mind. The boy apparently only saw house slaves who were treated well and did not have to do hard work. Two days later, Tarnum told him about the torture and pain of twenty slaves and their personal stories, but Niven still didn't want to believe him and asked him to keep the deal and let him go. However, the rebel leader realized that if the prince could see the slavers in action with his own eyes, he would really have to find out the truth, so he convinced him to show him one more thing, after which he would let him go.
Four days later, Tarnum Niven and Droglo approached a small camp where there were also slaves. The prince's hands were no longer tied, for he was thus able to climb a steep hill, where the camp was clearly visible. Tarnum told him to look carefully at what he saw and that he could not deny his own eyes. They were all stung by the stench emanating from the slave pens, and Niven's eyes began to moisture. He then looked at the pits where dozens of slaves were trapped, barely able to move. Dozens of corpses hung from dead trees in the middle of the camp as a warning to the others. A lizardman managed to break free from the pen and cling to the heels of another lizardman, who was hung by the neck. Tarnum declared to the prince that this was the real life of slaves, and real tears began to appear in the boy's eyes. Droglo stated that the only thing they should be thankful for was their short lives, Niven was completely devastated, believing that they were just beasts and should have given orders, but Tarnum asked if he believed what they saw to be orders. Three days later, Droglo and Tarnum were dining together when the boy remarked that he thought the prince had been broken and that it would have been kinder to kill him. The rebel leader then said that it was also in the interest of the mud landers, since if Niven were to join their side, the nobility of Erathia would also join them, so the boy would be a great weapon for their cause. Six days later, a gnoll rushed into Tarnum's tent and said that someone wanted to release the prisoner. The rebel leader picked up his sword and immediately ran to the cage when he saw Droglo dragging Niven out of his cage. The prince's condition was worse, he hadn't eaten for days and was under the influence of depression, and Tarnum didn't want him to go crazy and follow in his father's footsteps, so he looked into the dark eyes of the boy and told him that he was free now. However, Niven believed that he did almost everything wrong, but Tarnum believed that there was hope and that he, who knew enough about redemption, could help him. Droglo then put his hand on the prince's shoulder and said that perhaps they could help each other and Erathia could fight alongside them. Tarnum believed that Droglo had practically taken over the command and that after the death of the mad king, everything would be fine with the mud landers under such a leader. Meanwhile, the battles were also successful, Tarnum's army inflicted a great defeat on Earl Rambert's army and captured three castles. However, the noble did not wait for defeat in his last castle, but managed to escape with some of the prisoners, but Tarnum was worried because Adamina was also with him and he was afraid of what he might do to her.
==== The Ransom ====
Earl Rambert took some of the prisoners with him, including Adamina and the wise women. Tarnum knew that the mud landers respected learned women, so he kept Niven hostage until the noble answered him. The next day, Tarnum tried to come up with a strategy, but the task was not easy. Rambert's last castle was in an inaccessible place, and the nobleman began to recruit a large army, with which he wanted not only to defend himself, but also to attack. The rebel leader thought a surprise and quick attack would bring victory, but he was worried that if the noble found out, he might hurt or kill the prisoners, so he waited. Two days later Earl Rambert sent a letter to Tarnum outlining his demands. If the rebel leader surrenders Niven and leaves the area, he will return the women. However, he could not fulfill any of the demands. Niven was perhaps his most important ally and became Droglo's good friend, he felt that betraying him would be a very serious mistake, and he could not leave the area, as this would make the Mad King Gryphonheart's power grow again. Meanwhile, Tarnum and his warriors found a place full of basilisk corpses. The creatures were chained up and shot to death for and sport. Tarnum clenched his fists and already had a sense what going on here, but he wasn't sure yet. He ordered his warriors to bury the creatures.
Not far away, they also found a group of Erathian soldiers they carried cages containing serpent flies. Tarnum was now increasingly convinced that Earl Ramber had secretly sent soldiers to begin destroying the swamp's wildlife. The soldiers were killed, the serpent flies were freed. Three days later, Tarnum watched Niven and Droglo practice swordsmanship together and was surprised at how young they were, yet how talented they were. Droglo left early to tend to a small cut on his shoulder, while Tarnum tried to teach Niven. He told the boy that he was faster and more skilled, yet he always lost and wondered why. The boy said that he always surprises him and uses tricks on him. Tarnum said that Droglo fights by instinct, years of training have made him predictable and rigid, more used to fighting. The boy was a little surprised when he said that he should enjoy the fight more, relax and fight more creatively. He remarked that he should not enjoy the killing, but rather the dancing and the movements. Then Niven remarked that his teacher didn't seem to be a Mudlander at all, as his tall stature, enormous strength and his speaking style were quite different, the boy thought that maybe he was Erathian too. Tarnum knew that what the boy was thinking was not stupid, since some of the Erathians also had barbarian blood in their veins, but he didn't really want to talk about the topic, so he tried to divert the topic with a funny lie about the relationship between Erathian nobles and slave women. Niven understood what his teacher was trying to achieve with this and they continued the conversation about swordsmanship instead. This time, however, Tarnum was a bit stricter as Niven fell into the same trap, giving him a nick, and soon, the boy had a couple of sores.
Three days later, Tarnum and Niven's relationship became even deeper and closer. In addition to wielding a sword, the boy spent his days taking care of the slaves, helping the healers, and bringing them food and drink. Tarnum looked a little surprised at how different a person he was from his father. He was compassionate, kind, warm-hearted and honourable, and the rebel leader thought he would make a great king. However, one day he found him sulking as they picked up some new slaves, Tarnum thought half of them would not live to see tomorrow. He walked up to the boy and put his hand on his shoulder. Niven then said that he had always suspected that his father was insane and evil, but that he and everyone else were too afraid of him, and what he had done to him as a small child. He said that he likes Droglo so much because his own brother and he are enemies because of their father. When he brought them together, Niven was six years old and his brother was five, then their father remarked that whoever killed the other would be the next king and started laughing. Niven felt his blood cursed and felt great remorse, but Tarnum firmly grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look into his eyes. The rebel leader then told him about Ryon and Allison, commenting on how fair and great leaders they were, but he almost told the boy that he had met them. He stated that the boy's bloodline was full of heroes who were brave and protected their people, and despite his father's actions, he could be a great king.
Three days later, Earl Rambert flatly rejected Tarnum's offer and declared that if he did not bring Niven he would kill the wise women. Tarnum needed more time, but he felt he had to act. Meanwhile, he found more and more evidence that the noble had indeed begun to destroy the living world in the swamp. To the west of his fortress, after killing a group of zealots, he found dozens of basilisk corpses not far from them, which had been fried to a crisp with magic. There were survivors in a nearby pit and the creatures joined the rebels. Not far from the pit, Tarnum heard the bellowing of gorgons. When they got there, he saw the creatures being strung up by their rear hooves and slaughtered like cattle. However, the rebels also found the killers of the creatures, who were swordsmen, but the rebel leader did not leave any of them alive. Three days later Tarnum met the rebel commanders in the evening, the two boys were also there and told them how the situation was. The rebel leader knew that the commanders would do anything for Adamina and the other wise women, even binding Niven and taking him to Rambert, but that was not an option. At that time, however, the boy said that they had to make the deal. Droglo was worried as he was their only ally, but Niven knew they had to do this and asked Tarnum to hand him over to the noble. The rebel leader guessed that he would decide this way, but a great victory required a great risk, so he did as the boy asked. A day later everything was ready. Tarnum was a bit confused by Droglo's funny sight as the little boy was in his armor. Brellick rode beside him to protect the boy, and Tarnum wanted to speak to Niven one last time. He had to hit the boy in the face a few times the night before, so that his enemies would think he had been captured by the savages. The boy's right eye was swollen and his lip was split in the middle on both sides, but he was not seriously injured. He asked the rebel leader if he really wanted to do this, but the prince wanted it. Then Tarnum shook the boy's hand and told him that if he were his son, he would be very proud of him. Niven started to tear up as he was the only person in hi life that he could love as a father and unlike his own father, they had a real bond and he learned a lot from him. They set out now, led by Brellick, and Tarnum began to prepare his army.
Four days later Tarnum received a letter from Niven as Droglo could not read or write. The prince described what happened. As they expected, Rambert tricked them. He brought the prisoners, but attacked the rebels from an ambush, however, either because of fear or arrogance, he had few soldiers, it is likely that he underestimated his opponents. However, thanks to Droglo's Wyverns, the ambush did not go the way the opponent wanted. Unfortunately, Rambert killed Brellick in a duel, but Niven then became enraged, broke free from his cage and killed the noble with his sword. The boy described how Tarnum would have been proud of him, as he enjoyed dancing as he had taught him. The prisoners were freed, Droglo and the rebels met with the others at the appointed place, while Niven returned to the kingdom of Erathia to try to convince as many nobles as possible to turn against his mad father and join the rebellion. Niven was very grateful to the rebel leader for teaching and giving him so much, he opened his eyes and the boy wrote that he just had to learn the courage to face his father. Tarnum was proud of him, he folded the letter and put it next to him, as if only Niven was sitting next to him and said that he would only need the courage that his ancestors had and he would succeed. With the prisoners and Niven safe, Tarnum had nothing to stop him from launching an attack on Rambert's last castle, so he immediately set out against the enemy with all his warriors and monsters. After killing a group of champions, they found a subterranean gate that led to a cave system. There was a strong garrison here, where they were easily defeated by Tarnum and his huge army, then they met a group of minotaur kings, whom they also defeated. He then met a seer in the east, who shared his experiences of defeating the minotaurs, and the rebels continued to advance. After finding the exit, they managed to reach Rambert's castle. Here, Tarnum launched an attack against the enemy army, and after destroying it, he captured the castle as well, thus winning a huge victory. Mad King Gryphonheart has lost his last important minion, four castles and many soldiers. And then, after the great victory, Tarnum now faced the army of the Mad King himself.
==== Beyond the Borders ====
Tarnum and the rebels successfully broke through the borders of Erathia into the unnamed swamps, but they had to defeat the vanguard forces of the Mad King Gryphonheart in order to advance. At the same time, Tarnum believed that it was worth looking for new allies in addition to Niven, so that they could fight the enemy more effectively. However, the rebel leader saw that his enemy would now use everything.
Mad King Gryphonheart, after losing his three most important minions and many of his soldiers, decided that he would crush the uprising personally, and would not take any prisoners, but would exterminate the rebels to the last fiber. The rebel leader knew that despite their victories, the enemy was still had much more soldier, the rebels were outnumbered at least ten to one. At the same time, the situation was complicated by the fact that the inhabitants of this land did not want to side with the rebels, and even blamed them for bringing Erathians into their territory, so they fought against everyone.
Four days later, Tarnum and his troops were immediately attacked by the vanguard forces. King Gryphonheart launched a night attack, even though he wasn't the one leading the attack, and Tarnum thought it was really just a mad idea, since the native creatures of the swamp were much more active at night. Despite this, the attack went well at first, the rebels had more fighters, dozens of new recruits were killed by the enemy soldiers with the force of surprise, but Tarnum and his fighters reacted quickly. The enemy quickly fled, and the rebels killed half of them. The victory emboldened the rebels and Tarnum had an idea as he believed the night would be one of their greatest allies. Three days later, Adamina and the wise women showed their laws. The rebel leader almost laughed, because they were similar to those of the unwritten Barbarian laws, but at the same time he liked that, in addition to murder, they wanted to punish slavery in the most severe way. Adamina and Tarnum then began to talk about Droglo's future. According to the witch, she was still too young, but Tarnum tried to convince her to talk to the other wise women, and she felt that this time he was really going in the right direction and wanted to help the mud landers to be completely free. Two days later, Tarnum receives good news. Since Gryphonheart's last attack, he had launched several night raids in which the mud landers managed to inflict casualties on the enemy and gain supplies.The rebel leader thought he had managed to destroy the enemy's molar, but he had other plans. Three days later, a lizardman scout successfully obtained a message from the enemy, which he delivered to Tarnum. In the letter, the king ordered his troops to hold out for two months, after which Gryhonheart would arrive in the area with all his armies.
Three days later, Tarnum called Droglo into his tent when everyone, even the wise women, were asleep. The rebel leader said that they need help if they want to win, but he cannot wait for the decision of the wise women. Droglo had always looked at Tarnum with trust, but now he looked at him angrily, then was shocked when the rebel leader said that they needed barbarian mercenaries. he boy didn't like the idea, as he thought they were just bloodthirsty killers, but the rebel leader argued that the barbarians knew how to win against the Erathians, and that Gryphonheart's army was too large for the rebels. Droglo tried to protest, but eventually agreed to Tarnum's plan, who decided that the boy would go to the barbarians as his emissary and representative. Four days later, the boy still hadn't returned, and the rebel leader started to worry and he thought a little that maybe what he wanted to do wasn't a very good idea. He began to pray to the Ancestors to give him strength and to keep the boy safe. Five days later, the boy returned, but was immediately taken to the healers' tent, where Tarnum also hurried. The healing woman removed a crude bandage from the boy's face, and on his face was a wound from a blade that biting deep along his jaw line. The boy said that he had to duel and fight against the best warrior of the barbarians, who was an orc. Tarnum was disappointed, he believed that he did not know his people well enough, as the boy should have been under his protection and he should have been the one to challenge, not force the boy to fight. Droglo said that if the rebel leader gave him double the offer he promised, they would fight on the side of the rebels, but if not, then they might side with Erathia. Tarnum was furious at how the barbarians would dare blackmail the mud landers when they owed them no small, but he was relieved that at least the boy was safe. Four days later, Tarnum sensed that they would soon be victorious, so he sent his scouts forward, who began taunting Gryphonheart's forces as the main rebel army launched an attack. The vanguard forces were defeated, their castle was captured and the rebels achieved another success.
==== Naming a Nation ====
After another defeat, Gryphonheart decided to send a large and significant force against the rebels. The barbarian mercenaries now fought on the side of the rebels, but the rebel leader had to face the reality of what the barbarians had become after his death. Tarnum immediately took command of the barbarian forces, and the rebels were led by two of his captains. They had to pay the mercenaries a thousand gold every week, but the wise women were angry about Tarnum's secret action, and considered this a waste of money, but the rebel leader knew that they definitely needed the help. He was also happy that they were finally getting stronger enough that they could now launch an attack against the enemy. Three days later, Tarnum felt that the time had finally come for the Mudlanders to finally establish an independent nation. He advised the wise women to keep the territories and castles they had acquired so far and to treat King Gryphonheart as an outsider, so that the mad king would be seen by others as a war aggressor. The wise women liked the idea and believed that the honor of naming the new nation belonged to Tarnum, but he refused this, as he believed that the community should make a joint decision, and he also believed that it would not be right if he gave the name to the nation who he had already subdued them once. Adamina and the women agreed, but the rebel leader was still a little worried about when they would decide if Droglo would be his offical second. Six days later, Gryphonheart sent a reply to Tarnum, who expected the evil king to be angry. The answer was the ashes of the first letter and a letter written by the king saying that they could not claim the lands because they were slaves with no right to speak anyway. Fourteen days later,after an elaborate ceremony, Adamina and the wise women announced the formation of the new nation, which was named Tatalia. Tarnum was happy to see how close the inhabitants of the new nation had become to each other and that apart from the scars on their bodies, there was nothing to indicate that they had ever been slaves. The rebel leader was curious about the meaning of the word Tatalia, and Adamina said that it means community, and he came up with the idea for the name when he decided that a joint decision was needed.
Eight days later, a weary Erathian messenger arrived at the barbarian camp, bearing a letter from Prince Niven. The prince described in his letter that while his father was away he managed to speak with the nobility. It turned out that only the three evil nobles supported the mad king, everyone else considered his actions dishonour and they decided that Niven will be the new, true king of Erathia. The prince promised and swore that he would do all he could to help Tarnum-na and the rebels, but he also sent the rebel leader a map where Niven marked an area where I think Mad Gryphonheart can be defeated once and for all and he won't be able to escape. The prince's request was that the rebels try to drive the enemy forces to this place. Four days later, Tarnum studied Niven's strategy and wanted to prepare a new plan. He believed that the plan required a risky attack, and that the enemy could only be defeated with a quick and hard attack. He believed that for the plan to succeed, they would have to suffer heavy losses, but he did not want to let the prince down. Five days later Tarnum spoke to Droglo who was excited as he was happy to see his friend again. The rebel leader asked the boy to make some preparations, but then Droglo said something surprising. The boy said he didn't know if the wise women would let him go since he had just been named Tarnum's second-in-command. The rebel leader was a little upset, as he believed that since he had asked the barbarian mercenaries for help without the women's consent, they had deliberately kept him in the dark. On the other hand, he believed that since he would complete his mission soon, he wouldn't have to worry about that, since Droglo would be the new leader, but he felt that he would also have to learn strategy, as he didn't want him to only be used to ambushes and not be able to lead large armies alone. Five days later, Tarnum received a report from his spies that Mad King Gryphonheart had begun withdrawing some of his forces from the area where Niven awaited the rebels, but he still had plenty of troops in the area. The barbarian mercenaries and the rebels fought several times, the enemy was vety strong, but in the end they suffered a great defeat, Gryphonheart lost significant forces and Tarnum won a great victory.
==== The First Tatalian War ====
Niven and Tarnum joined forces to finally defeat the Mad Gryphonheart once and for all and bring peace to the peoples of Erathia and Tatalia. Tarnum, Niven and Droglo could spend little time together again. The prince had grown a mustache to look older as he was a very young king, but he still wore his mud-stained leather and the scars on his face were visible. The rebel leader thought he should call him king now, but the prince told him that was just a title for him. Then they discussed the strategy. Mad Gryphonheart and his army were in a castle in the south, Tarnum and Niven had recently suffered heavy losses against him. The two hero began to prepare their armies and replace their losses, with Niven declaring that he had not forgotten his oath and would stand by Tarnum and the rebels. His mad father had lost all the support from Erathia, but he was still a threat to anyone, with an army of mercenaries, rogues, criminals, and corrupt angels at his disposal.
Five days later, after everyone had returned to their camp, Tarnum and the rebels captured some rogues who were trying to ambush a supply wagons. One of them had a note with the seal of Mad Gryphonheart on it, which shocked everyone. The evil-doer set a bounty on the head of his own son, Niven, twice as much as he has offered for the head of Tarnum, twenty thousand gold. The rebel leader and Adamina agreed that the mad outcast must be very angry indeed if he had taken such a wicked step, and Tarnum immediately ordered his fastest messenger to take the note to the prince. Eleven days later, Tarnum received a letter in the morning that confirmed what he had feared. Mad Gryphonheart sent an assassin after his own son, but thanks to the rebel leader, Niven already knew what his father was up to, so the attack was not completely unexpected. The assassin disguised himself as a monk, and when he slipped into the prince's tent he pulled out a long blade. The prince was not alone, however, as Droglo was with him, who immediately noticed the intruder, jumped on his back, dragged him to the ground. and killed the assassin after a brief struggle. A week later, Droglo and Niven, representing Erathia and Tatalia, signed a treaty that would state that no one could keep any slaves at all. Neither man, nor woman, nor human, nor any creature could be enslaved by anyone or anything, and thus managed to destroy the last parts of Mad Gryphonheart's reign of terror. The rebel leader believed that without slaves it would be a little more difficult for Erathia's economy to produce, but he felt that Niven was intelligent and pointful enough to handle the task.
Five days later, Tarnum asked Droglo to rejoin his army as he wanted to teach him a few more things, knowing that if he had to go, the boy would be Tatalia's future. The rebels and Niven's armies were able to advance more and more, but then Mad Gryphonheart's rogues launched a counterattack. Nine days later, the rogues set fire to the rebel camp, and many supplies were lost, but no one died. Six days later, Gryphonheart launched another attack and used the rebels' tactics and ambushed them. Tarnum's shoulder was hit by the bolt of a crossbow, Droglo then yelled out and the fight began. The boy launched a counterattack, and when the rebel leader snapped off the shaft of the arrow in case the head was barbed, he went after the boy to avoid getting into trouble. Most of the rogues were killed, but the boy was nowhere to be found, but a gnoll said that one of the enemy warriors tried to escape and the boy, who was very angry, ran after him. Tarnum was upset as to why the boy was so thoughtless, he thought he was walking into a trap and that's why he went after him. However, there was no trap, instead Droglo was standing over the corpse of the leader of the rogues, staring at a mound of vegetation. Tarnum drew his sword as he thought Droglo saw another enemy, but instead he found something that almost made the rebel leader drop his sword. The place they were in used to be a busy town and they were standing in the middle of it. It had been abandoned for a long time and nature had reclaimed the land. However, what Tarnum thought was just a mound, was actually a giant human statue with a cracked head and torso that remained, tightly hugged by vines. Droglo slowly turned and stared at Tarnum when he saw that the statue depicted him as the barbarian tyrant. And the rebel leader did not deny that it was him. The next day, Tarnum wanted to talk to the boy, who had not spoken to him since then and had already spoken to Adamina. The rebel leader didn't know how much the boy knew about him. Did he know that a barbarian tyrant once ruled here, who in his arrogance erected statues of himself all over the continent, and that he himself was the infamous tyrant. Droglo didn't want to believe that Tarnum was really who he thought he was, he started crying and asked if it wasn't a coincidence. The rebel leader saw how much this hurt the boy, so he preferred not to tell him the truth, but at the same time he was curious about his opinion.
He wondered what the boy thought about the possibility of redemption if a king made many terrible mistakes. Droglo said that he thinks it depends on the person, for example Mad Gryphonheart's actions were so evil and horrible that he doesn't think he has a chance of redemption. Tarnum still thought to himself that his actions were worse, and told the boy that if a man was given a chance to right his wrongs, he would look for someone who had become a decent and good person not so long ago, and then take over control if he is gone. The rebel leader then left the tent, but that was his last conversation with Droglo. He knew he would have to go soon, but he smiled because he knew he would succeed. Erathia will be in good hands under Niven, and Droglo will be a great leader and first king of Tatalia. He was also reassured by the fact that he felt that the old wounds of the past would soon really heal and the statue of the barbarian tyrant would disappear forever in the swamp. The Rebels and Niven then advanced against Gryphonheart in full force. They were attacked many times by the rogues and criminals, but eventually they found the mad tyrant and his army. The enemy held out to the last man, and Tarnum dueled the mad outcast, and though the immortal hero was a far superior swordsman, they pierced each other in the end. Mad Gryphonheart is dead, but Tarnum's body has not been found as he has completed his mission and returned to the Ancestors.
=== Masters of the Elements ===
==== The Trouble with Magic ====
The immortal hero received his next mission. The four Elemental Lords, Shalwend, the Lord of Air, Pyrannaste, the Lord of Fire, Acwalandar, the Lord of Water, and Gralkor, the Lord of Earth wanted to destroy the entire world, and the immortal hero had to join the group he hated the most, the wizards. Tarnum was fishing at a quiet lake when the Ancestors appeared above the lake. They told him that he would receive perhaps his most important task yet. As they took him to one of the wizards' towers, they explained the problem. After the creation of the world, the gods and the elemental lords made a truce for ten thousand years, but after that time, the violent and selfish elemental lords decided to destroy the whole world. After the creation of the world, the gods and the elemental lords made a truce for ten thousand years, but after that time, the violent and selfish elemental lords decided to destroy the whole world. It was Tarnum's task to stop them, but he immediately wanted a bold strategy, namely that he would not wait for the attack of the elemental lords, but would be the first to move against them. His first opponent was Shalwend, the Lord of the Air. Not far from the wizards' tower he found a mine of wood and ore where gremlins, slaves of the Lord of the Air, worked. Tarnum cut their chains and shackles, and the tiny creatures , using them as weapons, joined him.
The next day, Tarnum met the King of Bracada, Gavin Magnus, who gave him help. He put his soldiers at his disposal, and also sent his third cousin, Barsolar, who in turn greatly annoyed Tarnum. Because the wizard often tried to tell him how and what to do, and the immortal hero thought about pushing off the nearest cliff, but realized that it wasn't a very good idea. The next day, Tarnum sat at his table in his tent, shaking his head and chuckling as a mage tried to explain the Elemental Planes to him. The magician tried to support with evidence that the rules of the world do not apply on the planes of the elementals, on one you can almost only walk on air, while on the other anything can come out of pure fire. When Tarnum heard that this was why no one had dared to enter these planes with an army, he boldly announced that they would be the first, as he believed that there was no point in waiting for the Elemental Lords to launch an attack on the world, victory was possible with a preemptive strikes. Two days later, Tarnum remembered being told that he must use magic to defeat his enemies, but his past still haunted him. He didn't trust magic and wanted to stay true to his barbarian blood and fight with a sword or any other weapon. Two days later, Barsolar explained the complicated structure of golems to Tarnum, who listened boredly to what he said. Even when he pitched him the idea of hiring a hero to inspect the gremlin workshops weekly, he barely paid any attention. Then the wizard called out to Barsolar that there was a rabbit to the right, but he frowned when he realized that there was nothing there.
Another two days later, Tarnum wanted to explore the area alone early in the morning when it was still dark. To him, dealing with all this magic wase like being split open with an axe, so he was glad to finally be alone for a bit, but suddenly he was attacked. Attacked by air elementals, he tried to use his staff, but it was useless as they completely surrounded by their element, the air. They picked him up from his horse, took him up in the air, started taunting him all the way, then let him go and he started to fall. The wizard thought he was going to fall forever, he was prepared for the pain he would feel, but then one of his assistants, the Gargoyle Master, caught him from behind and thus he was not hurt. Tarnum lowered his head and felt a little ashamed that the little man had used magic to save him as he flew into the air and caught him there. Not wanting this matter to become public, the little man appointed him his treasurer. Two days later, he began recruiting enchanters, but his new treasurer found them too expensive. The wizard said that the magicians were worth it because they were powerful and he must find money somehow, the treasurer then suggested the marketplace to sell unnecessary things for gold. Two days later, Tarnum spoke with Ponific, the wrinkled golem master. He realized that mages have assistants for almost everything and that even the strongest mages have their apprentices do tasks. The wizard told the master that he found the golems too creepy. Although they were very strong, they were too lifeless for him, they looked like walking corpses, he believed that if they could breathe, they would be less scary. The master said that since they were machines it was not possible for them to breathe, but they did whatever they had to. He was shocked when he heard the wizard command one of them to breathe and the machine's head cracked open and tried to get its small mind around that one, Tarnum smiled and told them to forget the whole thing, but he was curious how long he could annoy the mage, so he asked if the golems could blink.
Two days later, however, the fun came to an end, as a serious incident occurred. An old man single-handedly summoned air elementals that attacked one of the wizards' supply wagons. Some of the guards quickly fled, many died, and the old man and the elementals stole three thousand gold. Six days later, Tarnum received many requests to open a Mages Guild in his tower, Barsolar demanded the loudest, who did not understand why magic was not used in battles. Tarnum's answer was that battles are won without magic, but he actually felt that there was enough magic around him and believed that if wizards were given more power, they could take over the world or history would repeat itself. At the same time, he was annoyed by the constant whining and noticed that wizards put all their complaints in letters. As it was, it won't surprise him if some of the wizards write to him in a letter that he's going to the forest to relieve himself. The next day, the enemy attacked and storm elementals attacked Tarnum's camp. He thought he could defeat the creatures with his sword in no time, but he was forced to fight with his staff and could feel his barbaric rage and fighting style again. He had a few burns, but in the end he defeated the creatures and everyone else around him was in awe and wonder because they had never seen a wizard fight like this before. He then smiled and remarked with a bit of pride that if he can still fight like this, then why do they need magic.
Five days later, Tarnum met his mage instructor, Hemoross, and they talked before dinner. He tried to teach him about the importance of the Marletto Towers, the Learning Stones and the Gardens of Revelation and that anyone can improve himself here, but Tarnum already knew these things and wondered why he wanted to teach them to him. The instructor apologized, said he only mentioned them and left the tent. Tarnum then laughed out loud because he thought it was quite funny that these wizards were so easy to fluster. Four days later, however, another serious incident occurred. Several storm elementals broke through the walls, distracted the guards and flew towards the treasury. Tarnum's new treasurer tried to stop them, but his spells were too weak and the creatures killed him and took four thousand gold and fourteen batches of gems It wasn't the money that he was sad about, that could be replaced, but that he could no longer repay the brave wizard for saving his life.
The next day, Barsolar stormed into Tarnum's tent, whose high-pitched voice gave him a headache. He still didn't understand why he wasn't researching new spells, why he wasn't building the Mage Guild, and he called the way of fighting so far stupid. Then Tarnum's patience ran out and he threw a ceramic mug at his head, but the little man quickly dodged it, but stared in shock and wonder with his mouth open. He called him a boot-licking toad and warned him to get out of his tent immediately or he would throttle him with his bare hands. Barsolar did not answer and left the tent, and Tarnum sat down and shook his head. He was still haunted by the past, as he believed Barsoler was a descendant of the wizards who enslaved the barbarians, whipped them, kidnapped the barbarian tyrant's sisters, and caused his downfall in the past. He believed this was another injustice from the Ancestors. Three days later, like a typical wizard, Tarnum wrote a letter to Barsolar. In the letter, he apologized for throwing the mug at him, his temper dissipated, but warned him that if he dared to insult him one more time, he would twist his neck until his head pops off. Later that day, Barsolar entered Tarnum's tent. This time he was more polite, but he asked a legitimate question. He acknowledged that Tarnumak had admirable size and strength, but he and the other wizards and alchemists did not and they could not fight without magic, so he asked what they should do. The wizard leader's response was that instead of researching spells, they should spend more time doing real work so they would have size and strength against the enemy. Barsolar just rolled his eyes and left the tent without a word. Four days later, Tarnum reconsidered things a bit. He believed that he did not respond well to Barsolar's demand and was too stubborn. The death of the treasurer woke him up, that he had confused his troops with his actions, that he thought wrongly, and that the treasurer might still be alive if he had known stronger spells. Four days later, Tarnum received a letter, but from none other than the King of Bracada, Gavin Magnus. Even without opening it, he knew what it would contain and that it was Barsolar's work. The king very politely explained to him that his troops needed magic to fight, and repeatedly reminded the wizard leader that all soldiers and wizards belonged to him, and he could call them back with a single word if he wanted. Realizing that he was being scolded, Tarnum crumpled up the letter after reading it, and immediately went to find Barsolar, who was having tea with the Mage Instructor, Hemoross. He asked him to leave them alone, mispronouncing his name again. Barsolar glared at Tarnum, who told him the true name of the mage instructor and that this way of taunting them was getting old. Then he grabbed Barsolar by the collar, lifted him into the air and when he tried to scream, he jammed Magnus's letter into his mouth. He then warned him not to try to act behind his back again and if he didn't want to tell him about his problems in personally, then look for another job, as far away from him as possible. He then let him go, didn't hurt him and focused on the mission.
The wizards had to fight many times against air elementals, who specifically enslaved gremlins. There were also arrogant, renegade wizards in the area and gold golems, but they did not obey anyone. Tarnum then defeated a small army of air elementals and captured a Conflux castle, so the preemptive strike he had planned was finally possible.
==== Walking on Clouds ====
Barsolar found a book in Conflux Castle's library that revealed the way to the plane of air, ruled by Shalwend, the Lord of Air. They traveled to an impossibly tall mountain range where the Gateway to the Clouds was. They had brought some things from Castle Conflux to defeat Shalwend's forces, but Tarnum was still horrified at the thought of walking on air, worried that the wizards would make mistakes and fail. The next day, Tarnum received a letter from Gavin Magnus, who expressed his concern that if they crossed the Elemental Plane of Air, they might not be able to contact him or return, so he suggested that they wait for the Elemental Lords to move, but Tarnum refused. He believed that this was the best possible opportunity to attack the enemy by surprise. 
Two days later, Barsolar went to find the Gateway to the Clouds on his own. The reason could be because he was the best choice as a scout using his magical talent, and he could study the Elemental Planes freely without anyone bothering him. However, Tarnum believed he wanted to leave because he was too close to remove his head from his body. When he saw him riding away, he smiled and wondered what would happen if his army got rid of the other wizards as well. Three days later, Tarnum received a steady stream of letters, many thanking him for finally building the Mages Guild, but for him it was just as embarrassing and tiring as the complaints. Two days later Tarnum heard from Barsolar, he thought he was dead, but he was not so lucky. He was well and he discovered another wizard castle, but they didn't want to join them and didn't side with the elementals either. Tarnum figured if they hated Barsolar, they couldn't be too mean.
Eight days later, Tarnum was again in a gloomy mood as he once again believed the Ancestors had been unfair to him, but this time he was humiliated by having to be among the mages. He tried to make friends with the men by stripping down to the waist, standing on the nearest snow bank and challenging them to a wrestling match, but no one accepted the challenge. Even though he yelled at them, they just stared at him as if he was insane, he believed that they were only strong with magic and would sweat immediately after even the slightest physical work. He thought it quite ironic that he, the one who slaughtered thousands of magic-users, now had to be the master of magic and the Ancestors laughed at him, and he would do the same in their place. Three days later, Tarnum was still thinking to himself, but a little more calmly. It is believed that mastering a weapon takes several years, but using it is natural, since anyone can swing an axe. However, the use of spells was quite different, he wasn't surprised that most of the wizards'have scrawny bodies, since it was almost all about formulas, equations, and complicated actions and he thought that whoever came up with this could only be a madman.
Five days later, Tarnum was called by some of his assistants to a frozen lake near a grove of trees. The wizards broke holes in the ice with their staves and removed the shards with their bare hands. After the preparations were finished, everyone stood around the lake, and then Hemoross told Tarnum that this was called a Seeing Pool and that it was possible to find someone even from a great distance. They wanted to find Barsolar with this, but Tarnum didn't know what to expect when the water started to glow blue and he took a step back. The Mage Instructor saw the fear on Tarnum and was a little amused but said nothing. The surface of the water suddenly became shiny and flat, it all began to resemble a mirror and a figure appeared in it. Tarnum bent down to see that it was Barsolar who was walking on a white cloud field that was likely the Plane of Air. The next day, Tarnum ordered Hemoross to look into the Seeing Pool again, because he believed that this time they could use it to plan a strategy. He wanted to know where Shalwend was, the size of his army, and what they should expect on the Plane of Air. The Mage Instructor reminded his leader what his correct name was after he mispronounced it again and said that unfortunately the situation here is not so simple anymore. Later, he reports that the Lord of the Air was not found, but his Conflux castle was found, where there was a huge army. Air and storm elementals and sprites were preparing for war. Hemoross said that Shalwend was probably not found because he was either immortal or he so powerful that he could hide himself even from the Seeing Pool. Tarnum then said that he didn't know the answer, which the instructor had a hard time recognizing, since mages hated to admit when they didn't know the answer to something.
A week later, Tarnum sent one of his scouts to gather information and rumors from the locals and returned this morning, and the wizard leader clenched his fists at what he heard. Shalwend caged the sprites' children and held them hostage, forcing the parents to fight for his cause, become his slaves and work in his mines. Tarnum knew full well that even though sprites were magical creatures, what the evil air lord was doing to them was terrible, and he remembered that it was these memories that made him a maniacal tyrant. He still felt that the cause he was for fought was just, but he admitted that he had gone too far. He decided to help the sprites and free their children. Meanwhile, suddenly Barsolar was standing next to Tarnum, who wanted to draw a sword, but he didn't have any blade, and he watched with a cheeky grin as the wizard leader got scared. He said he was on the Plane of Air and it was a fantastic sight, but some storm elementals chased him back here and were waiting for him. Barsolar then rejoined Tarnum's army, but they were busy studying the Plane of Air further, and the wizard leader was happy about that because at least he finally left him alone. They then stepped through a Monolith Portal and reached the Plane of Air.
They were attacked by several master genie, but were defeated. Tarnum then admired the sight. He dropped his staff, which floated as if it were on water and refusing to settle into the clouds. He stepped carefully, but he felt as if he were stepping on some kind of solid ground, even though he knew there was nothing beneath him.It then became increasingly clear to Tarnum that not everyone was loyal to Shalwend. A genie successfully got some of the air elementals on their side, and the kidnapped sprites children were found five days after the scout's report. Barsolar found the holding pens and sent word to Tarnum, who immediately sent a large contingent to take the children to the wizard's tower until their parents could be freed and Shaldwen's forces defeated. Six days later, some of the sprites left the Conflux castle, and Tarnum refused to persuade them to join him as they were desperately wanted to see and reunite their children. However, he managed to get information from them. Shalwend fled the Plane of Air, they didn't know where or why, but he left his army behind to guard his realm. Furthermore, some more genies joined the army of Tarnum, who after that attacked the castle, successfully captured it and defeated the army of the Lord of the Air.
==== Don't Drink the Water ====
The success did not last long, as Tarnum and his wizards could not get back to their own world. Because during his escape, Shalwend crushed the Gateway to the Clouds and thus it was impossible to go in and out of his realm. Tarnum decided not to stop with his army, but to surprise the next elemental lord as well. His next target was Acwalandar, the Lord of Water, ruler of the Plane of Water, and the leader of the Water and Ice Elementals. However, the next day, he found that this place was much worse than the Plane of Air. There was water and mud almost everywhere, everything was slowly moving up and down, which made anyone feel seasick. Barsolar insisted that they study the navigations of the ships so they could move faster on the water, but Tarnum wanted to find a magical cure for queasiness first. Two days later, Barsolar shook his head and told Tarnum that they had tried all magical means, but nothing had been able to establish contact with King Magnus, so they were left alone in this place. The wizard leader believed that their best possible choice was to continue on their way, but at the same time he was a little happy about it, because this way he could once again take control of the armies in his own hands without any interference.
Three days later, Barsolar left on a small boat and took some gremlins with him to scout the place and find out where the enemy was. Tarnum knew that his further goal was to study the specific nature of this plane as well, since he had been hiding in his tent longer than usual and scribbling constantly, but he didn't want him to get lost, so he made him send regular reports. The next day, Hemoross told Tarnum that if they could find two artifact, the Necklace of Ocean Guidance and the Sea Captain's Hat then they can combine them to create the Admiral's Hat, which will significantly facilitate navigation in these waters. Tarnum liked the idea. However, two days later, the situation had not improved, Tarnum was still sick from traveling on water, he had started to lose weight due to jumping around so much, and even fighting against water and ice elementals in these waters was unusual. The wizards, on the other hand, moved easily, when he asked them what he could do against the queasiness, they all recommended different cures, but none of them have worked. The only things he liked were toast and tea.
Two days later, Barsolar's owl spoke to Tarnum from a nearby tree branch in the wizard's voice. He said that the water and ice elementals block almost all the passages and were hostile to everyone, it would be worthwhile for a hero to fight them since the water is full of gold and other raw resources. Tarnum did not see anything in the water, but then the owl picked up a small pouch that was tied to one of its legs, dropped it in the wizard's lap and flew away. When he opened the pouch, a pile of wood and gold exploded in his face and almost buried him. In total, there were fourteen portions of wood and two thousand three hundred and eighty-seven gold. Five days later the owl brought back information again, this time that there was a town to the north that had not yet been taken by the enemy, at least when the message was sent. The wizard thought this was good news because he could use all his income for this.
Five days later, Tarnum's condition worsened due to seasickness.The sorcerer collapsed miserably on the wet ground in front of his tent, he didn't care about the mud that soaked on him, because his clothes had been covered by vomit and the filth of the swamp for three weeks. He thought a little dirt never hurt anyone, but he didn't even have the strength to wash it. In the morning, however, two mages giggled and pointed at him, most likely because of his appearance. The wizard hero thought they were lucky that he wasn't in a healthy state now, otherwise he would have punched them in the nose. The next day Barsolar's owl came again, this time perched on the wizard's arm and conveyed important information. Unlike the Sprites on the Plane of Air, there are swamp creatures, mostly gnolls and other familiar creatures, who volunteer to work for Acwalandar and since this is their home, they will fight for their life and the Lord of Water. Tarnum understood them and even sympathized with them, since these creatures were not evil, but they stood in the way of their return home and his mission, so he had to fight them, but he gave strict instructions to his own soldiers and wizards that he did not want to see unnecessary cruelty against these swamp creatures, otherwise it will deal death penalties. The next day, Tarnum found the Admiral's Hat and began to understand sea travel. He believed that owning lighthouses and traveling as fast as possible was the solution. Five days later, the owl brought another important piece of information, but Tarnum couldn't bear to listen to it completely. Acwalandar left the Plane of Water, but he could not listen to the rest because his stomach hurt so much, but he was worried at the same time. He thought it was possible that he had made a mistake by attacking too quickly, and he couldn't even imagine what the Elemental Lords would do if they were already in his world if he couldn't stop them since he couldn't get back. After five days, Tarnum called a conference with his advisors to discuss possible solutions for the return to his world, but everyone believed that only those with power over the elements and the Conflux castles could get back. However, he didn't last long as he got sick again, but he was accidentally call the barbarian gods in front of the wizards, then he ordered the conference to end, but some of the wizards chuckled again. Five days later, Tarnum spoke to Hemoros again, but he could only drink tea, which kept him from starving and collapsing. The instructor was surprised that his leader called the gods of the barbarians, but he pretended to take a long sip of tea and then tried to give an evasive answer to the suspicious instructor. At the same time, the instructor's behavior was also suspicious and Tarnum thought that something was wrong.
Five days later, Tarnum began to fully understand magic and develop strategies, so he called his advisors together again to discuss this with them. However, there was a new gargoyle master who was a young mage named Rabarak, but he was just as annoying to Tarnum as Barsolar. However, the wizard leader told him thoroughly when he tried to reason about the essence of the attack and gave him a stern lesson in strategy. Another five days later, Tarnum felt ill again, but had had enough of the tea and ordered a gremlin to bring him wine and plenty of food. He felt that it didn't matter to him if he would vomit, if he got drunk he wouldn't feel much pain. The next morning, Tarnum walked over to the other wizards, smiling at them as he placed a half-empty wine bottle on the table Their jaws dropped when they saw Tarnum stuff a handful of eggs and sausage into his mouth, eat the food, then lean back and belch at the sky. Then he got up and left, but he said loudly to the wizards, especially Hemoros, that if he felt bad again, he would find him and he wouldn't like it. While the wizards were whispering among themselves, Tarnum realized that something had been put in his tea and because of that he was constantly sick, he thought it was a good joke and he accepted it, but only once. After that, they all concentrated on the campaign with full force. Due to the constant counterattacks of the elementals and swamp creatures, the advance was slow at first, but they gradually gained the upper hand and eventually the wizards captured all the towns.
==== Hard Place ====
After achieving victory on the Plane of Water, Tarnum continued his journey and his next target was Gralkor, Lord of Earth, ruler of the earth and magma elementals and the Plane of Earth, and perhaps the most aggressive of the four Elemental Lords. However, the wizard leader still struggled with his hatred of magic, even though it was beginning to become clear that his power was far greater than the others.
At first, Tarnum was happy when they arrived on the Plane of Earth, as they could finally move on solid ground, but the joy faded after a while, because here they faced another obstacle. Everyone felt as if they had a lead weight wrapped around their ankles, the wizards became heavy, quickly tired and the earth pulled them down, so the progress here became even slower than in the Plane of Water. Four days later, they managed to meet Nagas who agreed to join them and fight for the lives of their fellows in the world of the wizards, and it was good for Tarnum to see such endurance among representatives of a people. Three days later, Barsolar's owl reports to Tarnum. Gralkor left the Plane, but left behind some overlords who had two towns, as well as a neutral town in the area between the two sides. Nine days later, while they had already fought several times with earth and magma elementals, Tarnum thought. He had fought underground creatures and overlords before and he knew that they were good at fighting in dark passages, they had no honor, and he also knew that they liked to ambush in narrow passages, so he was careful. Six days later, Tarnum was thinking about a spell in his tent at night when he suddenly smelled a foul smell. He immediately jumped out of his tent and cast a sparkling blue light spell on the sky. There was a horde of troglodytes in the camp, which were scattered and tried to get into all the tents. One of them was stood a few meters away from the wizard leader, but was frightened by the light blast, then the wizard hit him so that its skull was cracked, and then shouted loudly to the others to wake up immediately and drive away the intruders. The fight was short, no one was injured or killed.
Nine days later, Tarnum thought about getting revenge on the wizards for the mean prank they played on him on the Plan of Water, but he thought they already felt some of what he, and he were happy about. They could barely move on the Plane of Earth, they were sweaty, and the dust here stuck to their sweat, and their clothes were also dirty. He also suffered, but thanks to his strength and physique, he could handle it better than the others. Six days later, Barsolar entered the rebel leader's tent, but the brash wizard had also changed. He was also exhausted and dirty, he had lost weight in the middle and his face was more defined. He drank a glass of cold water and then reported to Tarnum on his weeks of research. He pulled out a piece of wood from his robe, which ended up breaking and splintering.It was the staff of a wizard who disappeared nearly two hundred years ago, and Barsolar recognized the symbols on it. According to one story, a group of powerful mages tried to build the ultimate golem, so they traveled to the Plane of Earth, because it was here that they found the hardest substance in the Universe. Some believed they died at the bottom of the ocean while casting spells, others believed they managed to reach the Plane of Earth but could not find their way back. At the same time, Barsolar believed that it was more likely that they were already dead, since two hundred years had passed since then. Five days later, Tarnum came out of his tent and started laughing when he saw the wizards. Some of them decided to take off their robes in order to carry the weights them more easily and continue their work shirtless. The wizard leader has never seen so many pale people at once, but he was happy that during the two months the wizards started to get used to the load and get in shape, almost all of them lost weight and started to have muscles. Tarnum then took off his clothes, walked between them and once again gave them the opportunity to wrestle. This time no one dared to step forward, either, although he could see from the looks of some mages that they wanted, and he mentioned that he would turn them into barbarians in the end.
Fourteen days later, Tarnum and the others made an unexpected discovery. They found a group of rugged-looking mages who came out of a cave and were shocked to find out that they were members of the missing group who wanted to build the ultimate golems. Their leader was called Reamus, they sat down to dinner with them and talked a lot. However, Tarnum and the others were quite surprised to hear that the missing team claimed to have been on the Plane of Earth for sixteen years, while they knew of two hundred years. Ponific, the golem master, was about to tell him how long they had been away, but the wizard leader cut him off, knowing that these wizards really didn't know how long they had really been away from their world, so they couldn't just explain it to them.Reamus said that they had been building golems all the time while they were here, but they hadn't discovered a way to make the ultimate golem. After the dinner, Tarnum called his advisors together because he was curious as to why the missing mages believed that only sixteen years had passed since their disappearance. Hemoross and Ponific couldn't answer, but Barsolar's face was serious and sad because he had an idea, and Tarnum sensed that he wouldn't like the answer. He wanted to do some experiments, but the wizard leader wanted an answer right away, even if he wasn't sure. Barsolar explained to Tarnum that time passed much more slowly on the Plane of Earth, as the other elemental planes were also somewhat different from their world. In other words, two hundred years on this Plane equaled sixteen years, which meant that when they returned to their own world, a few decades would have already passed there. Several people dropped their wine glasses, and Tarnum closed his eyes, hoping that the Elemental Lords would not destroy the world during this time. Two days later, Tarnum told Reamus and the other mages the truth, but tried to be as calm and gentle as possible. However, he knew there was no good way to tell them that almost everyone they knew from their friends and family were long dead. He knew how they felt, since his family members and friends had long since died, and he even remembered less of his childhood. However, the campaign went well, the earth elementals and the overlords were successfully defeated and they were able to move on.
==== The Secret in the Flames ====
Tarnum's next stop was the Plane of Fire, which was the realm of Pyrannaste, the Lord of Fire and leader of the fire and energy elementals. Tarnum was a little worried when they arrived on the Plane of Fire and decided that he would look around alone first, lest someone else's robes or hair should accidentally catch fire. But that didn't happen, instead he saw a realm where the fire was as tall as the grass, his clothes and body didn't burn, the air was blistering and dry, the man's body didn't sweat, but he felt warm he has and saw nothing but bubbling lava pools, charred mountains and flames everywhere. After the beaultiful sight, however, he found it better to concentrate on his mission. Three days later, one of the wizard's assistants warned him that there were many Pandora's Boxes in this realm, some with valuable treasures, but some could be traps, so it was better to be careful. Three days later, Barsolar found two towns to the south ruled by demons how loyal to the Fire Lord. The leaders of the demons were two efreets whom Tarnum had met before. They were Octavia and Xyron. The wizard leader remembered that he had fought them and the demons before and that they would fight as long as they could, they were among the more difficult opponents and the fight against them was usually cruel. Four days later, Tarnum received a report that there were many imp caches in this realm. Imps used to take the treasures they stole to these places, and Tarnum knew that they were weak creatures, but there were a lot of them, so he decided to be careful when exploring these places. Meanwhile, they encountered the advanced versions of fire elementals, the energy elementals that consisted of electricity and attacked with lightning.
Two weeks later, Tarnum held a conference with his assistants, of whom Reamus became his second-in-command, as he was an experienced wizard, was not annoying to the wizard leader and could pronounce his name more easily. He felt that since all four elemental planes would be conquered soon, victory was close and he wondered how he could defeat the Four Elemental Lords, but Reamus said it was impossible. He said that the Elemental Lords have unprecedented power over the Four Elements, even one of the four is so strong that they could not even defeat him together. Tarnum believed there must be some way to defeat them, as the Ancestors would not have sent him to the wizards if it was truly impossible. Tarnum said that anyone who can control all the four elements is just about able to fight them, but what they need is a weapon that none of them can defend against. A week later, Barsolar made more discoveries about the Plane of Fire and was about to go over some notes with other wizards, but then something unexpected happened. Tarnum began to inquire about what he found and his studies, which surprised the young wizard, as his leader had never done this before and thought he was just joking, but this time he was serious. The wizard leader then remarked with a smile that so far the many studies were not interesting to him, but Barsolar didn't get the joke, but he still suspected that he could have mixed the potion in his tea on the Plane of Water and not Hemoross. Barsolar said that he was thinking about why the fire almost didn't burn anyone or anything, but he took out a parchment and held it over the fire. At first nothing happened, then the paper caught fire so quickly that the young wizard had to throw it away before burning his fingers. Tarnum asked in amazement how he did this, and Barsolar explained that the fire responds to their thoughts, if they want something to burn, it will burn, that is, like the elementals, it is a living being, but not sentient. Then the wizard leader slapped him on the shoulder with satisfaction and praised him.
Five days later, Barsolar and Reamus entered Tarnum's tent in the evening with serious expressions on their faces as they made an interesting discovery. Reamus explained that while he was on the Elemental Planes he did various experiments to see if the four elements could be completely separated, what could hold these elements together and the answer was magic. The wizard suspected that there was another kind of elemental, and another plane. Tarnum was skeptical, but it was explained to him that Barsolar's experiment led them to conclude that the Elemental Lords also manipulate the elements and the world in this way, because they are connected to the elements through magic. In other words, they believed that the Plane of Magic and magical elementals also existed. This was difficult for Tarnum to accept, but he did not consider it impossible and gave the two wizards permission to continue their research and find out the truth. Then, five days after that night, Tarnum was a little worried as the two wizards used all of his assistants and most of his resources to build a magic portal similar to the ones they used to travel between the Elemental Planes. He hoped it wouldn't end in an explosion or worse. Two days later, the device was completed and activated by the two wizards, and Tarnum hoped that everything would turn out well. Surprisingly, nothing happened at first, no fire, no explosion, no damage. Reamus thought they missed something, and the wizard leader thought the Plane of Magic didn't exist. However, he was wrong, because suddenly before them stood a tall figure with a black cloak and a red turban, and Tarnum was surprised to see that it had no face, only a swirling mass of sparkling lights. When Tarnum wanted to greet it, he began to hear voices in his head, then became weak and leaned on his staff. Both Reamus and Barsolar were surprised to find that they too could hear the voices. The young wizard told his two companions that it was a psychic elemental and that it was very likely that magical elementals existed. The creature also said that it came from the Plane of Magic and wanted to speak with the wizard leader in private. For a day, the wizard leader consulted with his assistants, but they could not prevent the psychic elemental from reading their minds, as this being was also made of pure thought. He thought they had to earn it trust, but the creature didn't know what trust was and told them this in their heads. Tarnum tried to pretend that he wasn't listening, but he realized that it was stupid idea, because if the creature could read their thoughts, then it would know in no time who was lying to it and therefore it didn't need to trust. The creature, on the other hand, was not hostile, but was curious about how humans were able to speak, but Tarnum then asked if it could help them in the fight against the Elemental Lords. The elemental told them in their heads that they cannot act without the permission of the First, who are the first and wisest, three magical elementals, but the agents of the Elemental Lords are already looking for them. Two days later, Tarnum was thinking. The mages wanted to get to the Plane of Magic with joy, but the gremlins and nagas were upset along with others, and the wizard leader understood them, because he was also getting a little tired of these strange realms and all the magic. The campaign went well, Tarnum in the meantime defeated Octavia and Xyron, the armies of the fire elementals and captured all their altars where they could be created.
==== The Magic that Binds ====
Tarnum and the wizards were the first to reach the Plane of Magic, where anything was possible, but they had to face against the minions of the Elemental Lords and other problems to find the First.
The Elemental Plane of Magic was similar to the world of the wizards. There were many lush, grassy lands with thick forests and fields of flowers, but the wizard leader realized that anything was possible here. With his own eyes, he saw an acorn fall from a tree, and before it hit the ground, blue and red wings sprouted from it and it flew away in the form of a butterfly. A mage reported seeing a fox leap thirty feet up a tree to catch a sparrow, and the gremlins dared to swear that their morning porridge tasted like maple syrup. Tarnum was worried because he didn't want half his army to turn into pumpkins during a battle. Two days later, the physical elemental, who came to the wizards as an ambassador for his people, explained that the First, who made up the first three magical elementals, were hiding in a grove to be found, but the Elemental Lords were also looking for them. Tarnum, on the other hand, had such an advantage over them that he knew that the road leading to them was in the north, but he needed keymasters to proceed. The next day he had breakfast, but he was a bit disturbed by the pixies flying and giggling and screaming and playing loudly, and one of them fell too low and knocked over his bowl of oatmeal. Tarnum started yelling, the pixies fled and he went to his tent to change his clothes. However, Hemoross followed him into the tent and grinned at the wizard leader in such a way that he wanted to slap him, but he didn't. When he asked why he was grinning so much, he said it was because he had changed since he first led the wizards. Tarnum shaved his beard, bathed and became well-groomed, even because of this he became angry because of the dirty robe. The wizard leader was shocked to realize that Hemoross was right and ashamed that he had now actually become a wizard. He then threw the robe at the instructor and ordered him to clean it up, but he just laughed as he was too pleased with his own victory.
Six days later, Barsolar wanted to explore this world as well, and Tarnum knew that he would want to do so even if he was chained to a golem, but he asked that he also send reports on the armies of the Elemental Lords. Six days later, the talking owl arrived, and Tarnum was completely used to this phenomenon, so he sat back and calmly listened to what the bird had to say. The owl said that it brought good news, luck seems to be with them, as the Elemental Lords hated each other as much as wizards, each aiming to destroy the other elementals and then the world of Enroth. The wizard leader believed that they should get an easy victory right now, because it would be much more difficult if his enemies united against him. Five days later, Tarnum was struck by great luck again. He found a small well by the side of the road, into which he threw a small coin, then suddenly hit something on the head. He was surprised to see that it was his own coin, then he noticed in time that some dark cloud descended upon him, and when he stood aside, two thousand gold coins fell to the ground. Then the other magicians, surprised, threw coins into the well, but nothing happened.
Another five days later, Reamus brought a report to Tarnum, who clenched his fists after reading it. The Lord of Fire, Pyrannaste, enslaved the phoenixes and forced them to fight for his cause, or he would destroy the places where the phoenixes were born from the beginning. Tarnum felt more and more that the Elemental Lords were almost exactly the same as the evil wizards who once enslaved the barbarians. The situation was made worse by the fact that he now looked and sat exactly as his slavers had once done.
Four days later, in the morning, Tarnum called his top advisors together, but to the center of the camp, where the gremlins brought a table. It was the first time that the meeting was not held in secret, but could be seen by anyone. Tarnum did this because he decided to actually go on the right path, but to keep a part of his true identity. The wizards felt uncomfortable surrounded by mages and gremlins. The wizard leader stated that they should stop searching for magic items for a while and go to the Plane of Fire to free the enslaved phoenixes. Some of the wizards mumbled and disagreed. Reamus was the only one who calmly tried to explain to Tarnum that they had to finish their current mission first or the magical elementals would join one of the Elemental Lords. The wizard leader knew that his advisor was right, but his sense of justice was stronger and he wanted to get to the Plane of Fire as soon as possible.
Three days later, when Tarnum was about to go to bed at night, he suddenly heard shouting and his name. He ran through the shadows to avoid being noticed and reached Reamus' tent. Hemoross variously cursed Tarnum, that he was just a brute, a thug, a filthy, thuggish lout and that he was some stupid barbarian and that King Magnus had made a wrong decision. Reamus warned him to be careful how he spoke and defended Tarnum, saying he thought he was very strong. Hemoross then said that their leader hates magic, he prays to the Ancients, who are the gods of the barbarians, and now he wants to save phoenixes on the Plane of Fire. According to him, this was hypocritical, since the barbarians were the biggest slave holders. Then Tarnum ran out of patience and when Hemoross wanted to leave the tent, the wizard leader put his hand through the tent and grabbed the man by the collar. The wizard began to scream as Tarnum dragged him through the torn tent and dragged him along the ground. The wizard leader wanted to break his skull, but in the end he overcame his anger and did not hurt him, but he could see in the expressions of others how close the wizard had come to death. Three days later, Tarnum set a table in the middle of the camp and waited a while. Soon a large crowd gathered around the table and everyone knew that this was going to be an important meeting. The wizard leader was now sure of his decision to return to the Plane of Fire and save the phoenixes. The gremlins and genies supported him, but the mages wanted to stay. Hemeross didn't want to look at Tarnum and Reamus was worried and he was the only one brave enough to react to the wizard leader. He said that it was necessary for the phoenixes to suffer for a certain period of time as they needed to focus on saving the world and needed the help of the magical elementals against the Elemental Lords. Tarnum was still too angry, but deep down he agreed with him. He stated that the enslavement of wizards had not changed much since the fall of Bracaduun, then stood up and left the table before anyone could answer. Six days later, Tarnum noticed some of the student mages giving him dirty looks. Until now, he had never cared if wizards liked him, but he felt that now it would be a serious problem if they disobeyed him, as he needed them against the Elemental Lords. He was mainly worried about Hemoross, and although the wizard leader decided to stay on the Plane of Magic, he made some enemies. Five days later, Tarnum noticed that there are almost always whispers in the camp, but when he is there, everyone is quiet, which is why he suspected a conspiracy, the end of which he already knew. After dinner, Tarnum returned to his tent, because no one wanted to talk to him and he saw that he could do nothing against the secrets in the camp, and that these people no longer liked his tactics and ideas. That's why he used the magic, and since he was already a master of air magic, it was easy for him to thin the air, so he was able to direct the vibrations of the sounds to his own ears, so he could hear all the conversations in the camp, as if the people talking were directly there. next to. Reamus muttered to himself about the elements, but Hemoross tried to talk Ponific against the wizard leader, but the golem master believed in his leader, but the latter insisted that he hated wizards, led them to their deaths, and that he was a barbarian. The rest of the talk was that Tarnum might be a barbarian spy intent on removing King Magnus, and some believed they were deliberately misled by him. Then the wizard leader finished his spell, drank a glass of wine and thought that the situation was bad, because he knew that if their unity was broken, then the Elemental Lords won.
Four days later, right before breakfast, Hemoross decided he was going to incite everyone against Tarnum, then stood up and said that they had to change leadership and since Barsolar was not present, Remus should be the new leader. The wizard leader warned him that this was not a democracy and it wouldn't happen, but the wizard tried to speak for others and incite hatred and then Tarnum wondered who would take his place beside Reamus, but then everyone was silent and uncertain. That's when Barsolar returned and Tarnum was worried as the two of them had never been on good terms and he hoped he would make a good decision and the young wizard surprisingly stood by him. Despite being King Magnus' cousin, he was in dirty and used clothes and stated that what Hemoross was doing was foolish and weakening them. He said that the king had chosen Tarnum as their leader because he was experienced and reliable, and that without him none of them would have made it this far alive, that he was an excellent strategist, and that they needed him to win against the Elemental Lords. The wizard leader was surprised that the young man trusted him so much, then he also said that King Gavin Magnus would make sure that such pathetic rebellions would not go without consequences, then he stared at Hemoross who realized that he could not win like this, so he sat down and began the breakfast. Four days later, Tarnum felt that he was too hostile towards Hemoros and his companions and misjudged them, which he will never forgive and he will never forgive Barsolar for not supporting him but standing by the wizard leader, so he did not give up, but wanted to regain the lead. He challenged the young man to a duel and they fought each other with lightning spells and it seemed that Barsolar was strong enough to defeat him, he also used an invisible magical shield during the fight which he learned while exploring the Magical Plains. At that time, however, Hemoross tried to cheat and some of his students prepared to cast a spell against Barsolar from behind, but Tarnum then intervened, went behind the boy's back, and then dealt with the students with an frost ring and fire ball. Hemoross saw that he was not strong enough against both of them, so he retreated, but then Tarnum used earth magic and cast slow spell on his opponent, who surrendered. He was both angry and shocked that his enemy had become a master of all four elements and that Barsolar had become so powerful at such a young age. However, the boy was injured, one of his shoulders was struck by lightning, and Tarnum called a healer, locking Hemoross in a cage for his actions. After that, he seized his valuables, which were five thousand gold, ten lots of wood, ten lots of ore, five lots of mercury, five lots of crystals, gems and sulphur. Four days later, Tarnum was feeling better, believing that they would soon find the magical elementals and return to the plane of fire to free the phoenixes. However, he was still worried as he believed many wizards despised him for locking Hemoross in a cage, and his actions had left the soldiers doubting, which could have serious consequences, but right now he had to focus on his campaign. The forces of the Elemental Lords fought too much against each other, so they didn't pose too much of a problem as opponents for Tarnum and the wizards. Tarnum met the Oracle of Fire several times, who taught him many spells, after that, they had to defeat many other monsters until they finally found a two-way monolith through which they found the core of the First. Unlike the psychic elementals, the magical elementals were actually able to speak and told them that what the Elemental Lords wanted was madness and that the universe must be in harmony, so they joined the wizards.
==== Birds of Fire ====
Tarnum can finally do what he wanted to do, and that is to return to the Plane of Fire with the wizards and free the enslaved phoenix birds. At the same time, the situation was a little more difficult than it seemed, because in order to succeed, he not only had to capture the Pyres where these gigantic birds were born, but he also had to defeat the fire elementals that held them. After the previous victory over the demons, Tarnum left behind some of his men who tried to free the phoenix birds, but the fire elementals easily replaced the losses and defeated the enemy. He knew he couldn't stay too long, because the longer his mission went on, the elementals would create a larger army. Three days later, the wizard leader observed that his new allies, the psychic and magical elementals, were excellent complements to his units, and one magical elemental even volunteered to take Hemorros' place and train the wizards. Since this being was made of pure magic, he believed that wizards who would learn it would become extremely powerful. A few days later, Barsolar spoke with Tarnum after sending some capable mages to study the area and find out how strong the enemy's defenses were. He told the wizard leader that the only way to the enemy was through a Monolith to the northeast, so they could reach the next Konflux. He also said that the Pyres are beyond the Monolith as well, but they can only gain the Phoenix's trust if they destroy their slavers. Tarnum then took the little man's hand and thanked him for supporting him and against Hemorros. The wizard leader still held the traitor in the cage and although Reamus suggested that they leave the traitor on the Plane of Magic, Tarnum brought him along to keep an eye on him, and Barsolar wanted King Magnus to pass judgment on him. The young wizard then said that he too was sorry that the two of them had misbehaved with each other in the past, but he was grateful to him for trusting him and giving him the opportunity to explore the elemental planes, as he was glad that he was finally able to use his own strength and abilities to achieve success. Tarnum then admitted that he really annoyed him sometimes, and then they joked with each other with nicknames, but at the same time they became friends now.
Five days later, Tarnum received valuable information. One of Barsolar's spies successfully entered enemy territory with some psychic elementals, where they harrased the Fire Lord's forces. Tarnum thought they had found a secret entrance as well, but the young wizard said no, but they something else. He said that the wizard spy learned to summon fire and earth elementals and that those who taught him were hiding in the southern part of the region and suggested that two such powers would definitely be beneficial for the campaign. Tarnum agreed and decided to try to take the time to find these teachers. A week later, there was a sudden commotion in the camp, Tarnum immediately broke out of his tent and even prepared a spell. He found Reamus half dressed, who had just stopped the fire and water elementals from falling into each other. Tarnum shouted, asking what was going on here, and during the many years he had learned as a military leader to speak in such a way that everyone would listen to his words and keep quiet when he spoke. Reamus said that the fire elementals try to leave Pyrannaste's armies, but the water elementals do not trust them, considering them assassins. Tarnum understood them, as he also doubted why a small part of the enemy would want to joino their side, and he also did not see the true intentions of the fire elementals, but then Barsolar arrived, apologizing for the late report and saying that these fire elementals and the fire elementals and the others that came with them, the energy elementals really want to join them. One of them even said that the Fire Lord was cruel and left them, but the wizard leader had an idea, namely that they would use a psychic elemental to find out his true intentions to the strangers. The elemental said that they were afraid that their master would fall, so they would rather switch to the enemy who is the master of all the elements. The wizard leader then realized that they were not deserters, but cowards, but he believed they could be useful, so he accepted their offer and thus the thirty fire and energy elementals joined him. He was a little surprised when he received the news that the fire and energy elementals arrived at the Conflux castle almost immediately, that is, they could be anywhere in their own territory in a moment, but unfortunately the wizard leader and his army could not do this.
Four days later, Tarnum ordered Barsolar and Reamus to prepare a portal to the world of Enroth so that after freeing the phoenixes, they could return to their own world. The troops left on the previous Planes sent reports to the wizard leader that these realms were almost completely abandoned, on the Fire Plane it is likely that the number of elementals did not decrease greatly because the Fire Lord did not want the phoenixes to escape. At the same time, the wizard leader knew he didn't have much time, because the final, big attack against the world of Enroth was about to begin. Reamus and Ponifoc, the golem master, began the construction together, while Barsolar tries to track down the location of the Elemental Lords, which Tarnum thought was a good idea because he didn't want any surprises or unnecessary fighting halfway through. Four days later, Tarnum visited Hemoross and brought him a bowl of porridge. He was still in a cage, and on top of that, an elemental from each of the four elements was guarding him and a psychic elemental was watching his thoughts. The traitor said that he was fine, but the fire elemental sometimes mocked him, and then the wizard leader thought that it would be really funny if the fire elemental started a fire under the cage while the prisoner was sleeping. Hemoross knew that Tarnum was a barbarian and that they despised wizards, yet he helped them, but then the wizard leader said that he was doing what he was doing as a punishment. He saw that the wizard in the cage was not an evil man, but he needed time because he was confused as he had been a long time ago, and then he said that he would propose to King Magnus that after the war was over, he should be the Peace Ambassador to the Barbarian lands. He believed that Hemoross would take this promotion as a punishment, but later he might realize that he too would learn a lesson from it, just like the immortal hero. Four days later, Barsolar delivered bad news. He found the four Elemental Lords who joined forces to destroy the world of Enroth faster and more efficiently, so Tarnum knew he had to hurry to free the phoenixes, otherwise he had to return home as soon as possible, but he had to leave the birds there, so he concentrated on the campaign.
Unfortunately, there were some of the phoenix birds who were initially hostile and attacked the wizard, but after defeating them, they still had to fight against many fire and energy elementals. However, knowing them already, they were not too difficult opponents, and after that they successfully freed the enslaved fire birds and phoenixes, who joined the mages. They then met a hundred sprites who told them that Pyrannaste had made them slaves, so they helped the wizards and joined them. After crossing a portal they spotted the enemy's Conflux, but Tarnum suspected that they were going too easy and realized that the Fire Lord had set a trap and it was an ambush. However, the wizard were victorious, but the wizard leader did not yet capture the enemy's castle, but continued south. Here he met a sitting magma elemental who was friendly and told him that he and a few others did not want the world of Enroth to be destroyed, so he taught Tarnum and his wizards how to summon earth elementals. Then Tarnum suddenly began to be surrounded by tongues of flame, they climbed up his body in more and more places, he tried to put out the flames, but in vain, and when he thought the end was here, he heard whispering voices. He realized that these tongues of flame could teach him and the other wizards how to summon fire elementals, and they successfully mastered this knowledge. They then captured the enemy Conflux and everyone was happy because they could finally return home to their own world.
==== Master of the Elements ====
Tarnum has returned to Enroth's world, but at the same time he has changed. He no longer hated magic and did not use its power solely for destruction, but reveled in it. However, he could not enjoy happiness for long because the Elemental Lords, who were already preparing to attack the world, had to be stopped. After they returned, Tarnum realized that the Elemental Planes had no smells, because he immediately felt the different smells of the world. Unfortunately, things did not turn out perfectly, as the captains of Tarnum arrived in other areas due to an accident, so it will take time for the army of wizards to fully unite. The only way to they communicating each other was by using owl messengers like the one used by Barsolar. Three days later, almost everyone was shocked to learn that more than thirty years had passed since their journey and adventures, and that while the world had probably changed a lot, their mission remained the same. Ponific set off with his own forces to defend Bracada's territories as King Magnus was believed to be dead, but he took the still caged Hemoross with him while Barsolar stayed with Tarnum. Four days later, Tarnum sent some of his magic elementals to scout the area and find out where the enemy's territories were. One of them returned immediately that day and said that Pyrannaste had raised huge volcanoes out of the ground to the northeast and flooded the area with lava, which gradually grew and his forces expanded more and more. The next day, another elemental returned, who said that Shalwend had conquered the land in the northwest with magic clouds and they could walk on the clouds, but the land was beginning to lose its shape more and more and might disappear forever. The next day, the third elemental said that Aqualandar had taken over the southwestern area, where swamps and waters had formed almost everywhere, and his power was conquering more and more lands. Finally, the next day, the last magical elemental returned and told that Glarkor had conquered the southeast area, where the lands had completely collapsed and dried up, there was hardly any water left, and earthquakes were happening daily. He also told a bad news that the four elemental lords are fully united against the wizards, they share their resources, information and troops.
A week later, Tarnum received a letter from king Gavin Magnus. In the letter, the king was very pleased and at first did not want to believe that he had returned after thirty years, and that he had heard some stories about the Elemental Planes from Ponific and Hemoross and knew that Tarnum was currently busy with the Elemental Lords, but the king was very curious volt. He also wrote in the letter that Bracada has also had problems in thirty years and that he cannot offer much, but he tries to help as much as he can. The next day, some fire elementals made their way into the land of the Fire Lord, where some of his supplies were destroyed, and Tarnum knew that an ambush like this could distract the enemy and buy time and additional troops. The losses were three thousand five hundred gold, twenty lots of wood, five lots of sulfur and two lots of gems. A week later, Tarnum made another attempt at a similar attack, this time sending ice elementals against the Lord of Water. The attack didn't go too well because they were quickly spotted and caught, but before that they managed to destroy the supplies of resorcues they had stolen. The loss is four thousand gold, fourteen packs of wood, twelve packs of ore and ten packs of crystal. Four days later, Tarnum launched another attack, but this time against the Earth Lord, and this one was greatly successful with few injuries. The losses are three thousand eight hundred gold, ten packs of wood, two packs of ore, four packs of crystal and eight packs of gems. Four days later, Tarnum achieved a major success, this time against the Lord of the Air. A few storm elementals raided successfully and returned to the wizards with deserters, as the constant raiding caused the Elemental Lords to become suspicious of their own soldiers and treat them rather poorly. Shalwend's losses were quite embarrassing, including fourteen fire and energy elementals, four thousand three hundred gold, six packs of wood, two packs of mercury, three packs of ore, four packs of sulphur, seven packs of crystals, and two packs of gems. Two days later, Gavin Magnus wrote another letter explaining that he understood that Tarnum was busy with the success of the mission, but he wanted to learn about the Elemental Planes, so he would visit in person so that they could talk for a few hours every night and even bring reinforcements. Twenty-two days later, pixies and sprites also came to the wizards' Conflux because they were afraid of their children and joined them. Ten days later Gavin Magnus arrived on a black charger, and with him a hundred men, but none of them warriors. However, Tarnum was surprised when he noticed that the king's face had not changed at all, he expected an old man after thirty years, but almost nothing had changed, so the rumor that he was also immortal was true. At the same time, the king kept his promise, because Tarnum taught him about the Elemental Planes, he brought him reinforcements, namely thirty air and storm elementals, ten water and ice elementals, twelve fire and energy elementals, and ten earth and magma elementals. Two days later, Magnus called everyone to him and Tarnum was a little surprised when he saw that Hemoross was there as well, now as a free man. Several people nodded when it was mentioned that there were disagreements on the elemental planes, and then the wizard leader said that he had written everything in his letter addressed to the king. King Magnus then said that he had decided that Hemoross should be free, but at the same time it had to be said that he would retract his accusations and hatreds about the barbarians and Tarnum, and that their ancestors had made a mistake by enslaving other peoples, and then he stood back and remained silent.
Two days later, King Magnus and Tarnum had dinner together, the mood was not very cheerful, the king remarked that he had not seen him since the siege of Steelhorn. At that point there was no longer any doubt and Tarnum could finally find out that Gavin Magnus was really immortal and it probably happened to him almost at the same time as when the barbarian tyrant died. The king said that all this happened when his enemy killed Kurl, and with him he killed a behemoth, and after that he suddenly revived and since he has been here he has been constantly learning and studying the world. He then said that he had seen the rise and fall of the barbarian tyrant and had heard his stories and knew that one day they would meet again, and that he had hated him but had now forgotten that wrath and forgave him and offered that they might even be brothers, they could support each other together. With a wide smile, he tried to convince the immortal hero, but he didn't want to be his friend, because he felt a kind of cold arrogance in him, he wasn't honestly kind and good like Barsolar and he thought that his immortality made him so cold and rigid, he felt that because of this, both of them already they wouldn't be so human. Three days later Magnus was about to leave with the other wizards, Hemoross wasn't too much of a problem for Tarnum, but he was sorry to see Barsolar go too, and the young man also took a liking to his new friend. In the evening, he drank a lot and laughed at how many silly things they did with each other and told the immortal hero that he hoped they would meet again, but he was sad because he knew that he would not see his friend again. But Tarnum wanted one more thing, and that was to speak with King Magnus in his tent. The immortal hero had two requests, one is that Barsolar should receive the highest possible award, because he is a very brave man and richly deserves it, and also that his companions should receive a similar reward for standing by him. The immortal king promised that this would happen, but the second request was not so sympathetic to him. Tarnum said that the elemental troops that belonged to the king would go to Reamus, and the elementals could have their freedom and go to their own homelands. Magnus was apparently not happy about this, because this meant giving up the knowledge that the elementals could have given him, as well as the fact that he could take over them and become the sole master of the element. sHe also said that the psychic elementals would erase the memories from Reamus and Barsolar's minds of how to get to the elemental planes. King Magnus was not pleased, but he understood the immortal hero's decision and accepted it. Tarnum believed that such power would be too dangerous in the hands of a human or Magnus, and he made a deal with the magical elementals that he would not reveal the secrets of the confluxes and would make them disappear forever, so that if the Elemental Lords were defeated, there would never be anyone again, the master of the elements.
After that, Tarnum concentrated on the campaign, but before that he got a big surprise. King Gavin Magnus sent him reinforcements from Bracada, consisting of two hundred master gremlins, one hundred obsidian gargoyles, fifty arch magi, thirty master genies, twenty naga queens, ten titans, and seventy-five iron golems. With such an army, the elementals and his captains, victory was not in doubt for Tarnum, so he set out. The Elemental Lords wanted to defeat him together, but their elementals got tired of their aggressive and harsh treatment and slowly but gradually deserted or joined to the wizards. Pyrannaste's forces fell first, followed by Aqualandar's minions, and then the forces of Shalwend. Gralkor's army was the strongest, but in the end he too was defeated, and Tarnum defeated all four of them and became the sole master of the elements, thereby stopping the destruction of the world. He then banished all four of them back to their respective planes, then destroyed the conflux towns and all records of the elemental planes, keeping his promise. After that, he respectfully took off his wizard cloak and replaced it with fur and sword and returned to the life of the barbarian.
=== The World Tree ===
Tarnum had to save the world again. This time he had to face the armies of necromancers, whose leader was Vorr, who was one of the Ancestors, but his mind was corrupted and his goal was to destroy the world, which he wanted to achieve by destroying the World Tree. The immortal hero had to defend the Tree and defeat the necromancers, but his chances against Vorr were doubtful, since he was a god.
==== A Distant Cry ====
Tarnum was sleeping when he suddenly heard a scream-like voice telling him to save the World Tree. He guessed that the Ancestors had given him the order, although he was suspicious that it was all a bit vague and he wanted to reject the order, but he knew that he didn't have much choice. He rides several hundred miles to the northeast, where he finds the remains of a barbarian tribe. These people have lived here for countless generations and although they didn't know why, they guarded the caves of the surrounding mountains, but they were suddenly attacked by the armies of necromancers who invaded the caves. Tarnum then knew who he had to fight against and entered the caves. Two days later, one of the scouts brought some interesting information to the barbarian leader. Hiding in the shadows, he saw two necromancers, skeletons and zombies fighting each other, at the end of the fight only one necromancer survived. In other words, the necromancers also fought against each other, which was a great advantage for Tarnum, since he had to risk the lives of fewer of his men and the enemy gradually weakened. The next day, Tarnum found that the necromancers were in the deeper tunnels, but they knew he was after them, so they did a thorough job of destroying the living things in the caverns, the barbarians found little food. The immortal hero kept a heavy guard over the supply wagons, because he knew that if an adequate amount of food did not arrive, they would all starve.
Four days later, Tarnum thought about it. Since the bad dream and the scream, the Ancestors hadn't spoken to him and he wasn't sure he was on the right path. He had heard only one story about this World Tree when he was a child. According to the barbarian legend, the world was created when a pine cone fell from this tree. Almost all life came from the fruit of this tree, so the immortal hero had already guessed that the destruction of this tree would have fatal consequences, but unfortunately, even he did not know where to found it. He decided it was more important to learn more about this plant and focus less on fighting the undead. Four days later, Tarnum summoned five runners to whom he gave letters and an important mission. He ordered them to give these to the shaman of the area and to let them know the names of the other shamans and that everyone would receive the same letter. One of the runners was confused and asked why they had to give everyone the same letter. The barbarian leader said it was because this would create competition and they would work harder, then ordered the couriers to deliver the letters as quickly as possible. Four days later, the shamans replied that they would answer Tarnum and reveal their wisdom, but to prove to each that one of them was the wisest and the barbarian leader not to trust the others. Tarnum was happy that they did not ask for compensation, so he sent a message to all of them that he wanted to know what the World Tree really was and where to find it. Four days later, his second-in-command, an ogre, Grumba, asked him why he was consort with the shamans. He was a powerful warrior and respected by the others, but he was not ambitious, so the barbarian leader did not have to worry about betraying him. The ogre told him that sorcerers or shamans should not be trusted because his father once went to cure a rash and died two days later. Tarnum said that he needed them to get answers to his questions, and that as long as they were away from him, there was no problem. The ogre remarked sarcastically that it was fine as long as they were as far away as another land, then laughed in a deep hollow sound. Three days later one of the runners returned, bringing a letter to the barbarian leader from one of the shamans. The shaman described that the World Tree is the begining of all life, only the barbarians have seen it so far, he have to look in the direction of the rising sun and that he have to build a boat at the horizon and cross it to the other side of the world to find the Tree, which itself supports the Earth. Tarnum put the letter away, but the explanation was not convincing to him, he believed that it was not sent by the Ancestors to sail to another part of the world. Four days later, another shaman's letter was read by the barbarian leader, but things were not connected. The shamans agreed that the tree was extremely large, but they differed on what it looked like and where it was. Tarnum was quite sure that the tree was nearby and felt that he was not being pulled anywhere, so he had to search even deeper in the cave. Four days later Grumba returned with a stranger under one of his arm and dropped him before the barbarian leader. The stranger was scrawny, wore black, ragged clothes and his face was pale. Tarnum knew that this figure was either a necromancer or an apprentice and could see from the expression on his face that it didn't take much for him to speak. He ordered Grumba to rip off one of the stranger's arms, at which point the little man jumped up and begged him not to and told everything. Unfortunately, the apprentice did not know much, he was certain that the main forces of the necromancers were even deeper and wanted to destroy the World Tree. Tarnum's hunch was proven, because if the tree is in another part of the earth, then what are the necromancers looking for here. The apprentice could not talk about the number of armies and their strategies, but that was enough for Tarnum. Skeletons and zombies occasionally attacked the barbarians, but the larger forces of the necromancers fought against each other, so Tarnum had no particular problem defeating the enemy. He captured three castles and then went deeper into the caves.
==== Senseless Destruction ====
Tarnum went even deeper, but the situation changed a little. The necromancers no longer fought against each other, but agreed, put aside their differences and now formed a unified force. Fighting under the red flag, they strengthened their castles and built several garrisons. Two days later, Tarnum noticed something interesting. In these deeper caves, the barbarians encountered orcs and goblins who came from an unknown tribe and attacked them. The barbarian leader was troubled by the fact that he had to face a new enemy in addition to the necromancers, he ordered his warriors to protect themselves but try to communicate with these strangers. Four days later, Tarnum attacked a smaller orc band. The band camped in a narrow portion of the tunnels, hoping to ambush anyone. The barbarian leader told them to surrender because it was unnecessary to shed the blood of their own kind. However, the orcs declared themselves Vorr's followers and attacked the much larger group of barbarians. Tarnum felt that the orcs had died a glorious death, yet this unnecessary fight was a waste. Four days later, Tarnum felt that the fight against the necromancers was easier than against these warriors of the strange tribe, as he was fel bad of having to kill barbarians who claimed to be followers of Vorr. He wanted to release some of the orc prisoners to send a message to the king, but as soon as they were freed, they immediately wanted to strangle the barbarian leader to death, so they had to be killed as well. Tarnum sent a letter to a shaman because he wanted to know who this Vorr was. Four days later, the shaman met with Tarnum and told him that Vorr was not a barbarian chieftain, but one of the Ancestors. The old man, Addar, who was one of the wisest shamans of the barbarians, told him that he did not know why he was an ally of the necromancers, but he knew why the Ancestor became evil. Tarnum was very interested in the story, as he had never heard any of the Ancestors called by name. A brutal barbarian tribe from Krewlod turned their ancient king into a war god and sacrificed to him. One of the Ancestors accepted these sacrifices, which corrupted him and took the form of the war god, then gained power and took the name Vorr. Tarnum, on the other hand, was worried and ashamed, as he felt that this certain king, who had become the war god of the brutal tribe, was probably him and did not want to talk any further, so he dismissed the shaman. Four days later, the barbarian leader rode up beside Addar, ready to listen to the story of Vorr's parentage. The shaman said that Vorr was a very strong warrior who was excellent with an axe and a great commander of the barbarian armies. His people loved him, but this made him too proud. However, the barbarians paid less and less attention to him, instead paying more attention to a young man who ran and swam faster than everyone else. Vorr got angry and challenged him to a race around the world. This race lasted for a year and a day, until finally the boy overtook him before the finish line and won. In his rage, Vorr took out his axe and cut off his head, which was a shameful act in the eyes of his people. He tried to regain their trust by conquering and forcing them to love him, but he achieved the exact opposite and the barbarians hated him. He died old, embittered, in shame. Tarnum did not understand how this Vorr could be one of the Ancestors.
Four days later, Tarnum was anxiously thinking and doubting. Necromancers and barbarians were not so fearsom opponents to him, but he couldn't believe that one of the Ancestors would be his main opponent. He knew within himself that it was inevitable that he would meet and fight him, but he was worried that he could not defeat him, but he could stop him from destroying the World Tree. Four days later, Tarnum saw that the necromancers had practically inexhaustible resources by raising the dead, so he sent a message to the surface for volunteers to come down as soon as possible to help him in the fight. Four days later, Tarnum felt his luck held out, because he received a response that the volunteers were on their way to help him. Two days later the reinforcements arrived, and the barbarian leader launched an attack with all his forces. Due to the garrisons, the advance was slower, but gradually the barbarians won victories, capturing five castles and defeating the armies of the necromancers.
==== The World Within ====
After reaching even deeper, Tarnum chased some necromancers for a while, who eventually disappeared into the strange caverns. He was surprised when he suddenly saw trees, grass and flowers, but the sun didn't shine on them, it didn't rain, but they were full of life. According to Addar, this was the influence of the World Tree, meaning they were already close to their goal. Three days later, Tarnum captured a fortress from the enemy and lost many warriors, but his victory was significant. The soil received the seeds amazingly well, wheat and vegetables emerged from the ground in just a few days, so the food supply became practically unlimited. The soil accepts the seeds amazingly well, wheat and vegetables spring from the ground in just a few days, so the food supply became practically unlimited. This was very important to the barbarians as the necromancers attacked them in the rear and cut off supply lines. Three days later, Tarnum was a little worried about Addar, because the shaman slumped in the saddle and his face appeared flushed. Not wanting to show signs of exhaustion, the shaman straightened up next to the barbarian leader and clenched his jaw. Tarnum asked if everything was all right, but he amusingly remarked that the horse was shaking so much under him that he was beginning to think one leg was shorter than the other. Tarnum laughed and went on.
Two days later, a brave messenger came to Tarnum, bringing important information, because Tarnum finally knew who he was up against. The leader of the enemy tribe was called King Targor and he was the leader of followers of Vorr. He said to the barbarian leader that he will crush the barbarians as a tyrant once did this to the Wizard-Kings of the Bracaduun Empire. Tarnum dismissed the messenger and shook his head as his hunch was confirmed. As a barbarian tyrant, he inspired King Targor with his actions and created Vorr. He blamed himself, but he knew he was the only one who could stop this, but he didn't want to kill Targor and the members of his tribe, yet it seemed that he couldn't convince him with reason. Two days later, Tarnum learned more information. Targor was indeed inspired by him, even modeling his rule after the barbarian tyrant whose name has disappeared from the historical accounts of his reign and was known only as the Barbarian Tyrant, and Targor believed that a good barbarian should try to be like a tyrant. The barbarian leader still blamed himself, as this was how Vorr was created. Three days later, Addar rode alongside Tarnum, who already guessed that he wanted to say something important, so they pulled a little ahead of the rest of the troops. Addar told the barbarian leader that Vorr must be insanve, as no sane person or being would seek to destroy the world or form an alliance with necromancers simply to achieve that goal. He didn't know if he was insane from the start or if his forced worship of Targor's tribe made him so, but he guessed what his weakness might be. He said that he believed that because he gained his power from violent, sacrificial worship, he raised the idea that if he did not receive this worship, he would lose his power. Four days later, Tarnum Grumba and Addar consulted together on how to persuade Vorr's followers to abandon him. The ogre suggested that they kill everyone, but the shaman believed that this should be the last resort. Then Addar and Tarnum thought about a common idea. King Targor was a strong leader and his warriors were loyal and respected him, believing that if he could be persuaded, his word would be enough for Vorr's followers to defect. However, they did not yet know how to convince him. The next day, Tarnum ordered Grumba and his best warriors to search the tunnels for an aritfact, that was the Pendant of Total Recall. The shaman wondered what the barbarian leader was planning, but he did not tell him. He planned to show Targor his own memories of what it was really like to be a barbarian tyrant and then he could decide whether to follow Vorr or not. Four days later, Addar was found dead in his tent. Tarnum knew that the old shaman died in his sleep, the many marches were too exhausting for him, but he did not want to send him back to the surface, because he did not want to hurting his pride. He was buried in the rich soil of this land and given all the honors of the greatest barbarian warrior. Four days later, Grumba sent to Tarnum a message because he had learned where the Pendant of Total Recall was and was on his way to find it. He makes preparations for the arrival of the barbarian leader, but since he brought few warriors with him, he cannot return with him, so he waits for his leader. Meanwhile, Tarnum repeatedly clashed with King Targor's forces and finally defeated them, then captured two of their fortresses.
==== The Roots of Life ====
The forces of King Targor and the Necromancers united under the leadership of Vorr, which further complicated the situation for Tarnum. The necromancers dug through the stone walls to release small pieces of lava into the tunnels, further hampering progress and increasing destruction. The barbarian leader put every chance he had on convincing Targor over with his story. However, he made up his mind that if this did not convince him either, he would agree to exterminate the tribe. Two days later, a tired, dirty goblin told Tarnum that there was a place where the enemy could be bypassed from the north and east, where Grumba was already waiting for Tarnum with the Pendant of Total Recall, but it was only possible to get through here with the help of a red keymaster. Four days later, Tarnum received word that many volunteers wanted to join him. Hundreds of orcs, goblins, and ogres marched forward through the tunnels, among them an elven druid who claimed to sense a disturbance in the World Tree. The barbarian leader believed that he would have a better chance of victory with the warrior volunteers and was looking forward to meeting the druid. Two days later, one of Tarnum's scouts reported seeing some undead carrying bags of goods in the darkest tunnels. The barbarian leader had known for a long time that the necromancers were tracking his army's movements, so the barbarians set a trap and lit several campfires. The small force moved from fire to fire while Tarnum with his main force went half way through the secret tunnels. Tow days later, the trap was successful, the skeletons and wraiths were destroyed in short order, the only casualty being an orc warrior who lost his left arm but survived. The barbarians, on the other hand, were surprised to find so many resources. Eight thousand four hundred and eighty-two gold, eight lots of mercury, six lots of ore, four lots of gems, three lots of wood and crystal, and one lot of sulphur. Six days later, one scout returned with terrible news. Vorr alone, with the exception of one survivor, killed almost all five hundred warriors, and after telling the story, the survivor also died. Tarnum feared that if he could not weaken Vorr, neither he nor his warriors would ever have a chance to defeat him.
Five days later, an orc noticed a slender, pale man dressed all in green, when he took off his hood anyone could see his long, blonde, shoulder-length hair. It was an elf, the barbarians were tense, which Tarnum understood. Barbarians and elves weren't friends, but they weren't enemies either. The barbarian leader signaled to everyone that he was riding ahead alone, then shook hands to let his warriors know that the elf was a friend to them. The stranger told Tarnum that his name was Nilidon and that he had come to help save the World Tree. The barbarian leader guessed that he was the particular druid he had been waiting for. The next day, Tarnum kept the elven druid by his side so they could talk and to keep him out of trouble or he could die very quickly if he didn't know the barbarian customs. Nilidon, on the other hand, could tell a lot about the World Tree. He said that the elves have known the Tree for some time, there was a time when they were its protectors, but they failed, but the Ancestors of the barbarians continued to protect it while the elves rode away. Tarnum and Nilidon did not understand what had happened to the other Ancestors and why they were not helping them stop Vorr, moreover, the barbarian leader wanted to know where the tree was. The druid smiled and at first thought his companion was joking, but when he realized they didn't stop. Nilidon told him that they were all in the Tree the whole time. The next day, Tarnum felt foolish when the druid told him that the secret of the World Tree lay in the name of the elf translate, which was called the Roots of Life. The World Tree was the source of all life that first started life and spread it throughout the planet. Tarnum realized that these tunnels were the roots of the Tree and that they had been in it all along. While he fought the necromancers, they successfully infected and destroyed the roots of the Tree as their goal was to destroy it from the inside, like a deadly disease. It was then that Tarnum realized how important his mission was and that he must definitely get Targor on his side and stop Vorr. Tarnum was successfully defeated the forces of necromancers and hostile barbarians, and laid siege to the castle of King Targor, who in turn deployed all his warriors. However, the siege ended, Tarnum defeated the king, but did not kill him, but instead told him his story and showed him his memories. After seeing everything, the king realized that he was wrong and wanted to make up for his mistakes.
==== Rebirth ====
Tarnum was so impressed by Targor's courage that he decided to go personally to Vorr and tell him that they would no longer follow him. His tribe joined Tarnum's warriors and together they continued the fight against the necromancers. Targor, on the other hand, did not return, so it can be assumed that he is dead. Three days later, Tarnum was worried. This section of the World Tree was successfully defended, but certain sections were burned beyond repair and the tunnels under the barbarians were in even worse condition. The barbarian leader blamed himself, but hoped that if he destroyed the necromancers, the Tree would heal. Three days later, Nilidon told the barbarians that there was a powerful artifact in these tunnels, the Statue of Legion, which could attract more troops to the fortress. Tarnum thought it would be a good idea to obtain this artifact, as his enemies were able to obtain exrta troops through necromancy. Unfortunately, someone broke the statue, so he had to find its pieces separately. Five days later, the barbarian leader received reports from his spies as to where the missing pieces of the statue were, but they were guarded by wraiths, vampires, and ghost dragons. Six days later, the barbarian leader found out where the last part of the legion was, the head, and the only gold mine in these tunnels. However, he knew that once the statue was assembled, he would have to bring it back to the fortress where he could use the artifact's power.
Five days later, Nilidon saved the lives of the barbarians and Tarnum. The barbarian leader and his party came across a small waterfall that flowed from the ceiling into a large, cool pool. Their water supply was low, and the supply from the surface was several days before it arrived, so he ordered his warriors to water the horses and collect water for the journey. The elf, on the other hand, probably because of his connection with nature, suddenly leaped forward, grabbed the mane of the first horse that began to drink and dragged the animal away, warning the barbarians that the water was poisonous. An hour later the horse began to scream terribly and suffered until Tarnum relieved him of his suffering and the animal died. The druid found a chest in the water that he think might have belonged to the necromancers. Tarnum called them cowardly worms for doing such a vile thing, then shook Nilidon's hand and thanked him for saving their lives. Five days later, a group of goblins patriotically marked the walls of the tunnels leading to the lower levels, however, without proper spelling, the sentence became a bit odd. They wanted to hang their banner above the Subterranean Gate, but since they couldn't find a suitable flag, they improvised and used the pink underwear of an ogre. Meanwhile, Tarnum collected the pieces and managed to assemble the Statue of Legion, which one of his captains had taken to his fortress, so he had more chances against the necromancers. In front of the Subterranean Gate, he found the bodies of dozens of barbarians, most likely killed and mutilated by Vorr. Among them was King Targor, who tried to stop him, but it was proven that the enemy is extremely strong even without the worshipers' faith. Tarnum gave them the final rites and buried the dead, and ordered some craftsmen to carve a statue of Targor in memory of his bravery. Five days later, Tarnum attempted to clean up the walls that the goblin's vandalized, but was delayed by a letter from the necromancers. He wasn't really interested in the usual unconditional grant, but he became attentive when he read the recipient. She was called qqueen with a rather strange name. The barbarian leader guessed that the goblins responsible for the shame would stay away from him. He wasn't really interested in the usual unconditional surrender, but he became attentive when he read the recipient. They called him Queen Bra-Barian. The barbarian leader guessed that the goblins how responsible for the shame would stay away from him. Five days later, Tarnum finally saw hope that the World Tree would survive the destruction of Vorr and the necromancers. They heard the screams of some wraiths in a nearby cave and quickly rode towards them. When the barbarians got there, they saw that a deer grazing on a seemingly lonely patch of grass was being attacked and killed by the wraiths. The barbarian leader and his warriors slaughtered the undead and his stomach turned as he saw how these creatures took the lives of others. But when he wanted to get back on his horse, he saw that the deer's legs twitched and started to move. At first he didn't care, but then he saw a faint light around the animal's eyes, then right before the barbarian leader's eyes the holes in its flesh closed, then the deer took a breath, clumsily climbed up and ran away. It was then that Tarnum understood the true power of the World Tree. A week later, after a battle, the barbarians captured a necromancer. Gruba quickly convinced him to talk, but he could not give any tactical information, but he did tell Tarnum one interesting thing. Vorr left the Necromancers, they asked for his help, but he didn't respond, so they continue to destroy the World Tree in hopes of causing enough damage to destroy it from within. Tarnum was waiting to finally fight him, but he thought that the lesser evil must be defeated first. Still, he was worried that his main enemy had given up on his goal too easily and wondered what his next plan would be. Unfortunately, the news was true, there was a lot of destruction around the castles built by necromancers, there was lava, ash and death almost everywhere. Tarnum defeated all the necromancer armies and captured three of their castles. Once he noticed a tiny flower on the ground full of ash and lava, so he knew that the World Tree would be recover even from these horrible wounds, and he had fulfilled his mission. However, the Insanve Ancestor, Vorr came up with a new plan to destroy the World.
=== The Fiery Moon ===
After the World Tree was protected and the necromancers were defeated, Targor's tribe swore that they would protect the tree even at the cost of their lives. Tarnum admired them for forever giving up the warmth and light of the upper world to protect something that few knew existed yet was so important. There was still honor in their barbarian hearts and the barbarian leader felt that he had once again corrected a mistake he had caused. He would have liked to stay with them, but he had a mission to stop Vorr and find out why the Ancestors were still silent. Sometimes he thought he heard a distant cry of pain, but he couldn't tell if it was real. He saw his only chance as finding Vorr, but he fled this world after the defeat of the Necromancers and Tarnum felt that if he found his new archenemy, he would also find the Ancestors.
==== The Endless Sands ====
Four days later, Tarnum was increasingly confident that he and his barbarian warriors were nearing the surface as the effects of the World Tree began to wear off and it grew warmer. However, he was not sure of his victory, as he worried that he would not be able to defeat and kill an ancestor either alone or with his barbarian warriors. There were two roads not far from the fortress, but near one they met an orc woodsman and his son, carrying huge bundles of wood on their shoulders. The orc father said that several months ago there was a huge, strong tunnel here, but it suddenly collapsed and blocked, but he said that the necromancers used monolith passages here and in principle they still work. Tarnum thanked them for their help and let them return to their work. Five days later, Tarnum became ill, ran out of his tent, dropped to his knees and jumped for an hour. He could barely sit in the saddle, he was sweating and he could feel the heat on his skin. He believed that this had something to do with the Ancestors, since his immortality came from them, and he was curious that if they perished, he would also die or his old wish would be fulfilled and he would be a normal mortal again. However, he believed that the death of the Ancestors would not be good news, as they were the spiritual leader of the barbarians, they were like a lighthouse for the barbarian people and without them they would crash on the rocks of fate. At the same time, it became strange for the barbarian leader that they had to fight against demonic creatures more and more often. Three days later, Tarnum's illness was gone but he felt weak and didn't know that it was really because of something that happened to the Ancestors, so he wanted to talk to a shaman, but he didn't want to tell him how he became immortal.
The monolith gateways were working and the barbarians could already see the light from the mouth of a distant cave, but they were suddenly attacked by demons and black-clad thugs, but the fight was short and the attackers lost. After that, Tarnum and the barbarians finally made it to the surface, but their eyes still had to adjust to the blinding light of the sun, which they had not seen in months. The place where they were was hot and arid, the sun sting their skin. A week later, Tarnum was able to speak with Wern, the shaman. He felt Vorr fleeing to the northeast, but after a while he no longer felt him and wondered where he could have gone. The wise man was silent for a while and then asked the barbarian leader what he had brought him. Most shamans lived off the generosity of others, so Tarnum reached into a sack on his hip and took out a ceramic bottle, pulling the stopper out with his teeth and handing it to the shaman, who sipped carefully. His eyebrows twitched as he recognized the strong spirits within him. He thought for a while and then said to come back another time. Three days later, Tarnum and Wern spoke again, but the shaman wanted something again. Tarnum sighed and left his tent for a moment, then returned with a keg of ale. The shaman then said that he would have to meditate for a few days, at which point Tarnum grabbed him by the throat and demanded an immediate answer. The shaman then became more cooperative. He was notorious for waiting months for an answer, and the barbarian leader guessed that if he hadn't shown that he was serious about his intentions, he would never have learned anything or gotten an answer. Wern said that the Ancestors were quiet and he thought that was strange and worrisome. Tarnum knew that none of them were complete without the ancestors. The shaman could not answer, but before leaving the barbarian leader added to his farewell that he would try, and the shaman quietly replied that of course.
Three days later, in the evening, the camp was attacked by a swarm of imps. They scratching them and running off the horses. They tore down the tents and pitched burning brands on them while my men were still inside. No one was killed in the attack, but many were wounded and the imps stole some of the barbarians' supplies. This was thirteen hundred gold, eighteen lots of wood, eight lots of ore and two lots of crystal. Six days later, Tarnum and his warriors spent the morning searching for some missing goblins who had gone to collect firewood last night but had not returned. The barbarian leader eventually found their bodies, staked to anthills. He thought they were killed by a demon, he knew their battle tactics. Demons like to strike fear in their opponents and men don't fight as well when they are afraid and now the barbarians were also afraid of these demons. Five days later, some scouts found the secret camp of the demons, who killed the goblins. The barbarian leader knew that to win, he had to show his warriors that these creatures were not worthy of their fear. He took four men with him to the demon camp, but after a while the others hid behind the bushes. Tarnum, on the other hand, approached the demons alone. Imps. gogs and demons stood face to face with him, he felt that he would have been killed in an ambush, but this way the barbarian leader unleashed his fury and easily killed the gogs and demons. The imps fled, but to the four barbarian warriors who killed the cowardly creatures. Tarnum then raised one of them and ordered his warriors to return to the camp and tell the others that the enemy was weak. The barbarians then crossed the desert and came to a black land where the sand was charred and volcanic smoke could be seen in the distance. Tarnum felt that this land had only recently become like this. He was then attacked by a demon army and an old enemy. Rashka, an efreet warlord, however, the barbarians win the battle and capture a demonic city.
==== The Nameless Land ====
Tarnum and his army crossed hills and then mountains, while he wondered if these demons were Vorr's allies, but why and what was their purpose. The barbarians arrived in a remote region where few people lived, and before them a nameless mountain range blocked their progress. Most of the peaks disappeared among the clouds, and Tarnum was afraid, because he felt that he had to travel above the clouds and that another very unexpected adventure was waiting for him. Two days later, the barbarian leader learned that this land was not completely deserted, as several demon dwellings appeared in front of him and a barbarian tribe also lived here. However, he guessed that they might also be worshipers of Vorr who would be hostile to them, and he was also warned of a place called Blackdome that had burned into the bark of a tree at the edge of the camp. The message was to go back or die. Naturally, Tarnum was not impressed by this message. Five days later, Tarnum wondered if the demons and their kind were not in his way by chance, because they were too organized, that is, they wanted to fight on purpose. According to him, the warning was a reference to the fact that they were working for Vorr and that they had a common goal, i.e. burning and destroying the world. The local population claimed that the infernal cities were no more than a month old, but they did not know why they were created.
Five days later, the barbarians captured a familiar lurking in the bushes outside the camp, but it was so weak and bloody that Tarnum worried that it had happened during his capture, but the barbarian warriors swore that they had not harmed the creature, only was brought before him. He entrusted him to a healer to do what he could, but his tone told her that he wasn't really upset if the familiar didn't survive. The next day, Tarnum was summoned to the healing tent, where the familiar had survived his injuries, but was bandaged and still in poor condition. One of his arms was broken, one of his large ears and both wings were missing. The barbarian leader was a little suspicious that the barbarians had hurt him so badly. While they were talking, he looked to the side with his eyes, as if he was looking for an enemy. His name was Skizzik, but Tarnum was shocked when he told him that he and the demons knew he was the immortal hero. The familiar reluctantly nodded when Tarnum asked him if his kind worked for Vorr, then the creature felt that he was going to die now and closed his eyes, but he was not harmed. Six days later, the barbarian leader invited the familiar into his tent. Two guards just pushed him, then Tarnum dismissed them and gave the creature bread, which he stuffed into his mouth without thanking and spit out crumbs. The creature said he was going to die for leaving a door open. When the barbarian leader wondered what kind of door he said, a big guy was angry at him, guarding shiny people behind the door. Tarnum knew right away that it was Vorr and the Ancestors, then he wanted to know where this place was, Skizzik reassured him that he knew where it was and guessed that he wanted to know. The next day, the familiar made a full confession to Tarnum, who at first did not know what to make of it. He said that Vorr took the Ancestors to the Fiery Moon and imprisoned them in a magical prison while he went off to do other things. This is when Skizzik saw the Ancestors for the first time, as he was a prison worker, the water carrier. However, after the Ancestors arrived, he left the door open for a short time. He couldn't escape, but the demons and other creatures were very upset by this. Skizzik swore that only demons and such creatures lived on the Fiery Moon, the Ancestors called for help and Tarnum believed it was this cry that urged him to save the World Tree and understood why they had been silent for so long. When the demons realized that the familiar had made a mistake, they tried to kill him, but he managed to escape and went down from the Fiery Moon through the Sparkling Bridge and, despite his many injuries, survived the chase. The barbarian leader recognized his bravery, but no one else trusted him. Eight days later, Tarnum spoke to Grumba and Wern. The ogre thought he was a spy and that the injured deserter was an old trick. The shaman agreed with the barbarian leader, who was not so suspicious, but declared that he was not stupid and that if the familiar tried to escape, he would be killed.
Five days later, Skizzik suddenly lunged at Tarnum, but as Grumba was keeping an eye on him, before he could reach the barbarian leader, he grabbed the familiar's scratched throat and almost crushed it, only to be ordered not to. Tarnum wondered what made him so excited. Skizzik said that at a distant hill some demons buried stolen gold. The barbarian leader suspected it might be a trap, but gave the familiar a chance to lead them to the gold. The next day he led them to the location of the gold, Grumba was against it, but the barbarian leader trusted the creature. He thought a demon ambush was possible, but nothing happened. They started digging in the middle of an open field, it was difficult to cut through the frozen ground, but in the end they really found bags. Seven thousand four hundred gold was found, Tarnum wondered how he found this place, Skizzik replied that he could smell the gold. After this, the barbarianarmy attack a demon garrison, which they break through and eventually capture Blackdome.
==== The Sparkling Bridge ====
After taking Blackdome, Tarnum and his army reached the top of the world, where the air was thin, freezing, and the wind cut through the skin like a blade. This time he had to fight elementals to get to the Sparkling Bridge and the Fiery Moon.Four days later, Skizzik became the guide of the barbarian leader, but at the same time, he was delirious or had a bad memory, sometimes he saw resources and led the barbarians there, but he never saw these landmarks. All the wandering annoyed the barbarians, and Tarnum worried that Gruba might kill the familiar, so he kept him close. Five days later, Tarnum and his orcs passed by a grove to find signs of an ambush, but suddenly sprites started throwing them with snowballs, but when the barbarians were about to attack, they regretted what they had done and offered to help them find the Sparkling Bridge. Wiping the snow from his face and sulking, the barbarian leader accepted the help and gave them three thousand five hundred gold and twelve portions of precious stones in exchange for the help. The little creatures told him that the Sparkling Bridge is not a simple passage, but a magical portal through which anyone can get to any world in the universe, that's why it is guarded by the elementals and he can only get through it if he have an artifact, the Ring of the Wayfarer. After that, the little creatures flew away with their rewards. Four days later, Tarnum almost died, because the air elementals ambushed the barbarians and blinded them with the blowing snow, the barbarian leader suddenly felt terrible pain and weakness and he fell from his horse, and one of the elementals almost killed him, but Skizzik jumped on the elemental's back and bit him. Grumba saved the immortal hero in time, the elemental threw Skizzik off him, but with the arrival of reinforcements, the fight soon ended, and Tarnum was taken to the healer's tent, where he recovered. The healer did not find any serious injuries on Tarnum, who, on the other hand, knew where this terrible pain came from, namely from his scar, which had caused his death a long time ago, but he did not understand why the pain had reappeared after such a long time and, whether this can be related to the disappearance of the Ancestors.
Two days later, Skizzik walked into the barbarian leader's tent in shame, who wanted to thank him for saving him and knew that the little creature would have a hard time fitting in with the barbarians, but his bravery was a good start. Then the little creature pulled something out of its sharp teeth and was glad to be thought dead, then cheerfully accepted Tarnum's friendship. A week later, Tarnum tried to give good armor to the little being, who was too used to the heat of the demonic cities and territories, so he was cold and wearing nothing but a woolen loincloth and a very large helmet decorated with ram's horns. He already imagined himself a barbarian and his weapon was a small hatchet and he just laughed when the barbarian leader warned him to wear thicker clothes in this cold. This made the familiar think he was tough, and Tarnum thought that if he was so stupid that he wanted to freeze to death, he wouldn't stop him. After two days, Tarnum wanted to know how they could get to the Sparkling Bridge, but only two scouts brought valuable information. One said that the passage was in a valley surrounded by mountains so high that it was impossible to climb it. The other said that to the north, in the scorched earth, he had discovered an subterranean gate around which he had noticed too much activity, which would lead them to the bridge. Three days later, Skizzik was sniffing the ground as he searched between his fingers and licked them with his black tongue. The barbarian leader wondered what the strange creature was looking for, and he said he remembered that they would have to pass through gates and need keymasters to get through. Nine days later, fire elementals attacked the barbarians' supply wagons, and Skizzik felt he could finally prove that he, too, was a great warrior. He closed his eyes, started screaming and waving his axe, he even hit an orc in the knee, but the fire elementals were not scared by the strange and funny creature, one of them burned his weapon out of the familiar's hand, but then Tarnum protected him. After the fight was over, he immediately ordered his armorer to get Skizzik an axe that wouldn't break, because if he wanted to be a barbarian, he would also need proper weapons.
He then concentrated on the campaign, the elementals not being too much of an opponent as his time spent among wizards and experience and knowledge on the elemental planes was enough for him to win, but Skizzik was right. The advance was made more difficult by several gates, which they could only cross with the help of keymasters, but eventually they found the subterranean gate that really took them to the bridge. However, he needed the Ring of the Wayfarer, which was protected by a massive elemental army, and the victory and the artifact were obtained only at the cost of great losses. After that, however, Tarnum and his army crossed the The Sparkling Bridge and finally reached the Fiery Moon.
==== The Fiery Moon ====
Tarnum stepped down his bridge to a place that shocked him. The sky was the color of charcoal, there was a chaotic storm from which sometimes purple lightning came out and the Ancestors were also in this place. His horse was scared, and he felt the same and wondered who and why someone would live in such a dark, deserted, lonely place. The barbarians set out and hoped that the bridge would not disappear behind them and they could get back to their own world, but that day they found no one, no sign of life, and the earth was cracked and the storm was raging. They eventually found the ruins of an ancient town captured by gog and familiar renegades, but they were easily defeated and the barbarians finally had a stronghold. The next day Skizzik climbed a black rock and stared at the sky and said that this was his home a long time ago, even though Grumba mocked him and the little creature confronted him, even though the ogre was five times his size. Tarnum didn't want Grumba to crush the small creature, but the ogre showed unexpected behavior, he was surprised and pleased that the familiar dared to confront him and respected his bravery. He then wondered where the Ancestors might be, and after taking a few deep breaths, the small creature said that they were most likely being held by a demon, Xyron the Jailer. Tarnum also suspected that Vorr himself might be the one holding them captive, but he was a little surprised because he knew who it was. Xyron was not a demon, but an efreete, with whom he had fought several times in the Underworld and the Plane of Fire, and now this time he ancient enemy was Vorr’s minion. Three days later Tarnum, as usual, practiced his sword for an hour while everyone else slept, but this time his arms tired in half an hour and he was exhausted sooner. When he got to his tent he had collapsed for several hours, Grumba wondered if he was okay, and the barbarian leader said that everything was fine and gave the order to go, but in fact his joints were starting to hurt.
Four days later, Skizzik was supposed to gather firewood, but he disappeared, Tarnum and a small group searched for him until they heard him screaming. The little creature was in an underground, ancient burial place, when the barbarian leader went down, he saw half a dozen stone tables, on which were the skeletons and remains of old warriors. Then Skizzik said that there really was life in this world and people lived here, but the demons destroyed most of them, and the rest of them fled underground, but he did not participate in the killing because he arrived when there was no longer anywhere green wood and leaf, only fire and ash. Tarnum clenched his fists, he was sad and angry, because he felt that such brave people who fought against the demons in such a hopeless situation and did not give up their lives should not have died in such an unworthy place. He was worried that Vorr wanted to do the same to the world of Enroth and that these demons wanted to come through to destroy and kill there as well. He then raised his sword and swore to the dead warriors that he would not let the same thing happen again. Two days later, Grumba suggested that the fortress be better defended, as the ogre was nearly killed in a sudden enemy attack at the nearby monolith exit, and the barbarian leader knew he had to be careful not to get too far from his troops. Five days later, Skizzik told more about the place to Tarnum, who realized that the demons and Vorr are perfect allies, since both of them just want to destroy everything they can, and the barbarian leader wondered what kind of a beautiful world they destroyed long ago. Four days later, Tarnum could barely get out of bed, he was sick more and more often and his strength was waning, and he was really shocked when Skizzik addressed him. The little creature said he looked good, like a wise chief, and Tarnum took his axe and saw his own reflection. He had many wrinkles on his face and his long hair was completely gray. That's when Tarnum realized that he started to age very fast, that's why his joints hurt more and more and his energy was running out so fast and he was worried about how long he would age because of his immortality. Five days later, a spy reported that Xyron was behind a red gate that could only be accessed by a keymaster, and that the efreet was on the Fiery Fields, which Tarnum already knew well from the Plane of Fire. The fire plumes did not burn the person who stepped on them, they only tickle like a hot breeze, but at the same time, the fire elementals get stronger here. Ten days later, Tarnum was already in a very bad state. His hair was completely gray, his muscles were weak, he couldn't even climb on his horse without help, he looked like an old man of eighty years. He also thought about suicide, he thought it would be better than being ashamed in front of his barbarians, but Wern the shaman urged him to continue, otherwise not only the Ancestors but also the barbarians would be destroyed. The immortal hero sighed because he knew that the shaman was right and he couldn't pass his own punishment on others, but he doubted that he could defeat Xyron in such a state.
He then focused on his campaign and knew he had to hurry. The town of demons in the north was easily captured by the barbarians and after they were fully prepared and found the keymaster they clashed with Xyron. But before this, however, he found a hut, where it was remarkably smelly, and dozens of corpses of gogs, demons, and other monsters were hung from the tree. To his utter shock, an old woman with long white hair and a crooked smile stepped out. She said that she would share her knowledge with the barbarian leader in exchange for an artifact, the Recanter's Cloak. Tarnum has already obtained the artifact, and the woman says that a familiar stole it from her before, but now that she had it, she invited the immortal hero to drink a little black tea, and then the woman shared her knowledge with him, thus increasing his magical power and he was finally able to face Xyron. The efreet was well prepared for the battle, he had a large and strong army of demons and elementals, but Tarnum did the impossible and even in such a bad state, defeated the efreet a third time, who fled.
==== Vorr the Insane ====
Tarnum and the barbarians marched across the Fiery Moon to a barren and desolate place where the familiar had led them, but suddenly Vorr himself appeared before them The evil war god was had enough up with the continuous success of the barbarians and this time he wanted to make sure that he could cause lasting damage to them and therefore attacked the barbarian army alone, and Tarnum was completely shocked that his opponent had incredible magical power. Multiple fireballs and chain lightning used at the same time killed the barbarians one after the other, first Wern died among the important people, then Grumba, who was hit by a fireball so hot it could melt even steel. Tarnum was not injured, but the heat around him was so hot that most of his clothes and armor melted off him, it is likely that he did not die because of his immortality. Only he, his captains and a few warriors survived, most of the army was completely destroyed, and after that Vorr disappeared, but now the immortal hero really wanted to kill him. Two days later, Tarnum learned that his nearby castle was unharmed, but Skizzik also disappeared and it was thought that he might be among those who were so burned by Vorr's magic that he couldn't identify them, and the immortal hero couldn't wait to meet the evil god again and destroy him. Ever since he freed the Ancestors from Xyron's prison, his health returned, the immortal hero was energetic and strong again. Four days later, the Ancestors visited him in his tent, where they gave him the sap of the World Tree and apologized for not knowing Vorr was so powerful. The immortal hero looked at them with a sharp and suspicious look, then they told him that he had to find the Hut of the Magi, where he would find a treasure that could help his fight against Vorr, and then they disappeared with a suspicious look. Five days later, one of the Ancestors stood worried in the tent of Tarnum, who did not drink the sap of the World Tree, but wanted to practice with his sword instead, not caring that he would not even put on his armor. He felt that this would be enough against the war god, whom he definitely wanted to kill, and after that he stormed out of his tent and began his morning practice, and since it was already hot on the Fiery Moon, there was no need for clothes or armor.
The next day, Tarnum was visited in a dream by the Ancestors, who again brought him some of the sap of the World Tree, but he demanded that they throw it away and instead come to fight personally by his side. However, they said that they could not use their power against their brother and told the barbarian leader that he should not kill Vorr. However, he was understandably quite angry, as he wanted to destroy the world a second time, he killed a lot of people and among them were Tarnum's friends, and even he was not that evil as a barbarian tyrant. However, the Ancestors begged him not to do this, he can defeat him in battle, but he must not kill him, otherwise he will suffer immense suffering, instead he must drink the sap of the World Tree with him. The barbarian leader thought this was madness, but they reminded him that he was once like Vorr and the demons, he only wanted to destroy. Then Tarnum woke up and had the sap of the World Tree in his hand, but he still didn't want to drink it, but he thought that maybe now was the time to end his cycle of hatred, because he knew that the violence would never end, but he had to now let go. A week later, the barbarian leader could not believe his eyes when he saw that Skizzik was alive and leading a group to him. The little creature said that death would only make him stronger and that after the attack he chased Vorr, but couldn't find him anywhere, instead he found a green valley full of barbarians who hid from the demons but would support a strong leader. The immortal hero shook the small creature's hand, glad to see him and his discovery, but the familiar told him that they had to hurry, and the only way to get to the valley was through a green monolith, which was close to the enemy's territory. Skizzik's team consisted of forty-nine hobgoblins, twenty-seven wolf raiders, fourteen orc chieftains, and five ogre mages who marched into the castle to defend it. A week later, Skizzik practically became second-in-command among the barbarians and already commanded them, the immortal hero was happy that his little friend was by his side again, but he still couldn't find a solution to the sap of the World Tree and Vor. When the familiar only said to cut off his head, the immortal hero thought that his actions really had such a bad effect on his people, that they only see a solution in violence, hatred and destruction, but at the same time, the he still did not want to drink the sap of the World Tree, just wanted to stop Vorr and his demons.
Six days later, the evil war god visited the immortal hero in his dream and squeezed his neck so that his bones snapped. Vorr saw that his enemy was very strong and determined, so he tried to win him over to his side and offered to restore not only the wealth and role of his barbarian tyranny, but also his former power, when he was truly powerful. He knew and saw that the immortal hero could not deny his past and that deep inside he missed the destruction and the old days, but the barbarian leader saw that his enemy was not sure of his victory, so he rejected his offer and said that he would kill him. Vorr then laughed and said that if he dies, then the Ancestors and Tarnum and will perish, and then the barbarian leader wakes up gasping for air and realizes that what he wants to achieve is suicide. Four days later, in the morning, the Ancestors appeared in the tent, Tarnum still distrusting them, but he learned what he feared, that if he killed Vorr, he himself would perish forever. It was then that he realized why he grew old and weak so quickly when the Ancestors were in prison, and after they were freed, his health returned. In order for him to remain immortal and live, all three Ancestors must exist, that is, if only one of them perishes, then he too is finished. Then he nodded and felt that it was really time to let go of his past completely.
A week later, Tarnum had great luck as he learned that there were still humans living in these lands who had not given up hope and were fighting against the demons, and Skizzik also found a hidden cave full of treasure. The barbarians found six thousand four hundred and seventy gold, fifteen lots of wood, eleven lots of ore, four lots of mercury, seven lots of sulphur, five lots of crystal and four lots of gems. After that, Tarnum concentrated entirely on the campaign. Not far from the castle, they found a wooden hut, where there was an old female seer who said that she used to tame phoenixes and was willing to hand over one if her Speculum were returned to her. The artifact was guarded by sixty-six fire elementals northwest of the castle, but Tarnum defeated them and retrieved the Speculum, receiving the phoenix from the woman in return. However, she had said earlier that the barbarians would find a tower on their way, which a madman guard would only let them pass if he got a tamed phoenix. This happened anyway, in exchange for the bird, the man opened the gate of the tower and they were able to move on. After that, Tarnum had another stroke of luck, because he found the green valley that Skizzik spoke of, and after killing the hostile fire birds that threatened the barbarians, the inhabitants of the valley crossed over. What was really good news, however, was that there were several valleys and rebels who joined the barbarians also lived in them, so the army was already complete and they could start against Vorr. What was really good news, however, was that there were several valleys and where rebels lived who joined the barbarians against the demons and Vorr. After that, they fought the elemental minions of the evil god, whom they finally managed to defeat after several battles, and then crossed a sea and reached the territories of the demons. It was here that the final battle took place, where the forces of evil were led personally by Vorr and an old adversary of Tarnum, Rashka. A cruel, bloody and long battle ensued, but in the end the immortal hero defeated Rashka, and Vorr was seriously wounded, but not killed, but instead drank the sap of the World Tree. After that, the Ancestor wounds healed, he stood up and regained his will. When he realized what he had done and what he had become, he started to cry and regretted all his crimes, and Tarnum also cried with him, because he felt that there was actually a chance for his redemption and that he had also managed to overcome his dark side.
=== Clash of the Dragons ===
After defeating Vorr and his demonic and elemental minions, Tarnum was not tasked by the Ancestors for a long time. There were other threats to the world such as Alamar, Sandro, Xenofex, Lucifer Kreegan III and Xeron, but they were defeated by other heroes. However, another threat has emerged, namely the overlords of Nighon and their leader, Mutare Drake. Erathia was completely exhausted from the war against Eofol, so the Ancestors sent Tarnum to lead the elves of Avlee to save the world from the power-hungry evil dragon queen and her minions.
==== The Dragontalker ====
Tarnum had lived among the elves for about twenty years in their forests. He fights alongside them, they laugh together and he learns their ways. Her favorite season was the Spring Festival, when everyone was full of happiness and love of life. This happy period helped the immortal hero to forget his past. This year, however, the festival was overshadowed by the event that the green and gold dragons disappeared, thus breaking their promise to be present. He was also attacked, not far from a fortress where there was an ore pit. Seven centaurs unexpectedly attacked him, but the elven sharpshooters quickly finished them off. The next day he went to the only person he trusted. She was the famous fire witch, Adrienn, who stopped the resurrected Lord Haar, his cult, and necromancers from destroying the swamps of Tatalia and the native population. The two loved each other, but Tarnum unexpectedly put an end to their relationship, probably because she didn't understand that as an immortal hero, he always had a mission from the Ancestors. She was still a little angry that Tarnum had done this, but he needed her help. The immortal hero raised an orphaned boy named Waerjak, unaware that he was none other than the second child of Nicolas Gryphonheart and his second wife, Iduna, the brother of Lysander Gryphonheart and Gauldoth Half-Dead. The boy was hunting, and Tarnum asked the witch to take care of him while he help the elves find the dragons. Adrienne also loved Waerjak and said that of course she would take care of him, but she wondered how long he would be away and what she should say to the boy. Tarnum asked her to tell him whether it was a few weeks or several months, but to tell him that he loved him and that he would come back anyway. He then turned and walked away, telling himself that Waerjak would be safe, then prayed to the Ancestors to find the dragons as soon as possible.
Tarnum found a sawmill not far from his fortress guarded by nine centaur captains, but they were not hostile and offered to join him. They said that they have fought alongside dragons before and have a blood debt, so they will seek them out even if he reject them. The elven leader felt that it was impossible to say no to the centaurs sometimes, so he accepted their offer. The next day, Tarnum successfully convinced the Elven King of Avlee, Eldrich Parson, to search for the missing dragons. The king was advised to find the Dragontalker, who was an ancient elf woman and lived well among dragons, knowing them better than any mortal. However, after centuries it has become a bit withdrawn and finding it can be a problem. The elf leader found a grove not far from the fortress, at the entrance of which he was unexpectedly attacked by elf rogues, but the fight ended in a short time and the bandits lost. He reached a small grove where he met a group of adolescent centaurs who were wrestling with each other, and when they saw him, they invited him to join them. A man is at a great disadvantage to a centaur in size and strength, but Tarnum's countless years of skills were more than enough to win. He defeated them one by one, and the teenage centaurs rewarded him with a artifact, the Centaur Axe, for his bravery. In another part of the grove, he met stoic dwarves who invited him to a game of axe-throwing. A burly dwarf made the first throw, which hit above the bull's eye and unfortunately the axe handle blocked the target. With a screech, Tarnum threw his axe with all his might and cleaved the dwarf's axe and hit it dead center. The dwarves were shocked and presented him with an artifact, the Shield of the Dwarven Lords.
The next day, Tarnum reflected that while in AvLee's service, he had fought in the Forest Guard alongside a young Vori elf named Gelu. The young warrior was extremely talented in warfare as he invented an interesting bow that could only be used by the most experienced archers called sharpshooters. The elven leader decided that he would also train similar elite archers so that they could effectively fight against the enemy. Two days later, Tarnum talked to one of the elf captains about what kind of force could have kept the dragons from the festival. The captain believed that it was either difficult to imagine such a force or it was impossible for it to exist, which would imprison them. However, the elf leader also considered the other alternative to be unreasonable, since dragons never break their promises and for whatever reason they would have told the elf king and asked for forgiveness. The next day, Tarnum appointed a dwarf named Kurbon as master of supplies, who was very precise, making sure that nothing was ever missing. During the first conversation, the dwarf shook his head because he believed that the resources and supplies were too few, and he also suggested to the elf leader that they should use everything possible and get as much of each resources as possible. The next day, Tarnum thought. The elves were very willing to help him, which made him want to tell many of them to return home and wait. The dragons and elves formed a strong bond, and he realized why he had wanted to stay among these people for so long. In the past, he didn't feel at home in many places, and as an immortal, he only made friends who grew old and died before his eyes. Elves and dragons, on the other hand, lived a long time and the bond of friendship was unbreakable.
The next day, Tarnum learned that in order to meet the Dragontalker, he had to pass through a border guard, which was only possible with a Red Key Master. He hoped that the Dragontalker was still alive, because he thought that if something had happened to the dragons, then the old healer who lived among them would not be alive anymore. Two days later, Tarnum was approached by an old elf on the back of a powerful stag, but despite his age he is surprisingly agile. He was Aspen, who was a druid and his advisor. The elven leader didn't remember choosing an advisor, but Aspen said his people chose him because they wanted someone experienced and wise by their side. Then Tarnum started joking that he was modest and that he should know where they were going if he was the experienced and wise advisor, so they became friends immediately. Two days later they played chess and Apsen won. The immortal hero was a little nervous because he hadn't lost in chess in a long time, and the elf was a little arrogant, but he was sure that he would defeat him in a rematch. The advisor then said that he arranged for the centaur stables to have fresh centaur troops every week so he suggested that they visit these places from time to time. Two days later, Tarnum noticed a green dragon and thought his mission was over because they might have forgotten about the Spring Festival. He waved and shouted at the creature to get off, but it glared at him and prepared to attack. However, the elven leader and his men hid in a thick portion of the forest, where the creature could not attack or chase them, so it gave up and flew away. Tarnum, on the other hand, did not understand what made these once peaceful and good creatures so malicious and hostile as the ones he saw in the evening. Four days later, the supply master dwarf, Kurbon kept giving Tarnum advice on how to manage the money, not to drop it on the ground while riding and to visit a few places for extra income. The elf leader preferred to take the advice, only for the dwarf to shut up. Two days later, Tarnum received a mysterious report that an elven farm had been ransacked one night and all the animals had disappeared, but the farmer was unharmed as he was not at home at the time. He sent Aspen to find out what happened there. He returned from the farm five days later. He said that the whole farm had been destroyed and what was remotely accessible had been stolen, but he was sure that it was not a dragon who had done it, as he had found traces behind the scene and that the perpetrators were many and small in stature, but the advisor shaked his head because he had no idea what could have happened. Three days later two more farms were attacked, but this time the farmers were not so lucky and were killed. However, Tarnum observed that the raids were always at night and only in the northern direction, so since he could not be there everywhere, he called the attention of some of the elves who had previously wanted to join him to hold their bows and guard the other farms that fell in the northern territory from them.
Meanwhile, he found a Monolith Two Way guarded by a pack of War Unicorns. The animals don't pay attention to him, they even snort, stomp, taunt and foam at the mouth. Tarnum realizes that they were eating wild grass and thought that it was possible that someone had fed them this plant, since these animals do not eat such things on their own. However, he could not help the wild animals, so he attacked them with his army and after they were dead, he passed through the monolith. Here, after killing hostile dendroids, he also found the red key tent and the key master. After that, he was able to go further north, where he found a tower where there were renegade dwarves and one of them told them that if he wanted to enter the valley they were guarding, he would have to pay five thousand gold and fifteen portions of crystals. Tarnum saw no point in fighting them, so he paid them the toll, and the dwarves let him into a sacred valley with tombstones and unicorn glades. But as they entered the valley, troglodytes and infernal troglodytes suddenly emerged from the flowery fields and surrounded the elves. Seeing the small holes and their numbers, Tarnum realized that these creatures had destroyed the farms he had been told about. One sniffed the air and told him that they knew he was coming, then the tiny creatures charged, but the elves quickly killed them all. He then found a familiar artifact inside the valley, the Pendant of Total Recall then left the area and continued eastward with his army. A tower stood in their way, whose guards wanted to let Tarnum through, but the one who had the key slipped and hit his head the week before and doesn't remember where he hid the key. Then the elf leader used the power of the relic to make the guard regain his memory and find the key. The guard disappeared for a long time, but when the elves thought he had disappeared, the gates opened, and he announced with a sheepish grin that he would put the key under the doormat next time. After that, Tarnum and his companions finally found the Dragontalker’s hut, which had some green dragons in front of it. The creatures on the other hand were angry and aggressive, they started to tearing through the garden and were ready to destroy the hut and the Dragontalker, but Tarnum ordered his army to kill the dragons, even though he thought it was wrong to destroy such beautiful creatures, but they had no choice. After killing the creatures, he was finally able to speak with the Dragontalker, who said that the dragons spoke of the immortal hero with kindness and great respect, something few were given, thus earning him the title of their champion. She said the good dragons did not fly away voluntarily, but as if some invisible hand or power forced them and dragged these creatures with them that could not resist. He gave him twenty war unicorns to return safely to the king of the elves and told him he was acting on behalf of the dragons to save them, so he would provide any help to make the mission a success. She then made some tea, sat down and told him all about his enemy, the Dragon Queen of Nighon, Mutare Drake.
==== Dragon's Blood ====
The Dragontalker told Tarnum some disturbing things about what he was about to face. One morning, the good dragons rose from the ground with blank strates and flew in the direction of Nighon, the old woman tried to stop them, but in vain, the immortal hero was not surprised, because how could she stop a big dragon by herself. According to the Dragontalker, Mutare gained the ability to control the minds and wills of all dragons through her transformation, making her and Nighon a threat to the world. Tarnum was afraid that Mutare would be a bigger tyrant than him, so he had to stop her in addition to saving the good dragons. Two days later, he and Aspen were playing chess as usual and talking. The advisor said that moths ago, the elven king had sent a captain and a team to find the Vial of Dragon's Blood that had fallen into Nighon's hands and the king did not want the dragon queen to possess such an item, but the crew and captain have since disappeared, and no one has heard anything of them. Tarnum then gave Aspen a check, who in turn overcame the quick move with a single move and gave the immortal hero checkmate. He was annoyed by the elf's constant cheerful and smiling face and thought about breaking the board in two, but he always restrained himself, but promised that one day he would finally defeat him. The next day, the pegasuses also joined Tarnum's cause, and they were able to achieve considerable success with their aerial attacks, but Kurbon was annoyed that he had to feed even more mouths with the provisions. Three days later, Tarnum wanted to know more about the Vial of Dragon's Blood, what exactly it was. Aspen said that the vial supposedly contained the blood of First Dragon Dame, who was the creator of all dragons, but there was no proof of that. He also said that a single drop of it made a dragon even stronger and that the vial would never run out. Aspen believed that the artifact could strengthen the minds and bodies of good dragons, thus breaking Mutare's rule over them.
Four days later, the advisor handed Tarnum a map on which he saw something unpleasant. To the east of them was the land of the devils and the only way to its territory was protected by a Fire Gate and the garrison was extremely large and strong. The immortal hero knew it would take too much time for him to try to break through here, so he would have to use the ocean to bypass the enemy. He managed to find out that the devils had no port, so they could not expect an attack from the sea, but the elves did not know where they could land and what to expect when crossing. Tarnum personally checked the Fire Gate, the defenses were really too strong, it was built because of the decades-long war between Avlee and Nighon, but it was a bit strange that it was guarded by devils and demons. Three days later, Kurbon gives the immortal hero advice that he has heard from others before. Find a hero how guard the castle, gather resources in the area and check the windmill, mystical Garden, and water Wheel each week while he is there with the ship. Three days later, the dwarven guards brought a young elf to Tarnum and Aspen, with his arms behind his back and trying to slip past them. Aspen knew him and wanted to know what he knew, as he was one of the elven king's spies and was spying on the enemy in Nighon. He told him that the enemy was preparing a huge army, whose goal could only be an invasion, and Aspen ordered him to hurry to the king and deliver his report. According to the advisor, there was no doubt that Mutare could use the good dragons for her attack, but Tarnum stipulated that he would not allow this. Six days later, however, something unexpected happened. Tarnum was eating his morning meal when Aspen approached him worriedly. He said that he had to go because he had received a message from a messenger bird that one of their spies had been trapped behind enemy lines and that they had remarkable information about a plot against the elven king. The immortal hero wanted him to take some soldiers with him to protect him, but Aspen refused because he had to go alone, so there would be less chance of being noticed. Tarnum, on the other hand, was curious as to how he knew so much about the spies of the elf king, then Aspen smiled and admitted that he was a spy as well, then left. Aspen returned nine days later, but not in his usual mood. He was tired, thinner, and angry. He didn't speak until he cleaned himself, ate and drank some wine. He said that he was not successful, because the young spy was tortured to death and his body was tied to a tree as a message. Tarnum and Aspen were furious. The immortal hero because he believed that the young spy must have been brave and did not deserve this death, and the advisor because the information he gathered was now lost forever.
Then Tarnum and his army boarded the ship and began the crossing to the land of demons. Some of the ships, on the other hand, went too close to the shore, from which magogs hit a couple with fiery projectiles, which ignited the hulls and burned eight portions of wood and four portions of sulfur. The immortal hero saw an island to the south, but felt it best to explore it after defeating his enemy. The demon armies were led by a female demon, Calid, who did not take up the battle, but retreated to her fortress to defend it. Tarnum launched an attack and took the fortress without difficulty, but Calid fled. After that, nothing prevented him from exploring the small island to the south that he had seen earlier. Near the island, however, he was distracted by the proper navigation of the ship and one of his sailors shouted that harpies were attacking, but he was then killed. The immortal hero and his sharpshooters killed twenty-nine harpies and five hags before landing on the volcanic island. He was riding past the dead trees on the island when suddenly an elf jumped out, followed by more of his companions. They were very happy and told what happened to them. Several months ago an expedition arrived to the land of demons to find the Vial of Dragon's Blood, but Calid and the demons captured them and sent them to this island to torture them, but their captain, Valita, made efforts to save her men. They hoped she was dead, as she had been in prison for several months and the island was inhabited by pit fiends who were masters of torture. They then joined the immortal hero, who set off towards the south of the island where the prison was. A pit fiend came out and splitted a rock with his whip, and then the other monsters came out. The devilish creature warned the elves to run away from them or they too would end up in prison, but Tarnum already knew this kind of evil arrogance and launched an attack. Twenty-two pitfiends were killed in total, and Tarnum went to prison afterwards. The captain, Valita, was alive, after the immortal hero brought her out, they all left the island and returned to the land of demons, where they were no longer in serious danger.
He then headed to the northern part of the area, where he was suddenly shocked. One of his men shouted that it was a dragon, but he did not see one in the sky. He then notices the charred corpse of a green dragon, which he approach slowly and silently. The creature was seriously injured in several places, both wings were broken, most of its tail was missing. The immortal hero desperately wanted to run for a healer, but realized it was too late and was heartbroken that this beautiful creature had been killed so cruelly by something. Then it suddenly opened its eyes and with the last of its strength said that a golden dragon had done this to it because Mutare had forced them to fight each other so that she could enjoy the sight of them. He also said that the good dragons are afraid of her and feel how dark and great her power is, and that it is glad to die next to a friend, and then the dragon died. Tarnum's tears fell on the dead dragon's eyes as he was angry and promised that the evil dragon queen would make him pay for this. He then found a tower where the guards told him that they had trapped some archdevils, but they would only leave their place if they could meet their captain, Valita. They also thought she was dead, but when they saw her they immediately opened the gate, but then the archdevils launched a counterattack. After a cruel fight, the elves finally killed all fifteen and Tarnum finally found the Vial of Dragon's Blood.
==== The Dragon Mothers ====
Tarnum was a bit worried as he saw the situation getting more and more serious. After all the good dragons fought on Mutra's side, several elven communities on Avlee's outer borders rebelled against the elven king to side with the dragons. They didn't have a proper leader, however, they were an obstacle for Tarnum, so he had to deal with them in order to move on, but at the same time he had another plan. The immortal hero knew that if he wanted to stop Mutare, he had to get the good dragons back on the elves' side by all means. Several sources had mentioned to him that many golden dragons had been seen in the area and were likely hiding in nearby caves, but Aspen and the Dragontalker had already come up with a proper plan. Tarnum also knew that he would not be able to find all the good dragons in a short time, so he had to found the strongest creatures of their kind, the Gold Dragon Mothers. Dragontalker said that these creatures have a magical connection with the green and gold dragons, if they are healed, the other good dragons will be too. The next day he received word from his scouts that there was a anti-magic garrison to the south of his fortress, which was heavily defended, and which the elves, centaurs, and dwarves refused to leave. The immortal hero knew that a fight would be inevitable, but for now it was better to avoid them. Four days later, Valita, who had been rescued from prison, finished training the new sharpshooters, but Tarnum noticed that the once highly respected captain was quiet and only answered everyone with a few words. He knew it was due to several months of torture by the pit fiends, so he didn't want to give her more responsibility. Two days later, the immortal hero finally decided to allow Valita to lead some people, but he could see that her mental state was not exactly the best. He knew what she felt like, since he had been in the torturer's arms on both sides, and the hot poke that lasted for a week seemed like an eternal reality, so he guessed what kind of marks and wounds the months of torture had left in him. Two days later, he received more news, namely that there were still elves loyal to the elven king in a southern renegade town in this area, but he had to focus more on saving the dragons, so he tasked Valita with finding the town and recruiting a large and strong army.
She went south with her team, which was attacked by several ambushes, but the losses were minimal, and after that they found a tower, where the commander declared that he was only talking to Valita. When he saw the girl, he told her that they had tried to capture the town west of them, but they had not succeeded because the defenses had become too strong and since then the situation had only gotten worse, so the girl had to prepare thoroughly. Valita successfully captured the town and moved on. Three days later, after defeating Tarnum again in a game of chess, Aspen said that he had received a message from the elven king, saying that they would try to capture the rebellious renegade cities in addition to the mission. The elven leader felt that this would only delay their mission, but the advisor convinced him that the king was probably preparing for all-out war, as Nighon was stronger than Avlee, so they could buy time. Five days later, Kurbon managed to convince Tarnum, but not with his usual grumbling, but with actual arguments. He said that in these areas he can get a lot of gold, troops, and resources, which can make it much easier to find the dragons. Five days later, Tarnum received a report of Captain Valita's success, though she kept quiet about the ambush that killed some of her men. Secretly, the elven leader assigned one of his sharshooters to join her army and keep an eye on her so she wouldn't come to harm. As the spy left, Tarnum regretted his order because he thought it was mean, but it was too late. Six days later, the spy's report reveals nothing special, except that Valita's men are distant from the captain. They don't feel like she cares about them or even herself, but they respect her abilities, and in combat she goes wild and unleashes her emotions. Five days later, Aspen approached Tarnum early with his chessboard, but the immortal hero did not want to play now. The advisor, on the other hand, said that he only visits him so that they can talk, then he put the board between the two of them and while he started to slowly place the dolls, they talked. He usually made the first move and that was a sign that he was going to win, and then he said that he was worried about Valita, but Tarnum quickly replied that he was handling this and didn't want to talk about it anymore. Aspen nodded and they continued playing, although the immortal hero knew the elf would not let it go. Five days later, however, Tarnum got an unpleasant surprise, as Aspen gave him some bad news during dinner. He said that yesterday Valita and his men fell into an ambush and although they managed to get out, the spy sent by the immortal hero died. Tarnum stood up and clenched his fists, but not because of the spy's death, as this was war where it was inevitable that someone would die, but he was annoyed that Aspen knew about the spy and acted like he was caught doing something wrong. He asked how he knew that, and Aspen said that his leader might be immortal, but he was still a baby when it came to espionage and that he should have chosen someone outside of his army as a spy. He also said to remember that the enemy is not always fighting for one side or the other. When the elf leader asked the advisor what he meant by that, he didn't answer. Four days later, however, the barbarian burst forth from Tarnum again, as he grabbed Aspen's arm before he had a chance to mount up for the day's ride and said that he wanted to know what he meant by the enemy not only fighting for one side, otherwise he would leave him and find another adviser. After a week, the immortal hero decided to change his tactics and promoted Valita to his master of arms. He did this because that way she was always by his side and could keep an eye on her, since he had thought things through, he knew there was a chance that she was a spy and he knew that Aspen suspected her too, but he didn't want to tell him that yet.
After that, Tarnum concentrated on saving the dragons with all his strength and progressed very well. He captured the southern garrison and the towns, which had previously belonged to the rebels, and gained a lot of resources and troops. However, what he feared also happened, namely that the good dragons also started to cause problems. Southwest of the castle, he met an old female seer who told him that three golden dragons had destroyed the residents' farms, eaten their pigs, and killed all their warriors, and stated that she was willing to pay Tarnum eight thousand five hundred gold if he would help destroy the creatures. Tarnum didn't want to hurt these wonderful creatures at first, but he knew he couldn't stop the destruction just yet, so he accepted the offer and received the promised reward after killing the dragons, but he was not proud of what he had done.
But the enemy was not idle either, as a notorious warlock, Jeddite, launched an attack against the elves, but Tarnum defeated him, forcing him to retreat underground. After crossing a monolith two way, the elven leader discovered a subterranean gate guarded by medusa queens. Unfortunately, the elven leader was careless as he should have known that a cave like this would not be left unguarded, but he knew he was on the right track as it led to the good dragons new dwelling. The thirty-six monsters prepared for battle with their bows, but the elves were faster and killed them all, after which they went underground. At the entrance to the cave, they already saw that red dragons killed a green dragon and Tarnum knew that he could no longer save the creature, but he could lead its revenge, so he launched an attack and killed the four killers of the dragon. After that, when he went deeper, he knew that these were already belong the tunnels of Nighon and the enemy's territory. Deep underground, he found the enemy's castle, where he fought again against Jeddite, whom he defeated again, and after capturing the castle, he went on to the western tunnels. Here he captured another castle, and not far from it he found a separate cave, where he found the Gold Dragon Mothers chained and guarded by red and black dragons. A little closer than them, he saw the green dragons and their dwellings, but he knew that he had to kill the evil dragons first to achieve his goal. The dozens of evil dragons were unpleasant opponents for Tarnum, but he eventually defeated them all. Then he took out the Vial of Dragon's Blood and put a few drops on the heads of each of the dragons, and one by one they opened their eyes, rose to their full majestic height, and Mutare's charm passed from them forever. The mission succeeds, after rescuing the mothers, the good dragons joined Tarnum and the elves.
==== Dragons of Rust ====
Tarnum achieved great success by freeing the good dragons and bringing them to his side, but he also received bad news. At the same time as his mission, Mutare successfully brought the infamous rust dragons to her side, and the balance of power between her and the known world immediately shifted. Tarnum and his companions heard only myths and stories about these creatures, as hardly anyone survived the fight against them, they were wild and unpredictable, and even the good dragons believed that they were completely extinct. These monsters were stronger than most known dragons, and they spat not fire but acid at their enemies, with which they fought perhaps even more effectively. Another bad news was that Mutare knew about Tarnum and his mission, but according to Aspen, one more confirmed the suspicion that there was a spy among them who was giving information to the enemy. The next day, more bad news arrived, as one of Mutare's overlords was preparing to invade the area with rust dragons, where Tarnum was gathering his army. Three days later, Tarnum and Valita were riding together, but he was very quiet, not saying more than three words, even though the elven leader wanted to talk to him. The next day, Aspen was sipping tea and minding his own business, so he wasn't playing chess with Tarnum, who didn't want to talk to him right now. However, the old elf noted that the elven leader's attention was attracted by the fair captain Valita and Tarnum then saw that there was no one around them, so answered. He said that was not true, but admitted that he wanted a wise counselor, not such an arrogant one. Aspen laughed at the insult and said that it was not arrogance, but confidence, which was also very important in the elven leader and the advisor was sure that he had already won so many times that the possibility of defeat did not even occur to him. Tarnum rolled his eyes and immediately moved away from his advisor, but he knew he was right and remembered his words later. As a barbarian tyrant, he had once made the mistake of being undefeated for too long and unable to lose a battle until a sword in his belly taught him a lesson. It was then that he realized that he almost made this mistake again because he didn't consider that he might lose to Mutare and all the dragons in the world would be on her side.
Six days later, Tarnum and his team stopped to water their horses, at which point he took the opportunity to stretch his muscles and start running. However, as he sped past the wagons carrying the supplies, he suddenly saw that Valita was talking to Kurbon, the dwarf ho was the Master of Supplies, and they were quite friendly, but the girl spoke to him only a little. The elf leader was very surprised, as he had known the dwarf for some time, whom he thought was always grumpy and strict with everyone, but now he was joking with Valita and was calm. Two days later, Tarnum invited Kurbon to his tent, who was very tired after the long day. The elf leader promised that the conversation wouldn't last long, and the dwarf stated with his usual grumpiness that he hoped it wouldn't take long, as he wanted to be active until he retired and didn't have the luxury of not doing something. Tarnum wondered how the dwarf knew Valita and what he thought of her, but then his face became suspicious and he didn't really want to give a full answer. He replied that he was there, he was a good ranger and he didn't have to worry about anything else. Tarnum could see that the dwarf's behavior was suspicious, but he knew that this conversation had not gone as planned, so they ended it, but he could see that she was apparently loyal to the woman. Six days later, shortly after the elf leader had set up camp, Aspen approached him and gave him some rather interesting but bad news. The elven king suffered a great loss, because during an ambush, three hundred elves were killed by red, black and rust dragons, who were also sharpshooters, the most elite units of the elves and experts in camouflage, yet the dragon knew exactly where they were. Apsen was convinced that it must have been due to a spy, as the attack was too well planned and accurate information could have been in Nighon's possession. The elf leader believed his advisor was right, but they had no proof, although they had an idea, but Tarnum refused to talk about her. Five days later, Tarnum had an idea about how to learn more from Kurbon. When the army stopped at mid-day to fill the food stores, Tarnum walked back to the supply car, where Kurbon and the other workers were loading sacks of grain into the wagons. The elf leader enjoyed the work because he could move his muscles again, and after an hour his whole back was sweaty. One of the workers handed him a small keg containing ale, but the elf leader gave the keg to Kurbon to take the first drink, as he said he was the master of the supplies and the elf leader was as much a worker as the others. The dwarf took a big swig, then handed the keg to Tarnum and by the time they had all drunk the beer, all of them sweat completely dried. Before going back, the elf leader told the dwarf that he enjoyed the work and to invite him again next time, and Kurbon told him not to think that he would not invite him. Three days later they worked together again, and after work they sat in the cool shade and drank beer. He said that he genuinely likes to move, work and sweat, and that he is immortal and has been doing this for a very long time, although he thinks that eternal life is more of a curse than a blessing. Kurbon genuinely wondered how he, a human, became immortal, but Tarnum couldn't bring himself to tell his story, and after a long silence, the dwarf realized he wasn't going to get an answer. The dwarf took one last drink and said that hard work was good for the soul, but Tarnum jokingly remarked that beer was even better.
Three days later, when Tarnum was practicing with his sword, Kurbon came up to him, waited until he finished practicing, handed him a cup of beer, and bluntly asked him why he was interested in Valita. The elven leader asked if the dwarf would tell him what he wanted to know, to which he said yes, and Tarnum asked how they knew each other. Kurbon told him that he had trained her when he was in the Forest Guard and that she was his best student that he didn't have to worry about because she was loyal and listened too much to Aspen's suspicions. The elf leader agreed with him, because he tried to listen to the advisor as little as possible, but the dwarf then said that he would not trust him with his map or his things, and when Tarnum asked why he told him that, he shrugged. He advised Tarnum to try to talk to Valita in person, and the elven leader felt as if he had been scolded because Kurbon was right and he should have tried to talk to the girl more in person. Three days later, Aspen returned from a mysterious scouting mission, but the elf leader knew something was very wrong as the advisor's arm was in a sling and he returned with only a few men. Aspen said that they were ambushed and that Tarnum must have already known that, but he didn't know anything and his hand was only inches away from his sword, but he realized what he was doing and he knew that he was no longer the same person that he wants to solve every problem with a blade. The advisor saw that the other soldiers were watching them, so he and the elf leader went to a place where no one was watching them and he could have killed the elf, but that was not among his goals. Aspen said that they were always careful and hidden in good places, but the enemy knew exactly where they were and now it was quite certain that these failures were due to a spy. Tarnum asked if she suspected him, but in a tone that was a warning to Aspen, who in turn asked him if he was suspicious of not allowing him to investigate this matter. The elf leader thought that his advisor wanted a witch hunt and if he didn't allow it, he would immediately become suspicious, then stepped back from him, took a deep breath to calm down and had to face the truth. Aspen is just doing his job, but now that he's injured, and there have been too many successful and well-planned ambushes. The elven leader then gave him permission to find the spy, but stipulated that he would only present irrefutable evidence, and that he would dismiss the slightest charge. Aspen nodded, but for some reason Tarnum felt a tension in his stomach and felt that he had made a fatal mistake.
However, he decided to focus on the current campaign and with enough soldiers and dragons to start against the overlord. First, he wanted to rid the green dragon cliffs not far from him of the evil dragons. On the mountain closer to him, red dragons tortured young green dragons and breathed fire on them, but Tarnum killed the sadistic monsters and the young creatures joined him. At the other mountain there were black dragons that had also trapped a group of young green dragons, but Tarnum saw the bones of a brave dragon, which led him to believe that the black dragons had cannibalized it. After finally killing them, he also freed these young dragons who joined him. However, before he could continue towards the last cliff, they were attacked by gogs and magogs, but the ambush was unsuccessful. A total of fifty-six Gogs and twelve Magogs were killed. After that, there was only one cliff left, but near the area, Tarnum and his soldiers suddenly began to smell a foul smell. One of the soldiers thought it was a rotten egg, but the elf leader disagreed, smelling something completely different. He moved forward cautiously when he saw some reddish brown dragons, larger than any, loungebefore the front of the cave as Tarnum observed the trees and stones around them scarred and the plant life is dead. Suddenly one of them noticed and spat reeking acid on a rock. The elven leader knew that these were the infamous rust dragons and ordered an immediate attack. However, these dragons were much stronger than the others, and their acid breath was worse than fire, but in the end they were defeated after a hard fight and losses. He then reached a beach not far away, where he found a large number of harpies and harpy hags. Some were fishing the dark water, others were plucking flowers from the nearby flowerbeds, as it offended their beauty, but what was important was that he saw a pendant around one of the harpies neck, which was nothing more than a artifact. Tarnum and the elves were easily killed the harpies and took the artifact, which was none other than the Pendant of Dispassion. They then arrived at the border where there were two towers. At the door of the first came a middle-aged cleric who was rather derisive with Tarnum for wanting to cross the border, then declared that he had lost his artifact and slammed the door on him. The elven leader was confused and angry at the same time, but then he knocked again, the cleric turns his eyes to the sky that he can't get rid of this idiot, but then Tarnum dangled the Pendant of Dispassion in front of his eyes with grinning, and after that the cleric stopped mockery and opened the tower to the army. The second tower was guarded by much more normal and kind people, but they warned Tarnum that the enemy was on the other side, they had heard of rust dragons and that he was sure he wanted to cross the border. Tarnum said yes, so they opened the second tower as well. At that time, however, the invasion of the enemy, led by the overlord Deemer and indeed had rust dragons, began unexpectedly. Initially, the enemy was doing well and looked like they would win, but Tarnum realized that the rust dragons were not resistant or immune to magic, so he was able to kill them with his magical powers, and the elves successfully fought off the fores of Nighon. Deemer was not an easy opponent and caused serious losses, but in the end he was defeated and retreated, and his castle was captured by Tarnum. The invasion was stopped here.
==== Distrust ====
Tarnum was able to turn his attention to the attacked territory of Erathia, from where he received word that a knight named Sorsha had fallen into a trap and she was willing to join forces with the army of elves. However, the forces of evil created a chaotic situation as the invasion forces continued their attack against Erathia, the independent border towns were not informed of the situation, so everyone was seen as an enemy in their eyes. Tarnum was faced with a difficult decision, as he did not want unnecessary bloodshed or war, but he was concerned that if he did not attack first, Mutare's minions would capture the cities. He didn't feel good about having to fight against people who were only defending their home, but he believed that this way he could prevent further conquests by the forces of evil. Four days later, the elven leader had to face another unpleasant problem. Apsen had not spoken to Tarnum as he had been injured in an ambush, so was preoccupied with his own health and business, but a young assistant brought him news. He said that Mutare had started to use crystal dragons more and more often, about which little was known. All his assistant knew about them was that these strange creatures were not really dragons, but rather golems, which were not mechanical machines, but magical creatures created from dragon bone and red crystal. They were very powerful and dangerous monsters, but unlike dragons they couldn't fly or breathe fire, they were typical very heavy infantry, but Aspen asked his assistant to warn the elven leader not to underestimate them because these creatures could easily defeat even a golden dragon. Four days later, in the morning, Valita's horse stumbled and it threw her to the ground, Tarnum then jumped off his steed and grabbed the reins of the horse, which favored one of its legs. The girl was not hurt, but she felt ashamed and thought it was a good lesson for her carelessness while dreaming, and the elf leader wondered what she was dreaming about as he pulled a sharp stone from the horse's hoof. The animal was not seriously injured, Valita patted its muscular neck, and then thanked his leader for the help, who insisted on calling him by his name. Three days later, Tarnum watched Valita as she did not mount her horse, but came on foot and led her horse, and he had seen her fight before with her sword, so it was strange to him that she had been so gentle lately and that he believed that Aspen was wrong and that she was not the traitor.
Six days later, Tarnum brought Valita her evening stew, seeing that she was almost always the last to eat, and he declared that no soldier in his army should go hungry and eat as much as she pleased. She smiled, sat down on the ground and, like the other rangers, took a spoon from her boot and thanked her leader for the food, who asked her a little too firmly to call him by his real name. However, he felt it was time for them to finally talk, because he was already tired of the continuous silence. He said that he expected respect and loyalty from his captains, but she was too aloof, perhaps arrogant, and that she thought she was better than the others. Valita was honestly surprised because she never claimed that and always fought alongside her men, but the elf leader told her that it wasn't enough since she was an officer, meaning she had to lead her men, but there was an additional problem that some of her former men not really loyal to her, so he wanted to know what the problem was. The girl didn't answer, she promised that she would try to do things better this time and that she would pay attention, but the elf leader wondered if she was telling the truth or if she just wanted to be alone again as soon as possible.Six days later, Tarnum developed a new habit that he liked better than the constant defeat at chess by Aspen, namely doing manual labor once a week with Kurbon's troops, who was a tough and strict boss but treated his men well and hard work was rewarded with good quality food and beer. It was then that the immortal hero realized that experienced soldiers leave the battlefields for these pleasures and work instead. In the evening after the work, he and Kurbon drank beer together, and the dwarf asked him not to kick Valita out, sometimes too aggressively, and Tarnum told him firmly that he would not do such a thing, while the dwarf drank and muttered softly that he was doing it right. Two days later, after the army had finished marching and rested, Tarnum grabbed Kurbon and wondered why he had been so aggressive during their previous conversation. The dwarf knew he had made a mistake but said he was worried about the girl who was trying and will do better the things but he had to trust her and practically begged to the elf leader. He wanted to believe him when he told him that her leading skills weren't very good lately and that he really hoped that she would be more successful in the future. A week later Tarnum got an unpleasant surprise. When he came out of his tent, he found an arrow in front of it, and on it was a letter written by Valita. The girl described that she is resigning from her position and leaving the army, she also feels that she is not the same anymore and is only hindering the mission and her people, but at the same time she will hunt down Mutare's minions. Tarnum crumpled the letter and was disappointed, he didn't know if he had hurt her or if Aspen had put too much pressure on her, but he knew he had lost a valuable captain, which was a great loss. Three days later, Kurbon was always frowning at the elven leader, who now no longer joined his men at work. He blamed her for leaving, and Tarnum felt both guilt and justice. He felt that it was necessary to confront the girl with her mistakes, since her people could also die because of it, but it bothered him that she did not trust him and that she preferred to be alone again.
A week later, Aspen played chess against a centaur captain and of course he won, and after the game ended he played against Tarnum. He wanted to know if they had found Valita yet, but Apsen told him honestly that nothing had been found yet. The elf leader was upset and told his advisor that he wanted to be the first to know if he was found and that he wanted to be the first to talk to him as he nearly crushed his chess piece. The advisor smiled and after an hour of play, Tarnum, as always, lost. A week later, Tarnum is riding with his soldiers and they stop for lunch when Aspen asks him if he still believes that Valita is not a traitor. The elf leader was firmly convinced that the girl was innocent, while the advisor believed that this trust was more of a infatuation, but then Tarnum indicated with a sharp look that he would either leave or give useful information, Aspen then said that they had found him not far south, where he ambushed Mutare's troops. Then the elven leader ordered his soldiers to stay where they were, and he mounted his horse and set off alone towards the south. Finally they found each other, Valita was about to shoot at the top of a tree, but saw that the stranger was none other than Tarnum and wondered what he was doing here. He told her that he needed her against the very strong enemy, that his captains were indispensable in the battles, and that he knew very well what it was like to make mistakes, but they would solve the problems, and to call him by his name. Valita smiled and decided to return to her people and leader, so she climbed down from the tree and together they returned to the forces of the elven leader. Five days later they were just talking, sitting at a table and drinking wine while talking. Tarnum told her that he didn't mean to hurt her with his honesty, but he wanted to help her and it wouldn't work until she opened up and started talking. He also told her to pour the wine in his face if she had to, but he was experienced enough to help her. At that time, Valita was still quiet and drank a little wine, then slowly, but finally, she opened up and said that shame was the reason for her behavior. At first, the elf leader thought that the pale, tearful girl would confess that she really was Mutare's spy and Aspen was right, his stomach clenched, because he realized that she still had her weapons, and he was unarmed. But Valita didn't attack him, but told him that she was acting like that because she felt she had betrayed her own people while she was locked in the devils' prison. The monsters tortured her with hot spikes and whips for three months, and after a while she broke down and told her captors everything and felt that her soldiers had died because of her and that she had betrayed them. Then she was curious about Tarnum's reaction and as if she saw hatred in his eyes, he leaned back and said that after all this torture and prison, it's only natural that someone breaks and that it's not her fault. He told her that he knows very well what shame is like and that he lives with it every day and that the girl must understand that she will not get rid of those demons until she forgives herself. Three days later, Tarnum removed Valita from the position of captain and appointed her as an advisor so that she could calm down and make good decisions. Now he was completely convinced that she wasn't the traitor, but Aspen wasn't, because he thought it was just more proof that she was passing on information to the enemy and that devils are capable of forcing people into evil ways. However, the advisor could not provide irrefutable proof, so Tarnum continued to trust her, but he believed that now was the time to fully concentrate on his campaign.
Tarnum found a hut south of his castle where a hermit invited him to lunch and offered to give him eleven golden dragons in exchange for twenty-five battle unicorns. The elven leader believed that against the new kind of evil dragons it was important to have as strong an army as possible, so he accepted the offer and the trade took place. In the east he met twenty-one battle dwarves who told him that their companions had been killed by black dragons and that he should be careful because the area they were going to was dangerous. After that, it was necessary to fight several times against crystal dragons, which were very strong and dangerous opponents, hostile angels, evil dragons and the people how protecting the area. However, he found a hut where, in exchange for forty crystals, an old wizard gave him two crystal dragons, so they could begin to study the creature's strengths and weaknesses more thoroughly. The elves then managed to free Sorsha and her army, who went west to a hut, where a young squire was waiting for her and handed her an aritfact, the Breastplate of Brimstone. Then the combined armies of Erathia and Avlee attacked and fought against the forces of Mutare, who were again led by Deemer and the combined rust and crystal dragons were formidable opponents, and several demons fought on their side, but in the end the forces of evil were defeated again, Deemer retreated. The enemy suffered heavy losses as many crystal dragons were destroyed, which were expensive to produce, but it was not enough to defeat Mutare. 
==== Dragons of Gossamer Wings ====
The King of the Elves and Tarnum realized that Mutare's power was too great and growing closer to be a real threat to the entire world. The Kingdom of Erathia fought on their side, but the military was not enough against the over-strengthened evil alliance, moreover, the army and economy were not fully rebuilt from the previous war against Eofol, so a new ally was needed in every way, so the king therefore ordered Tarnum to leave the front line and try to enlist the help of the infamous faerie dragons. The king has already met these dragons and although they live alone in forests, they are actually very close to the elves and if they side with the forces of good, the balance of power can improve significantly. At the same time, Tarnum was worried because, while he trusted the plan, he felt that his absence would allow Mutare's forces to gradually push into Erathia's territory. Four days later, Aspen reported that there were six dwellings for faerie dragons in the south, but he could not tell the exact location as several of his scouts had disappeared. Mutare's forces were also in the area, but the elves did not know her purpose, either she wanted to get the dragons for herself, or she wanted to stop the formation of the alliance.
Six days later, Tarnum was at a strategy meeting with his captains, where Valita was in the background, and after they were the only two left, they drank a wine, and she thanked him, now calling him by name, that he understood what she was feeling and that he trusted her. The immortal hero knew very well that everyone makes mistakes and what matters is how much and how someone wants to correct them. Before the girl left the tent, she told the elf leader that she saw Aspen playing chess and that he has hundreds of years of experience, which is why he is so professional, while Tarnum plays too aggressively and focuses on defeating his opponent instead of himself in case of defeat. After the girl left, he thought about her words and decided to take her advice. Six days later, Tarnum challenged Aspen to a game and although he lost again, he was very close to defeating him, playing much better after changing his tactics and playing style. Impatience was the reason for the defeat, but Aspen praised Tarnum for enjoying the game and was a little surprised that he almost lost, and the elf leader was grateful to Valita for her advice to give him success. A week later, this time Tarnum wanted to play a party against Valita, which she happily accepted, but during the conversation, she wanted to know what the elf leader was so ashamed of. The immortal hero didn't really want to tell everything, but he did say that he had killed many people, including innocents and those who shouldn't have, such as one of his sisters, and that he thought only he could be right. She wondered how he could live with his actions, and he said that he was confident that one day he would be able to make things right. Then Valita sat in silence for a while, then stood up and put her hand on Tarnum's shoulder, which was very good for him, because he realized that finally there was someone who could really understand him and didn't want her to leave, but she finally left the tent. Then he looked at the board and noticed that she was beating him with a checkmate.
Four days later, Aspen entered the camp with a harpy held by the scout and told the elf leader that he finally had actual proof. He had a letter with some strange code on it, and he slapped the harpy in the face, who said her task was to have the paper on an arrow shot into a tree, which she used to take to her master. The creature then said that the arrow that the papers used to be on was an elven arrow with black and green quills. Tarnum clenched his fists because he knew that Valita used such arrows, so he ordered the scouts to take the harpy to his tent, because he would interrogate her personally, and he ordered Aspen to break the code and find out what it meant the message. Two days later, Tarnum could not get any other useful information from the harpy, so he spoke to Kurbon, the only person other than himself who was certain that Valita was not a spy. When the green and black feathered arrows were mentioned, Kurbon already began to guess what it was about and that Aspen thought he finally knew who the spy was. Tarnum, on the other hand, didn't say anything more to the dwarf, because he said too much anyway, but when he noticed the chessboard in his tent, something came to his mind. He arranged a match against Aspen, but he didn't feel like playing, then he started thinking about the strategies that Valita and Aspen taught him, and then the immortal hero realized that in this whole spy game he missed certain details and didn't take everything into account. Eight days later, he called Valita to himself and showed him two papers. One was the code, and the other was the solution, as Aspen managed to break it, which contained the strengths and weaknesses of the elven leader’s army. The girl thought Tarnum wanted to say that she was the spy, but then he kissed the girl, who did not pull back, but kissed him back. He said that he wouldn't kiss a spy and that he wasn't paying attention when he should have. He then kissed her again.
Four days later, Aspen rode into the camp with his hands held high and went to Tarnum, who told him that he finally had proof that no one could deny and that he had found the spy. He said that he knew the code by heart, but its essence was several notes written on the paper, which were not messages, but lines written to Valita, which means that the spy also wrote about her. When Tarnum asked who the spy was and Aspen was about to tell him, suddenly an arrow went through the elf leader's shoulder and hit the advisor in the chest, who collapsed but Valita caught him in time. Tarnum ordered that the assassin be found, but Valita wept and begin to crying, for she would not believe that the spy and traitor was none other than Kurbon, the Dwarf who was in charge the supply of the army of the elves. The next day, a dirty soldier reported that the traitor had escaped in a tunnel. The elf leader had a hard time believing that the dwarf he liked had done this and that he was the traitor, but unfortunately the facts were logical. As the main leader in charge of supplies, he had to know about all military operations, since supplies also went where the troops went, that is, he knew things earlier than Tarnum, and he also gave Valita the green and black quills for the arrows. It also turned out that he was an experienced marksman and that he taught the girl to shoot and that he learned information from the girl, which he used or handed over to the enemy. Aspen's downfall came from his arrogance, because he not shared the breaked code with anyone, and Kurbon knew he had to kill him before he left the camp to leave no trace behind and erase his secrets. He successfully escaped and Aspen was dying.
Tarnum then concentrated on the campaign. Near his castle, he killed a group of medusa queens who wanted to steal gold from thirty-two war dwarves, so in return the dwarves joined the army of the elves. After he killed several black dragon, using a magical passageway, he descended underground, where he fought his opponent, a troglodyte overlord named Damacon, whose army consisted of evil, rust and crystal dragons, and it was now clear that the remaining demons of the destroyed kingdom of Eofol were fighting on Mutare's side. The enemy had the upper hand, but in the end Tarnum managed to win the fight and capture the evildoers' two castles, then found the passage that led him to the forest of faerie dragons. Here he had to fight the sharpshooter how protecting the dragons and refused to negotiate, then the dragons, but in the end the immortal hero successfully captured their dwelling and was able to come to an agreement with them.
==== Dragons of Deepest Blue ====
With the new ally, Tarnum finally felt it was time to attack, but he didn't know that his enemy had gained another ally and this time creatures against whom there was little chance of victory. While Tarnum was away, Mutare had successfully fought against Avlee and Erathia and captured a lot of territory, so it was time for a serious counterattack. The target of the attack was an area by the sea, where the dragon queen had four castles and her minions aimed to control the elves living there. Meanwhile, the king of the elves continued to fight against Mutare's forces to hold them off until Tarnum defeated her. The next day, Tarnum received some pretty bad news from the elven king. Joining Mutare's side were the infamous and legendary azure dragons, and these dragons among the most powerful creatures in the known world. The enemy now actually had the dragons as the main backbone of the army, but at the same time the dragon queen spread her forces too far, as she had to fight on three fronts at once and this mistake proved fatal. Five days later, Tarnum entered the healer’s tent to visit Aspen, who was pale but still alive. The advisor commended him for revealing Kurbon's secret through not-so-pure means, namely that the elven leader had written the letter addressed to the spy, and that he had let him believe that Valita was the spy and that he was using him as a pawn. Tarnum didn't use him as a pawn, but he did the rest, and he was ashamed that he had once again strayed into the path of the barbarian tyrant, this time using the methods of a spy. At that point, Aspen declared that he would not play chess with him again, because a defeat would harm his reputation, because he saw that Tarnum finally understood the operation and system of espionage and other strategies, so he could defeat the elf's advisor. He also knew that he never liked him, but that didn't bother him at all, because he got respect from him and told the elf leader that he liked him and thought he was a good person. After the visit, Aspen walked out of the tent with the last of his strength and watched the sun slowly set over the treetops, then died peacefully. Four days later, Tarnum met Valita, who had been in the wilderness for two weeks looking for Kurbon. Elves were different from humans, they expressed their emotions openly even in dark times and celebrated freely even during war. Valita hugged the elf leader, who frowned when she learned that Aspen was dead. She said that she didn't find Kurbon as he went through the tunnels to the territory of Nighon, but she was pretty sure he was serving Mutare. In Tarnum, there was a strong hatred towards Kurbon for betraying him, killing his friend and having plans with Valita, so killing him was his second main goal after stopping Mutare. After a long look, Valita hugged him again.
Eight days later, some red dragons attacked the supply lines, and the loss was one thousand two hundred and eighty gold, fourteen lots of wood, and twelve lots of ore. The elf leader was annoyed by this attack, because Aspen noticed such ambushes immediately and thus the supply was not harmed, but Tarnum already began to feel that he had lost an important person. Four days later there was another attack, some azure dragons attacked an elven village, killing many of its inhabitants. The elven leader realized that Mutare's goal was not simply to conquer, but to make her enemies suffer, so further destruction had to be stopped, but it was not easy. The azure dragons took over the faerie dragons' dwellings, and they alone were not strong enough against the legendary monsters. Four days later, there were two more attacks on farms and villages, and the elven soldiers were getting angry that they could do nothing about the invaders who were terrorizing the civilian population. Valita even came up with a plan, noticing that the attacks were made by groups of only a few dragons, which could be easily destroyed by the combined power of the golden dragons and sharpshooters. However, Tarnum refused this, not wanting to divide his forces and knowing that they would have to destroy too many of these smaller groups while the main enemy forces would attack them.
A week later, Tarnum felt that he could take it no longer and begged the Ancestors to finally let him go. He said that he learned his lesson, suffered for his sins and understood everything, but the punishment hurt him too much and he didn't want to cause more pain to himself and others. However, the Ancestors did not answer him, which might as well have been their answer. Four days later, there were more dragon attacks on the villages of Avlee, Valita and some elves decided to take matters into their own hands and left the camp. Tarnum didn't want to go after them, he felt that loneliness would calm the girl down, he defeat Mutare faster and maybe find someone with whom she could forget about him. After that, he concentrated on the campaign, but the azure dragons caused him serious losses and only managed to defeat them after hard fights. He then met a faerie dragon who told him that they didn't like the azure dragons anyway and after that they would actually fight on the side of the elves. After that, the elves, faerie dragons and humans tried to gather as strong an army as possible to launch a counterattack against the overlords of Mutare. However, the elf leader and his soldiers noticed something interesting. The dragons formed their own independent unit internally and operated as a separate army in Nighon. The armies were led by an azure dragon, and its members were rust, crystal, red, and black dragons. These separate dragon armies could attack faster and more effectively, but their loss was a greater and more serious. Eventually, the combined elf, human and faerie dragon army launched a counterattack against the evil forces led by Gunnar, Lorelei, and a notorious warlock, Jeddite, but Tarnum was ultimately victorious. Mutare's forces lost many dragons, many soldiers and four castles, and the invasion failed miserably here.
==== Clash of the Dragons ====
Due to Tarnum's successes, Mutare retreated, as the balance of power changed, and the elven king was able to strengthen his troops and Erathia was also able to regain its lost territories. However, the dragon queen is determined not to let the immortal hero capture her territories and will therefore kill him personally.
Tarnum observed that Mutare wanted to conquer too quickly and too much, and divided her forces, leaving her vulnerable. The immortal hero pushed her back all the way to the sea, and her remaining forces can be easily defeated by the troops of Avlee and Erathia, but this time the dragon queen will march against him and there is not only sea, but also desert ground between them. Three days later, Tarnum received a letter from the Dragontalker, who wrote that it was possible to assemble a very powerful artifact, the Power of the Dragonfather, from several other artifacts, and such an artifact would greatly facilitate the fight against Mutare, but unfortunately, some of these artifacts were in the territories of the enemy. Six days later, Tarnum was still thinking about Valita, whom he was worried about and that there was less and less happiness around him, but he was happy and satisfied when he heard reports that she had successfully defended Avlee from dragon attacks. Three days later, another letter arrived from Dranotalker, in which she writes that she has spoken with the people who own the artifacts and that although they will ask for some kind of deal in exchange for the artifacts, they will only deal with Tarnum, meaning that Mutare cannot obtain these treasures. Five days later, an elven scout feverishly entered the camp, who told to the elf leader that the dragon queen was cunning, because her territory was in a place that cannot be reached by with only land, and the desert part was problematic for ships to dock. He said he fell into a vortex and thought he was going to die, but he ended up in another place, just outside the areas of Mutare. Thus it became clear how the dragon queen was able to retreat so quickly, and then the elf leader ordered that the feverish elf be taken care of.
Six days later, Tarnum received terrible news from an elf who had been brought to him on a stretcher with severe burns. He told that he served Captain Valita and that she was captured, the immortal hero was very scared and wanted to know what happened. The survivor reported that red dragons led by a dwarf attacked the elf king's supplies, and the elf leader knew right away that it was Kurbon and that Valita possibly wanted to capture him, as she was hurt the most by his betrayal. However, the entire attack was a trap and the dragons attacked in three waves, the elves successfully defended themselves against the first two waves, but the third finally defeated them. Valita fought one of the dragons, eventually piercing one of its eyes with her sword, but with the last of its strength, the creature struck her with its tail, fell from her horse, and passed out. The injured elf then exhausted, and Tarnum ordered that the young soldier be attended to immediately and that he be given anything, because if his wounds were not attended to he would quickly die.
A day passed, but Tarnum was unable to concentrate, even in the strategic meetings he thought only of Valita and that she should not be hurt by the treacherous dwarf or the monsters of Nighon. A week later, an aggressive harpy brought a message to Tarnum, and he was shocked to see that Kurbon had written the letter to him. The letter only said that the girl was with the dwarf, and then he crumpled the letter, threw it into the campfire and shouted nervously that he was going to break the dwarf's throat with his own hands, so the barbarian broke out of the immortal hero again, and the elves a few they took a step away. However, by the time he returned to the tent, he had successfully suppressed his dark side, but he could not sleep, instead he looked at his trembling hands in the dark and was afraid of what they would do to Valita. Another week later, Kurbon wrote a letter again, and again a harpy brought it late at night, but this time the immortal hero wanted to read the letter alone. The dwarf described that Valita was fine, she was getting enough food, but he wanted to meet the elf leader alone and sent him a map showing exactly where. At first Tarnum did not know what to do, but finally he decided to comply with the traitor's offer.
The meeting took place two days later, it was late at night, most of the camp was asleep, and Tarnum walked alone into the forest and in a short time found the location marked on the map. Kurbon awaited the elven leader on a moss-covered, shape of a headless man rock, wearing black armor and a battle axe slung over one shoulder. The dwarf said that he thought the immortal hero was fighting on the wrong side, and that if one spent time on a certain side long enough, that side would become the good side for him and that Aspen was right, Tarnum then heard movements, but he paid attention to the dwarf, who was symbolically shown the white bishop chess piece, that is, that he had knocked down the advisor, but had not yet won the game. Kurbon then laughed and said that he would now strike down the king and ordered his minotaurs in ambush to kill the immortal hero. But the immortal hero knew very well that it was a trap, so he started running towards the rocks while blowing a wooden whistle, after which hundreds of elven archers fired at the minotaurs, killing all of them. However, Kurbon did not wait for failure, but jumped on a black dragon and flew away with it. They searched the corpses of the minotaurs and found their valuables, which was ten thousand gold. Eight days later, Tarnum despaired because he felt that he was a coward and realized that bravery is needed not only on the battlefields, but also elsewhere, he felt that this is why he lost Adrienn and Valita because he did not show his emotions honestly. He prayed to the Ancestors to protect the girl and hoped it was not too late.
Six days later, Tarnum was marching with his army when they saw smoke in the distance and went towards it. The elf leader went on with only a part of his forces, he didn't want to lose everything in case there was a trap, but then they saw something surprising. Red and black dragons killed each other while azure dragons battled minotaurs around a prison wagon. The elves didn't want to believe that Mutare's forces had turned against each other, and in the end, only one wounded azure dragon was still alive, who was looking for something and noticed a low, small figure in the prison car tilted to the side. Tarnum then ordered the archers to shoot the dragon, which eventually died, and then they went to the prison wagon, which was surrounded by a battlefield full of blood and fire. The elf leader found Valita, who was fine, but there was also Kurbon, who was hit by the prison car and was not only seriously injured, but also unable to get out. While coughing up blood, handed over a black pawn chess figure to Tarum and symbolically declared that he had given him a checkmate, then coughed up blood again and asked him to take care of the girl. The elf leader broke the lock of the car and freed the dwarf, but by then he was already dead. The next day, Valita looked at the black pawn figure and told Tarnum that the fight broke out because Kurbon had taken the girl from prison against Mutare's will and was tired of living in constant fear. The elf leader was sad because he realized that the dwarf and he felt exactly the same, that they were both afraid and considered themselves cowards, and then he wanted to kiss the girl, but then she put her head on his chest and wanted to marry him. The immortal hero was worried about how to explain to her who he really was and that after completing his mission he might have to go again, but she didn't care, she wanted to go marry him at all costs. However, he knew that they could only talk about this once he finished the campaign, so he focused on fighting the enemy.
Mutare had lost too many of her troops from Nighon, so in addition to the remaining dragon armies, the surviving demons of Eofol took over her armies and were led by individuals who were notorious commanders of the fallen demon kingdom, including Fiona, Nymus, Octavia and Zydar. There were many demons and they were not easy opponents, but at the same time Erathia was able to send troops to the immortal hero, who gradually advanced. In the enemy territory, he found the seers and fulfilled their requests, so he finally managed to create the Power of the Dragon Father and was finally able to face against Mutare. The dragon queen was an extremely strong opponent, an excellent strategist, cunning in battle, and in addition to her great strength, her magical power was also very great. However, Tarnum won the final battle, but Mutare did not die, but retreated, not to Nighon, but to a separate place to heal her wounds, but this did not happen, because the famous dragon hunter Dracon finally killed her, but he also died in the fight. After that, Tarnum was happy, because he spent the happiest period of his life among the elves, who accepted him as their eternal friend, but unfortunately what he feared came true and he had to go to the call of the Ancestors again.
=== The Sword of Frost ===
After Mutare is defeated and killed by the famous dragon hunter Dracon, Tarnum receives terrible news. His good friend Gelu has found out where an extremely powerful weapon, the Sword of Forst, is located and wants to destroy this artifact. However, the immortal hero knew that if the two weapons clashed, their combined power would become uncontrollable and destroy the world of Enroth. He wrote a letter to Gelu, which the stubborn vori elf ignored, so Tarnum was forced to take a drastic step. Because Erathia forces completely exhausted, Tatalia is completly destroyed by the barbarian tyrant Kilgor and the kingdom of Avlee fully supporting Gelu, the only option was to gain control over Nighon and the remaining forces of the overlords and with their help Tarnum had to stop his friend and destroy or weaken what built in exchange for saving the world of Enroth.
==== Tarnum the Overlord ====
Tarnum was horrified and disappointed when he learned of Gelu's purpose. He found him to be an inspiring leader and a dedicated fighter, his stubbornness and skills made him the legendary captain of the Forest Guard, but at the same time, this decision was thoughtless and stupid. The immortal hero guessed that Gelu was too attached to the blade of Armageddon, the power of the artifact and his pride blinded him. He also knew that Avlee and the elven king were on his side, Erathia was their ally, and the kingdom was completely exhausted from the war against Eofol. Therefore, he made a difficult decision and decided to use the remained armies of Nighon to save the world. After Mutare's death, a civil war broke out between the overlords, and this was a great opportunity for Tarnum to take over the power of Nighon. When he arrived in the dark underground world, he wondered if he had really made the right decision, because the creatures of the underground world were notorious for their cruelty and the immortal hero thought it was arrogance to believe that they could be used for good. On the very first day he was attacked by a pack of harpy hags from the dark ceiling, but after Tarnum killed their leader the monsters smiled and joined him, The next day, Tarnum sent a message to some of his trusted friends, because he managed to stash away huge resources over the centuries, so they were able to organize the delivery of the resources. He expected the first wagons to arrive tomorrow and believed that the supplies would arrive every two weeks. The supply arrived the next day, which is one thousand five hundred gold, ten parts of wood, three parts of mercury, nine parts of ore, fifteen parts of sulphur, four parts of crystal and five parts of gems.
Over the years, Tarnum learned to let go of the brutality that made him unworthy to enter Paradise and became a softer hearted person, but at the same time he led the creatures of Nighon for a week and learned to pity their hard and cruel lives. The weakest ones, the troglodytes, were killed by harpies and beholders for the slightest reason, which is why the little creatures learned to move quickly. The immortal hero had killed many of these creatures over the years, but mostly in self-defense, and now he was leading them and trying to protect them from their own allies. On one occasion, when two harpies attacked a troglodyte carrying food for his friends, Tarnum jumped in and grabbed the two winged women by the throat. He knew he couldn't show weakness or someone would try to kill him and take over the lead, so he had to be ruthless, but at the same time he knew that if he set a cruel example, his army would take his words seriously. The immortal hero shouted down the two creatures, aiming for his entire army to hear him. The troglodyte began to tremble, and as Tarnum drew his spiked mace from his belt, the two winged women tried to escape, but they were unsuccessful. He tore off both wings of one and broke the other harpy’s ribs, crushed her hearth. He then turned to the army, held the bloody wing up for all to see and declared that they could kill when he wanted, and if anyone didn't like it, let them step forward. No one went before him, they understood their leader's order. Seven days later, Tarnum's army fought successfully, but it was difficult to control them, as they were truly cruel and wanted to slaughter the survivors. Because they didn't know mercy, it wasn't easy, but at the same time, he couldn't show any sign of weakness or mercy, so he pretended to be insane. He started talking to things that weren't there, and at one point he was riding naked when he realized he wasn't wearing his armor. Instead of torture and death, he chose humiliation. He dunked a pack of troglodytes in tar, threw feathers at them and told them they were harpies now. There was also a case where he forced a minotaur to wear woman dress. The underground creatures were quite confused, but Tarnum's plan was successful as they still feared him, but no longer killed the prisoners when he commanded. Four days later, Tarnum received a letter from a friend who lived in AvLee. Gelu set sail for the distant northern lands of the Vori weeks ahead of time and he was anxious to complete his mission and destroy the Sword of Frost. The immortal hero knew he had to hurry because if he didn't consolidate his power in Nighon soon, he would never catch up to him. Four days later, the immortal hero felt that victory was near, so he sent some ships in advance to make purchases and prepare for his arrival. He also learned that Nighon's influence extends to the land of Vori, so he can take control of the other cities as well. But first, he had to finish his task here and strengthen the defenses so that no overlord would pose a threat to him. Only one person wanted to stop him, an old adversary, the infamous warlock, Jeddite. But during the previous battles he was weakened and Tarnum easily defeated him and after capturing his castle there was no longer any threat against him. The overlords recognized him as the new king of Nighon and he now had enough armies to stop Gelu.
==== The Land of the Vori ====
After successfully uniting Nighon, Tarnum set off to reach the frozen lands of Vori, unaware that the Vori elves were on Gelu's side. He tried to reason with them, he also told them the prophecy, but they didn't listen to him, since Gelu was also a half-vori elf, so they considered him one of their own and were impressed by his charisma. They then launched an attack and destroyed two of the three ships almost immediately. Since the creatures of Nighon were not used to sea battles, the battle did not last very long. The third ship was badly damaged, but Tarnum and part of his army made it ashore successfully. A few infernal troglodytes were waiting for him on the shore, who thought he was dead and were waiting for his orders. As they sneak across the snowy landscape, they saw a group of drawves and vori elves leading beholders, who were bound and chained together and likely intended to kill the creatures. The overlord leader ambushed and killed the captors and freed the creatures. He captured the nearby fortress and now everything was ready for his additional armies to arrive here. Five days later, he was told that there was a magi in the south who could give visions of the enemy, so he would be able to watch the movements of the vori troops. Tarnum tried to reason with the vori elves again and sent a messenger to deliver the message to them, begging for their understanding, but nothing happened. He now understood where Gelu inherited this blind stubbornness.
Five days later, Tarnum was shot from behind in the shoulder by a medusa that attempted to take his place. The creature smiled evilly, hissed and declared that she was now the overlord, and the immortal hero's arm went numb because the arrow was poisoned. Then some beholders killed the medusa and save Tarnum’s life. Two days later, Tarnum was still recovering from his injury. Since medicine was not famous in Nighon, his wound healed slowly. In the morning, he called the three beholders before him, who saved his life not out of goodwill, but in the hope of power and reward. The overlord leader believed that this lust for power and strength could still be useful and appointed these three beholders as the leaders of his armies. When he asked if they could recommend someone else, the beholders of course recommended themselves. Six days later, the three beholders, Neez, Zarm, and Kilkik, went almost everywhere with him and didn't mind him pretending to be crazy. Sometimes he ordered half his army to attack him, or declared war on a tree, but these creatures were not bothered by it. It was possible that they had had a crazy leader before, but now Tarnum finally had allies on his side, but he was also worried about his own bodyguards. Two days later, the leader of the Beholders, Neez, quietly and secretive told Tarnum that the hatchlings of the medusa, that they killed were planning an assassination attempt on them and that they would attack soon. There were ten of them and he also said that his information was authentic because he had a spy among the medusas. Then Tarnum said they had to do something while he chuckling madly that he was playing his part well. Three days later, Tarnum and the beholders launched an attack on the medusa hatchlings, who also brewed poison for their arrows. They were attacked from two sides, and Tarnum used the years of experience he had gained among the elves and fought with a bow. Seven medusa died in the first moments of the battle, the others fought for a while, but in the end they also killed him. Zarm was the only one injured, who received two arrows in his eye, but survived. As they walked among the dead, the overlord leader saw the beholders smiling happily, though he took no joy in killing his own troops. He worried that he would return to his old ways, but felt it was necessary to save Enroth. He then concentrated on the campaign, where after several battles they finally defeated the Vori elves and captured their three cities.
==== A New Enemy ====
Gelu was still in ahead of Tarnum and the immortal hero received disturbing news. The legendary elven warrior fortified a town near the land bridge to the northern glaciers, while harpy spies spotted barbarians in the area. The overlord leader's stomach in the pit upon hearing the news and he wondered what the barbarians were doing here. Two days later, Tarnum was tested and after a few victories, the evil dragons sided with him. The Red Dragons complained endlessly about the cold weather, so he had to build huge bonfires to keep them warn, which cost a lot of wood, but the immortal hero felt he needed the creatures, as there were both green and gold dragons fighting on his opponent's side. Three days later, Tarnum learned that these barbarians belonged to the armies of the brutal and tyrannical Kilgor, whose hordes were notorious for their bloodthirsty fightings. The overlord leader nevertheless had hope for his people and sent some messengers to the barbarians to tell them why they had come here and whether they could form an alliance. A week later, a rugged warrior rode into camp, refusing to hand over his axe, and the overlord leader immediately recognized that the stranger was a barbarian. Neez and Kilkik thought it unwise to use diplomacy since he might be an assassin, but Tarnum insisted that he would talk to him. However, he remembered that he had to pretend to be insane, so he spoke to his mother in the air. He wanted to speak to the barbarian alone, who was rather disrespectful, but he told him that he represented King Kilgor's third wife, Kija, and told him that they were looking for the Sword of Frost and warned him not to stand in their way or they will string him up by his ankles. It became obvious to Tarnum that Kija wanted the get the sword to Kilgor and his stomach clenched as he remembered the prophecy and how dire the consequences would be if the artifact fell into the hands of the brutal tyrant, so he had to stop Gelu at all costs. The barbarian then menacingly asked him if he understood what he said, at which point the overlord leader noticed the shadow of one of the beholder advisors on his tent and knew that he couldn't let such a tone of voice pass, otherwise it would be a sign of weakness, so no matter how much he didn't he wanted, he had to use violence. He kicked the messenger, who fell backwards, then broke his nose, took his ax and broke his arm with the blunt end, and threw him out of the tent where everyone could see. He then told him to tell that woman that he was doing what he wanted and that he wasn't like Kilgor, who hides behind his females when it comes to actions. He then buried the axe in the ground between the man's legs and warned him to leave the camp immediately or he would strung him up by his ankles. Four days later, he reflected that the situation was not very good. Kija did not realize that the immortal hero knew his own people better than anyone and knew very well that his threats would be answered with violence and even the declaration of war was made. He had to fight against two enemies, but he himself did not really like killing members of his own people and liked the elves as well.
Two days later, Tarnum was forced to dip ten packs from his wood supplies to keep the dragons using their fire, but he knew that wars in the north were never easy or cheap. Three days later, Neez and Kilkik briefed the overlord leader on information and progress. Neez informed him of any possible treachery that had been suppressed, and Kilkik gathered news about the enemy and said that he had learned some interesting things while interrogating an orc prisoner today. The overlord leader didn't ask what he did with the prisoner or if he was alive, he just wanted the information. He said that Kija's main goal is for her sons to be Kilgor's heirs, so if she gets the artifact, he will gain the tyrant's gratitude, meaning that since hse wants to achieve this higher goal, blackmail and bribery won't work for her. Tarnum then realized that diplomacy was useless with the enemy, he had to kill the woman and her warriors. Four days later, during a strategy meeting, the main topic was the situation of the elves. Neez said that none of the elven prisoners who had been interrogated could provide useful information about Gelu's final plan, meaning the elven hero was keeping it a secret even from his own people. Kilkik suggested that they must capture not underlings, but someone how close to Gelu and sharing his plans with that person. Tarnum liked the idea, but was afraid that it would lose the power of surprise, as Gelu was ahead of them, so he ignored them, and such an act might anger him, so it was necessary to distract the Elven hero. At the same time, the overlord leader concentrated on his current enemies and fought the barbarians and their leader, Terek. However, the horde was not sufficiently prepared and since Tarnum knew his own people better than anyone, he won a clear victory over Terek and captured two fortresses of the barbarians. He then reached a tower where the guards asked for a artifact to continue, the Celestial Necklace of Bliss. He had previously obtained the relic from the war unicorns, but at first he didn't want to give them the necklace, but the guards were more greedy and decided to open the gate first to get the artifact in exchange, so they were able to move on, and then he besieged the castle of the Vori elves, who were led by a druid named Coronius. The castle was successfully captured, and Tarnum was able to continue the campaign.
==== A New Ally ====
During the fight against the barbarians, Tarnum realized that the new enemy was slowing him down too much, as Gelu managed to outrun him completely and even though he went north, they could no longer find him. He thought about what would happen if he actually found the Sword of Frost and at first he didn't want to think it would be such a bad thing, but the Ancestors told him to take the quest seriously because if this relic and the Armageddon's Blade clashed, then their known world will be completely destroyed. At the same time, Tarnum still trusted his friend, he thought he was just not that foolish for this to happen, but he knew that despite his good intentions, he couldn't stop the unpredictable and the proof of that was Kija's presence, and then he realized that both of them were a terrible threat. The overlord leader finally decided to seek an ally and his only choice was the infamous and feared azure dragons. They were pompous and proud creatures, but at the same time they were the most powerful dragons in the world of Enroth and with the experienced immortal hero, they would represent a force against which there was no defense from the enemy. Four days later, a harpy scout brings terrible news, namely that the barbarians of Kija have bypassed them and are in the north, so they have again blocked their progress. Four days later, the beholder spy Neez said that Kija had left the barbarians in the north to hold him off long enough to catch up to Gelu. At the same time, he thought it better not to ask the beholder where he gets this information and how many dead bodies it costs. He then ordered him to find Kija and Gelu, and the he ordered Kilkik to find a weak point in the enemy so that they wouldn't waste too much of their time. Three days later, supplies arrived, because Tarnum anticipating the high costs of war, managed to arrange adequate supply lines through the castles of the Overlord and underground passageways. The supplies were fifteen thousand gold, three packs of wood, ten packs of mercury, three packs of ore, two packs of sulphur, five packs of crystal and two packs of gems. Five days later, Kilkik entered the overlord leader's tent, where he retrieved a red crystal shard with his ropey tentacles and said that he had learned the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. He said that the enemy leader, Kija, was not a mindless savage because she had somehow managed to get her warriors to make crystal dragons. These were much more powerful than known dragons, but were very expensive to produce, so the barbarians focused their gold and crystal supplies on producing these golems, which meant that if their mines were captured, they would be greatly weakened. Tarnum then went back and forth, as he had fought against these creatures in the campaign against Mutare, he knew that one piece could tear an entire army to pieces, so now it was certain that he absolutely needed the azure dragons. Tarnum then went back and forth, as he had fought against these creatures in the campaign against Mutare, he knew that they could tear an entire army to pieces, so now it was certain that he absolutely needed the azure dragons. Five days later, some spies reported that huge cache of gold and mercury had been discovered in the northwest, but the resources were being guarded by green dragons. Tarnum believed that these would probably be Gelu's supplies, which he could put aside for emergencies, so the overlord leader wanted to acquire these resources. Three days later, Tarnum was approached by a medusa while Neez and Kilkik were watching her, but the situation would have been tense anyway, since the medusas had received less rations and a smaller share of the treasures since the previous conspiracy, so they tried to fight back to the overlord leader's side. The creature said that they were sorry for the things that had happened in the past and that they trusted in the leader's forgiveness, and also brought news that was important in the lives of many of her sisters. Tarnum grabbed the medusa's wiggling tendrils of snake hair and told her to tell him what she knew or another one would die. The medusa said they found the azure dragons whose habitat was led by a teal light magical portal, but the medusa scouts ran into one of the dragons which killed them.
Five days later, Neez gave an important report to Tarnum about the enemy. Gelu has three very important followers, two of whom are loyal Rangers who joined the Forest Guard at the same time as him, and the third who stayed behind to hold off the enemy. He was a dwarf named Ufretin, who was brave and willing to make sacrifices for the success of the good cause and it would be a great success if he was captured. The overlord leader said that they should first attract the attention of the enemy and if they made an alliance with the azure dragons, then only then should they carry out the step of the plan to cause a great loss to the enemy. Once he was alone Tarnum cringed because he knew Ufretin who was brave and a good person and he didn't want Neez or Kilkil to torture him and then he started cursing the Ancestors why they had to save lives and the world like this. Three days later, Neez came up with a plan to capture Ufretin, and Tarnum accepted it, and if they succeeded, Gelu might never notice that one of his most important followers was missing. However, the two beholder advisors also said that during the interrogation of the barbarian prisoners, they were only able to obtain little information, because Kija's situation is practically similar to theirs and he only wants to get the artifact. The overlord leader was only curious about what Gelu knew about the Sword of Frost, but he was afraid that this information would cost the life of a good person he knew.
Tarnum then concentrated on the campaign and fought the barbarians led by Krellion and Zubin. The enemy was more prepared than last time and the crystal dragons also caused an unpleasant problem, but Tarnum, thanks to his experience and perseverance, defeated the horde and captured their mines and two castles. However, before he went to the azure dragons, he looked around the area a bit. First he found a hut not far from his castle, where it was extremely smelly and there lived an old man who had discovered how to produce sulfur from snow, but he don't know what to do with so many resources, but since Tarnum was an experienced leader, he convinced him thathe would be able to use it for important purposes, so he gave him fifty bags. He then met an old wizard in the south who studied many scrolls because he wanted to build a tower but did not have enough resources. He needed three thousand gold, fifty wagons of ore and fifty wagons of wood, in exchange he offered to give the overlord leader sixty bag of crystals, which was extremely important, because in this way they were also able to produce crystal dragons. Tarnum handed over all the resources to him, in return the wizard handed over the crystals, so the production of crystal dragons on the side of the forces of Nighon began. Finally, he found another hut in the western part of the area, where he met a young man whose guardians were crystal dragons and who wanted to make a deal. He wanted to leave the island, so he gave the crystal dragons to Tarnum in exchange for six black dragons, so he already knew almost everything about the mysterious creature’s production, strengths and weaknesses. He then used all his forces to cross the through the teal portal, where he immediately encountered the azure dragon that had killed the medusa scouts. When he landed, the earth shook and the dragon announced that the weak could not go any further, then attacked the overlord leader and his army, but they killed the creature. They then met another azure dragon who volunteered to join them and after defeating several dragons, the rest were willing to negotiate with Tarnum and accepted his terms, and the alliance was made.
==== The Capture ====
After the victory against the barbarians, Tarnum decided that he had to speed up the mission, so he used a force march, whoever could not come his way was left behind. He knew that this plan was risky, but he had to make this sacrifice in order to succeed, and in the end, what Nezz said was confirmed, Unfretin and his troops remained behind Gelu. However, the dwarf lured the enemy into a trap because he waited until they arrived and then attacked quickly and in ambush. The first ambush claimed many victims, Nighon's army was almost completely crippled, but they had the opportunity to surrender. Tarnum then returned the surprise, as he announced that they would surrender, but this was only a diversion to gain time to properly prepare for the counterattack. He expected that Ufretin's compassion would also cause his loss. Six days later, a messenger from the elves arrived to the overlord leader, telling them that they had been given plenty of time to surrender and to lay down their weapons immediately or they would all die. Then Tarnum nodded and suddenly an arrow appeared in the arm of the messenger, then he stepped in front of the elf, who looked into his eyes and knew that something terrible would happen to him. He told the messenger to tell his boss when he woke up to make sure his enemy would actually die because he would never give up. He then punched the elven messenger so hard that he felt his jaw break under his knuckles and the overlord leader was both pleased and frightened. After two days, Kilkik informed the overlord leader that Ufretin was commanding his armies from a castle in the south, but they could only get to him if they found a green keymaster. Tarnum asked where this tent was while he was eating and pretended not to care, and Kilkik said that some of his spies found the tent to the northwest, but they were surrounded by the enemy so they had to hurry. He nodded and then dismissed the beholder. A week later, Tarnum noticed that Ufretin had changed. The once bold, brave dwarf was cautious this time, refusing to engage in open battle, and the overlord leader even allowed Neez and Kilkik to display some tortured elf prisoners outside Ufretin's gates, but nothing happened. Ufretin was not stupid, he knew that his opponent was up to something, because if not, why would the overlord leader have stayed here instead of continuing to pursue Gelu. He tried to prepare properly because he knew he would have to fight sooner or later, but he definitely wanted to be on the defensive.
Six days later, Neez and Kilkik brought a dozen troglodytes to the overlord leader, accusing them of having lost two thousand hundred gold that they were supposed to be transporting from one of the mines. The troglodytes couldn't give a proper explanation, so they started begging for their lives, but Neez thought that they probably fell asleep and someone stole the gold, but it wasn't the elves, since they don't steal when they need something. This gave Tarnum the idea of ​​what to do as he didn't want to execute the tiny creatures but he knew that showing mercy was a sign of weakness so he hit one of the troglodytes knocking him unconscious. Neez looked suspiciously at the overlord leader as he told the tiny creature that he was lucky, then began to explain that he had died from an elf arrow in his dream because he had killed his own group, then glared at everyone, feigning insanity. However, Neez remained suspicious, but then the overlord leader had an idea. He ordered the troglodytes and the beholder's advisor to march to Ufretin's rampart and take the dwarf alive. The troglodytes who thought they were safe were devastated because they knew it was a suicide mission and Neez also realized that his life was in danger and tried to explain himself, but his leader said that his task was not to lead an invasion, but only to take care of the group and fulfill the order, otherwise, tomorrow, nothing will stop the overlord leader from killing his own monsters. Tarnum thought the troglodytes might still have a slight chance, but from the look in Neez's eyes he knew he had earned another enemy. Four days later, Kilkik floated into Tarnum's tent with a menacing look, but he was not alone, as at his call a huge, black minotaur king, so tall that he had to lower his head to avoid tearing the ceiling of the tent, suddenly appeared from a secret gap in the tent. His name was Trongar and he became the overlord leader's bodyguard, whom he had hired yesterday, and Kilkik knew that betrayal or assassination was out of the question with such a large bodyguard. The beholder advisor then disappointedly announced that Neez and the troglodytes had been slaughtered before reaching Ufretin and that it was an elf ambush. Tarnum told him he was sorry the loss, then dismissed him and gave Trongar a large bag of gold, a reward from the medusas for killing Neez and the troglodytes using elven arrows, avenging their sisters' deaths and regaining the trust of Tarnum. The minotaur warned him that this was dangerous, but he knew it and even though he smiled, he was ashamed inside, because this act of the immortal hero reminded him in a terrible way of the barbarian tyrant he was, that's why this kind of betrayal was too easy for him.
He then focused on the campaign, but was in for a rather unpleasant surprise as the elves and began using crystal dragons. However, fierce battles took place against the azure dragons that arrived, but over time it became clear that even though the golems were equally strong and dangerous, they were unable to defeat them. Tarnum found a hut not far east of his castle, where he met an old but friendly knight. He gave his guest food, they had a pleasant conversation, and finally he made him an offer, namely to get an artifact, the Sword of Hellfire, because he had been looking for it for a long time and was too old for another adventure, but he wanted to destroy the evil sword before he died, and in return he gives forty doses of mercury. The sword was guarded by green dragons in the south, but Tarnum killed them and took the artifact to the old knight, who had already prepared. The overlord leader noticed that the icicles were starting to melt from the heat of the sword and wondered if the knight wanted to destroy the artifact. The old man swore an oath and did not want to break it, and Tarnum understood him and handed over the sword, in return he received forty doses of mercury from the knight. Tarnum then captured the northern castle of the elves and found another hut near the castle to the west side, where an old Vori Elf lived. He said that he needed archers to protect him on an important road to the south, and in exchange for them he would give him thirty doses of crystal. Tarnum knew that this was a very good deal, since with the crystals he would also be able to create crystal dragons, so since they had taken prisoners, he handed over forty Grand Elves to the old man, who kept his word and handed over the crystals. After that, Tarnum attacked the western castles and together with the azure dragons, the opponents did not stand much of a chance against the overlords of Nighon. At the northwest castle, Tarnum found the beholders how Kilik had spoken of earlier and they took him to the keymaster. Thus everything was ready to begin the attack on the castle of Ufretin, who held out to the last, but his defenses completely collapsed, and Tarnum captured him.
==== Tunnels of Ice ====
Gelu and his army disappeared into the huge glacier tunnels, and Kija and her barbarians were also nearby. However, despite the unpleasant, bitter cold, the forces of Nighon were prepared for battles and were not bothered by the temperature. The next day, Tarnum visited Ufretin, who had been locked up for a month, was getting little food and the cold might have affected him, so now the overlord leader thought he would talk now. The dwarf in his cage was shirtless, thin and had a few bruises, but he stood up proudly and demanded his captor show his face if he wanted answers. Tarnum believed that if he showed him his face, he would immediately know who he was when he lived with them and fought on their side against Mutare, but he believed that was all he owed him. Ufretin recognized him immediately and was very surprised, he didn't want to believe that it was him, then the overlord leader looked around because he didn't want anyone to know that he fought for Avlee against the dragon queen a long time ago. Tarnum asked the dwarf to help him, because that way they could avoid even more deaths, but he was silent for a while, he absolutely did not expect this, and then he told him that he would not talk to traitors. Three days later, Zallisa showed the overlord leader that the barbarians were almost everywhere, meaning Kija had managed to find another way and left a large force to protect her until he found the sword. Three days later, Kilkik offered that if the prisoner did not speak, he would use aggressive methods to get him to speak, as Tarnum had begged him to speak, but he was too stubborn and proud and afraid that if he did not speak, he would not be able to stop Gelu. The overlord leader didn't allow torture, which the beholder didn't really understand and his confusion was right, since until now he was allowed to torture the prisoners for information, since the immortal hero didn't know the victims and it was a necessary sacrifice, but Ufretin is his friend was and is a hero who deserved better. However, he noticed that there was growing resentment among his troops and it was likely that Kilkik was behind it, although it was the most important to him is that Ufretin open up and talk. Six days later, Zallisa reported that the enemy had three castles and their tunnels intersected, meaning they could attack from multiple directions or from the rear. Trongar suggested attacking as hard as possible so the tunnels wouldn't matter. Tarnum supported the plan, but at the same time decided to leave some smaller groups behind in case something happened.
Four days later, Ufretin was very weak, close to death, pale and unconscious in his cage. Tarnum nudged him with his gloved fist and woke him up. He tried to convince him that he was fighting for the wrong side, that Gelu was a friend of both of them, but he was confused and that the Sword of Frost must not be found. However, the dwarf still believed that Gelu wanted to destroy the artifact, considered his old friend a traitor and did not give him his trust. Five days later, Tarnum visited the dwarf again, who now had more food and looked much better, but still refused to speak. The overlord leader didn't know how to get him to talk, and he wasn't willing to use torture against his friend, so he saw only one solution, and that was to tell him who he really was. He said that he is not just long-lived like elves and dragons, but actually immortal, which is a punishment for him and that whatever evil deeds he does, he does it because he doesn't want Gelu to destroy the world. At first Ufretin thought he was a fool, but eventually he began to think that it was possible that he really was on the wrong side. The immortal hero even demonstrated the truth to him by stabbing a blade into his heart, the cut of which was completely gone the next day, Ufretin was honestly surprised that the overlord leader told him the truth. After that, they talked for several hours and he was perhaps the first person to whom Tarnum was fully able to tell his story, how much he had done by burning hundreds of villages, killing many innocent people, and at the same time he said that he wanted to fight against an evil and oppressive empire, which eventually turned him into a monster and the Ancestors denied him entry into Paradise, instead he became the immortal hero. Ufretin began to open up, but he didn't know whose side he was on, and Tarnum suggested that he listen to his heart and think about why he didn't allow anyone to torture him.
Six days later, the army began to disintegrate more and more and that Kilkik was the cause of it all, but the overlord leader could only do one thing, and that was to get rid of his prisoner. Two days later, Kilkik went too far as he floated to Ufretin's cage, opened the door and wanted to kill him. But to his great surprise, as the captive's fur was thrown over his head and not the dwarf under it, she was Zalissa who very quickly stabbed the beholder with a dagger forged from bone, thus avenging her sisters, then stabbed him again and thus killed Kilkik. After his death, the riots would completely stop and everything could continue as it had been. Meanwhile, Tarnum took Ufretin to a distant tunnel where he gave him plenty of food and an axe. He told him that he wasn't going to torture him for answers and that it was up to him to decide what he would do, but he was confident that he could convince Gelu not to continue his mission. Ufretin, on the other hand, told Tarnum before their farewell that Gelu's goal is to find Volee, the ancient, lost capital of the vori elves, because the Sword of Frost is under it. The overlord leader thanked his friend for the information, then returned to his army and concentrated on the campaign, because after Kilkil's death, the rebellions completely stopped. The barbarian hordes were led by two goblins, Gretchin and Zubin, as well as a famous warrior, Crag Hack, and the battles were hard and bloody at first, but Tarnum, with his vast experience and the azure dragons, finally inflicted a great defeat on the barbarians, who lost their armies and three castles.
==== The Barbarian’s Wife ====
Gelu was already very close to obtaining the Sword of Frost, and for Tarnum, Kija was the only obstacle to his old friend. She and her remaining forces retreated deep into the glaciers, but Tarnum made an interesting discovery. Through his own research, he found out that Volee was the very first city of the vori elves, which disappeared a thousand years ago after the creation of the Sword of Frost, and according to some assumptions, the artifact is responsible for the creation of the abundance of snow, icebergs and glaciers. The immortal hero was worried that if this artifact was so powerful, what could happen if it fell into bad hands, so he definitely wanted to stop Gelu and Kija. Four days later, Zallisa warned Tarnum that there are many monoliths in these parts of the glacier tunnels, meaning that the enemy can launch a surprise attack, so it doesn't hurt to be careful. Three days later, the overlord leader learned that there was a wizard living in the south who offered a large reward to anyone in exchange for a valuable, so he didn't want the enemy to find him first. A week later, Tarnum gave three thousand one hundred and eighteen gold to barbarian deserters in exchange for information about Kija. She as Kilgor's wife is a strong warrior among the barbarians who is not as crazy as her husband, but her cruelty and power hunger is similar to that tyrant, and she has built a fortress in one of the caves, knowing that she will be attacked, so she properly he wants to prepare for the clash. Furthermore, she wants to find the Ring of Infinite Gems, the artifact that can be used to reach the territory of the ancient city of Volee, meaning she is willing to do anything just to get the Sword of Frost. Six days later, Tarnum observed that everything was much calmer without Neez and Kilkik, the greed of the minotaur's bodyguard gave him a sure protection, and the medusas were grateful to him and sincerely loyal, that is, the unity remained.
Three days later, a goblin messenger arrived with an offer from Kija. The woman offered that the forces of Nighon can keep everything they want, the wealth, the lands, and she only wants the Sword of Frost. Tarnum saw that some of his troops were ready to stop fighting and form an alliance against a common enemy, but the overlord leader refused the deal and told the goblin that he would tell Kija the same, that she could keep everything, but the Sword of Frost would be his. Trongar looked suspiciously at his leader and wondered why he refused the offer, and he said that if the enemy wanted this weapon so badly and made such an offer, then this artifact was indeed suitable for world domination and they could get everything they wanted with it and if they accept the offer, they will give up everything and will have nothing left. The next day, Tarnum realized that there was only one way to kill Kija, and that was to defeat her in a battle and completely destroy all of her powers. He then focused on the campaign and clashed with Kija, who was fighting alongside one of Kilgor's strongest and most important minion, Gurnisson. The woman had surprisingly large and strong magic powerl and was a serious opponent, but the overlord leader eventually defeated her and the lieutenant, who probably did not survive the fight, but Kija did, whom she imprisoned. He then found the person they talked about earlier, an arrogant sorcerer who told him that the red dragons had stolen his book, which was very valuable and would give him a huge reward if it was returned. The overlord leader found this during the campaign, defeated the dragons and found the book, which was the Tome of Fire, and the sorcerer kept his word and gave forty-eight thousand gold as a reward. Near Kija's castle, Tarnum finds a hut that looked more like a hideout and met none other than Ufretin. The dwarf said that he understood what his friend wanted and wanted to help him, but unfortunately he was right. He tried to talk to Gelu, but he became completely uncontrollable, stubbornness and pride taking over his mind, calling Tarnum a traitor as well as the dwarf and closing the only passage through which to reach the city of Volee. However, Ufretin stole the Ring of Infinite Gems from him, with which it is still possible to reach the territory of the city and was able to lock himself in the magical tree, so Kija and the barbarians did not notice him. The dwarf was unsure if he had done the right thing and was disappointed in Gelu, but Tarnum reassured him that he was now on the good side and that he would stop him. He then handed over the ring to the overlord leader, who successfully crossed the monolith passage and reached the territory of the ancient city of Volee.
==== The Protectors of the Sword ====
Tarnum has only one obstacle to overcome before he can finally make his way to the lost city of Volee, but this trial will be perhaps his most difficult. He has to face his friend, Gelu, who refuses to give up his mission and is not only an extremely experienced and talented fighter, but also possesses perhaps the most powerful artifact in the known world, against which there is little chance of victory.
Tarnum still believed that he could convince Gelu and did not want to hurt him, so they sent messages to each other for several days, but the elf was stubborn and wanted to complete his mission. In his last letter, Gelu wrote that they won't be able to come to an agreement and that he really doesn't want to kill his former friend either, but he won't have mercy if he and his monsters gets in his way and suggests that he give up and leave the island. The immortal hero was disappointed because he knew Gelu as a different person and all his options were exhausted, so the conflict against him was inevitable. Two days later, Tarnum received a message from a magi who offered to give him a vision of the city of Volee and other important areas if he could find him. Five days later, Tarnum received bad news. The city of Volee was protected by gates that could only be passed through with the help of keymasters, and one of them lived near Gelu’s town, so it was really inevitable that the immortal hero and the elf would fight each other.
Six days later, Trongar, who usually rode next to the overlord leader, was now a bit further back and said he saw something in one of the trees. Tarnum thought the tree was too far from them, but then he realized he had to be very careful. Since he lived for a long time among the elves, he knew very well that they like to ambush often and skillfully, and Gelu was one of the great masters of guerilla warfare, and the members of the Forest Guard also fought on his side, who were the most elite sharpshooters. Six days later, Tarnum made an interesting discovery. The elves of the city of Volee do not regard him or Gelu as friends, they acted hostile towards both of them, they attacked the overlord leader's messengers several times, indicating that they are not willing to negotiate with anyone. Three days later, a strange harpy flew into the camp, which was attacked by the others, but was saved by Tarnum in time. After getting some water, the creature said that the vori elves have been hunting them for centuries and now it's finally time for it to end, so she and her sisters join the forces of Nighon. Sh also said that her sisters had captured a tower that protecting the white keymaster, so Gelu couldn't get to the city of Volee before Tarnum, but the overlrod leader knew that he would only be able to reach the blue keymaster’s tent if he fought his friend. 
Four days later, a messenger came to Tarnum and told him that Kija had escaped from prison. The overlord leader believed that she alone would not pose a threat, since her army was almost completely destroyed, she had no castles, and she believed that it was likely that she went home to his husband Kilgor, who would send help in vain, but it would be too late. Six days later, Tarnum prayed to the Ancestors, who normally did not respond, but now appeared before him. He said that if he reached the city of Volee and obtained the Sword of Frost, he did not know what to do with the artifact, at which point the Ancestors said that they would hide it in a place where no one would ever find it and that Gelu must not find the sword. The immortal hero then apologized for the actions he had committed during his current mission, but the Ancestors were not angry with him, but understood and respected that he sometimes had to do disgusting things for the greater good and to save the world. It still felt bad to him, but it had to happen, after that the Ancestors disappeared and Tarnum focused on his campaign. The overlord leader found the magi, who showed the enemy's position and other areas. On his way, he found a hut where he found a serious old man who was sympathetic to how committed and experienced the immortal hero was, so he opened a chest and handed him seven thousand eight hundred and ninety gold. After that, Tarnum set out to defeat his friend Gelu, whose sharpshooters traided several times, but the overlord leader already knew their tactics, and they had no chance against the black and azure dragons. After that, he faced his friend, on whose side two battle mages were fighting, Jinara and Numas, and Tarnum was surprised that the elves used crystal dragons against him. Gelu with the Armageddon’s Blade was an extremely dangerous opponent and almost won, but in the end Tarnum did it again and defeated his former friend and took the Blade from him. After that, he captured his city and found a wooden hut near it, where a broad-shouldered man lived, how chopped wood and they talked for several hours and offered that the one who could tell the other more experience would win a golden reward. Thanks to Tarnum's thousands of years of experience, there was no question as to who would win, then they fought for an hour and finally the broad hero lost, who acknowledged his opponent's knowledge and strength, then went into his house and brought out a large sack containing eight thousand nine hundred and fifty gold. He then destroyed the crystal dragons guarding the blue keymaster’s tent and then headed towards the ancient city of Volee. He found the tower, which was guarded by forty-five harpies, who joined him and managed to reach the tent of the white keymaster, after which his follower was able to launch the final attack. The vori elves were led by two, surprisingly a barbarian, Larn, and an elf, Vor, both launched counterattacks, but they were failed. The garrisons that protecting the city were very strong, one of them even had anti-magical protection, however, the army of Nighon and the dragons broke through and after bloody and cruel fighting, Tarnum finally captured the ancient city of Volee and was finally able to obtain the Sword of Frost. However, despite all the effort and struggle, when Tarnum reached the place where the artifact should have been, he noticed that someone had already taken it and there was only a barbarian axe in its place. The immortal hero cried out as he realized that Kija had stolen the sword which now belonged to the brutal Kilgor and felt guilty for not killing her, he then prayed to the Ancestors that Gelu would not be a fool and fight the against a barbarian tyrant. Unfortunately, what he feared happened, Gelu and Kilgor clashed, and due to the power of Armageddon's Blade and the Frost Sword, the Reckoning took place, destroying both of them, the world of Enroth and millions of lives.
=== Heroes of Might and Magic IV ===
==== A New Way ====
Tarnum survived the Reckoning and successfully crossed over to the world of Axeoth, but with him was his adopted son, Waerjak. They wandered a lot, they almost never stayed in one place, they lived in the countryside, except when they went to a town for a short time. Tarnum insisted that he would be able to pass on as much of the knowledge and experience he had acquired to his adopted son as possible, so they bought books, and the young man learned to speak Elven, Dwarven and Minotaur languages, and also studied history, philosophy and literature. The immortal hero gained respect and esteem from his adopted son because he saw how strong and brave he was, he fought alongside him as he had seen him as a god of war, and he felt that the more knowledge he gained, he felt less and less like a barbarian. One morning they heard a battle in the distance, and the two of them had been fighting and helping innocents who wanted to be killed by bandits or evil warlords for many years. However, they reached the scene late, the whole fight was a massacre, there were no survivors and the victims were probably trapped. More than thirty were dead, and most of them younger than Waerjak, who was twenty-three years old, and then they noticed that the attackers had lost five men they had taken with them. Tarnum always expected his adopted son to call him by his first name, and he said that it was better to avoid death and that the leader had caused the loss of many more people by his mistake, and then they buried the bodies. Soon after, they met centaurs and Waerjak was surprised that his foster father spoke their own language fluently, the young man thought that his knowledge had no limits. One of them unexpectedly hit Tarnum on the chest, the young man reached for his sword, but his foster father told him that there was nothing wrong, and then he hit the centaur in such a way that he staggered and his companions mocked him. Waerjak had always admired that his foster father was bigger and much stronger than the other barbarians, meanwhile Tarnum turned to him and told him that the twenty-three centaurs would join them. He was surprised that this was the only reason they were joining them, and he wondered if the big barbarian didn't feel hurt from the blow, who softly said with a grin that he did, but they shouldn't know that. Six days later, Tarnum and Waerjak spoke to some shepherds from the clans of the region, who were able to give him some information, but only after making sure that those they were talking to were not robbers, they would not steal their sheep, and they would receive a keg.
The two barbarians finally reached the first small town, Kilmar, where the inhabitants welcomed them kindly, but thought their ideas strange, since they still lived according to Kilgor's old laws. Both Tarnum and Waerjak hated Kilgor, but they wanted to convince the population with arguments and facts that what he did long ago was outdated and only brought destruction to his people and that warriors can be honorable people who protect the innocent, not just bloodthirsty killers. One of them said that a thief, Screaming Tom, had stolen their Cart of Ore, but they managed to drive him off with the fierce and savage manner of their warriors. They also said that he is not alone, because he is the leader of a pirate gang, in which bandits and barbarians are also fighting. Tarnum then offered to prove that honest warriors could be effective by recovering the Cart of Ore and taking down Screaming Tom once and for all. He then immediately noticed a small island not far to the east and suggested that Waerjak and his warriors look around there. He thought that the pirates like to hide in remote places, so they left at dawn so that it would not be noticeable that they were approaching the island, and in the morning they landed and found the criminals inside the island. Waerjak was tempted to kill them while they slept, he knew they were murderers and evildoers, and Tarnum saw him struggling inside and reminded him that in a similar situation Tom would cut his throat without hesitation, but the young man did not want to stoop to their level. Therefore, he blew his horn three times and offered the possibility of surrender and only asked for the Cart of Ore, but the pirates responded by fighting. In the fight, Waerjak killed Screaming Tom, and his entire gang was slaughtered by the barbarians, and then returned to the town of Kilmar with the artifact. The people were very happy and cheered, and the chief respected the two barbarians, thought they were great warriors and wondered how he did it. Waerjak then said that even a warrior fighting with respect and love is capable of great deeds, and that Kilgor would not have cared about Screaming Tom and even kept the Cart of Ore for himself. The people looked at each other, and the chief knew that the young man was telling the truth and they were curious about what the power of a community could do, so they wanted to hear more, and Tarnum was proud of his adopted son for taking his first big step.
After Kilmar sided with them and accepted Waerjak as their new leader, the two barbarians moved on with their small army and found the next town, Frunag, to the southeast. Tarnum and the young man accompanied a wagon that was carrying water, the driver of which said he was taking it to the town, but lately a lot of people have been getting sick for no reason, some of the old people have died and they don't know what the cause is, he believed the water may be the cause. In the town, the two barbarians saw that people were suffering, some were dehydrated and others were sick. Tarnum took a sip from the river from which the town got its water, then immediately spat it out and found it was poisoned. Then they both looked in the direction from which the river flowed and both thought the same thing, so they set off together. They almost reached the end of the river northeast of the town, but already on the way they found some dead animals, a young deer, a fox, two wild boars and several fish. Despite the fact that they proceeded cautiously, they found a cave where thirty medusas lived and surrounded the barbarians. The young man wanted to know what they had done with the water, then some of them glanced at a large cooking pot, admitting that they had poisoned the water. The stone-stare took heavy losses, but in the end the barbarians killed them all and destroyed the cooking pot that contained the poison. A day later, the poison was cleared from the river and the population of Frunag could now drink clean water and were much better. Waerjak then sat down and told him about the community and his goals, which pleased them, and Tarnum was happy that his adopted son had taken another successful step in his journey.
After that, the barbarian army crossed a red portal and reached a new land, where they found another town, Battlepeak. Tarnum and Waerjak were met by three large men with axes and shields, looking at them sternly and all three bearing scars. One of them said that they had heard about the young man and his goals, but they wondered if he could really make a change, if he was just talking or if he really had some metal behind his words and could prove that he was serious about his goals. The three warriors said that there were some behemoths living in the mountains not far from them, which used to hunt only a few cows, but now they attacked smaller villages and killed many young warriors who tried to stop it, and women and children also disappeared. One of the warriors told him to find the behemoths and kill them, thus giving revenge and safety to the town and they would listen to the young man and his goals. Their cave was east of the town, but Tarnum could see that Waerjak was very nervous because he had never fought behemoths before, which were extremely strong and dangerous monsters. Then Tarnum cut his cloak into several strips and lit a fire to smoke the monsters out of the cave, because it would be suicide to fight them inside. Waerjak was worried about the women and children, but then his foster father pointed to the entrance of the cave, where there were many bones, meaning they had died, but the young man believed that there were still survivors, but this was exactly the plan. While he fights the behemoths, Tarnum goes in, looks through the cave and looks for survivors. Waerjak was worried why he had to fight the behemoths since he knew nothing about these creatures and Tarnum was much more experienced, but then his foster father told him that once he became king he would have to face much bigger threats and that everything taught him all he could about these monsters. After that, the young man lit the oiled rags, threw them into the caves and the behemoths came out. Waerjak then realized that the behemoths were extremely strong up close, but they were slow and he could weaken them from a distance, so he fought with ranged weapons and his warriors and only then attacked up close. They finally managed to kill the four behemoths and Tarnum searched the cave and the young man stood in shock before the corpses of the monsters and understood why they were so infamous and their blood was hot and burned his hands and forearms. Waerjak then ordered the dead to be buried and the wounded to be tended while he entered the cave where he found a large female with a strange wound fifty meters away, but Tarnum was nowhere to be seen until he heard his voice. The smoking out was only partially successful, because not all behemoths came out of the cave, he fought with a second one which he killed, but the great weight of the creature pressed him against the wall. Waerjak didn't want to believe that his foster father could kill two behemoths by himself, but help was needed to get the monster's corpse off him. Tarnum was in a bad condition, he suffered burns on his hand and arm, his left cheek was swollen and he was bleeding profusely from several wounds on his chest. He then pointed to the shallow hollow behind him and said that six children had survived, everyone else had been killed by the monsters. They then returned to the town of Battlepeak, where the citizens ran out and happily greeted the vanquisher of the behemoths and the rescued children. The three leaders of the town, the scarred warriors, acknowledged Waerjak's success, one of them even shook hands with him and were curious about his ideas. He then said that as barbarians and warriors, they had to protect their families and there was no glory in killing. Meanwhile, Tarnum had recovered and was satisfied that his adopted son would now become an actual leader, but there was one more test left. Waerjak's community was attacked by several barbarian groups, led by a general named Ofroj, who tried to quickly conquer the lands, but Waerjak proved to be a great warrior and strategist, and after several battles, he defeated the invaders, killed Ofroj in battle, and captured his fortress. After that, a unified community was created under his leadership
==== A Necessary War ====
In a few months, the small kingdom of Waerjak became very rich and the people lived well and were contented, which in turn attracted the attention of two dark warlords who followed the same evil path as Kilgor. Tarnum wanted to help his adopted son, but he knew that he could not stay by his side forever and that the time would come when he would have to make good decisions alone.
Waerjak personally helped his community build what he could and did his share of the work, marveling at how much the barbarians could achieve when they working together. Tarnum then laughed, as he too had experienced this feeling several times and said that it also applies to war, as in war their people won huge victories even with weaker weapons and lack of magic. The young man did not necessarily agree, since these were just ordinary things, but his foster father highlighted that barbarians are active in all areas, and the lazy are not exiled by chance. Waerjak had already learned what Tarnum wanted, that barbarians are not bloodthirsty animals, but that they too can live in peace and that with honest work and construction, much greater things can be achieved than just battles and blood. The young man hoped that everyone would be like this one day, but unfortunately he and his foster father were faced with the fact that their people still had evil representatives. In front of Waerjak's town, Stavard, a female barbarian warrior was waiting with twenty berzerkers who attacked him for no reason, but the young man defeated them and the woman fled. Two days later, Tarnum and Waerjak became aware that his small but wealthy kingdom had attracted the attention of two powerful barbarian warlords who wanted to conquer the region. Both of them were similar to Kilgor, whose megalomania caused the destruction of an entire world, but before that he caused a lot of damage even to his own people, as his wars starved some of the barbarians and exterminated the tribes of his own leaders. The young man was worried about how much damage these two similar people could cause to the community for which they had worked so hard, but he believed they had a chance with Tarnum. Tarnum believed they should start the fight by getting to know the enemy, so he and Waerjak asked around some people who had information about the two warlords. A berzerker named Wulgar was able to give them a lot of useful information. One was called Hundric, who was a fat and very gluttonous warrior, but as strong as an ox and despite his big belly he was also very fast. The other was a huge, extremely strong man whose name was Vogel Backbreaker, but they couldn't get much information about him. The two heroes believed that Vogel was more dangerous, as Hundric was vulnerable with his gluttony, and it also turned out that he had sent the barbarian woman with the berzerkers against Waerjak earlier.
Waerjak and Tarnum set out to confront the invaders as they searched for new towns to offer their help. The first town was led by a tall druid who told them that they were having problems with the barbarians, as the nearby BoarsHoof tribe used cerberus to hunt and offered that if the two heroes killed the monsters, the town would join them. The young man first tried to settle the matter through diplomacy and approached the tribe, but they rejected several attempts, claiming that they were the last of their tribe and that the area around them was theirs. Wulgar suggested they capture their garrison, Tarnum then grabbed the berzerker's arm, everyone was surprised. He then explained that attacking the garrison would go against everything they had built so far, and the Waerjak decided not to bother them and find another way to cross to the east to stop Hundric's forces. They then found a cave not far away, where they killed the tribe's thirty-five cerberus, then returned to the town, where the druid happily greeted them and kept his word, the city joined the community. Not long after the incident, however, a young man arrived in the camp of the barbarians, who was barely ten years old and said that he was the last of his tribe. It was Daeric who, nervous and struggling with his emotions, told them that Hundric had attacked their garrison and that everyone had been killed, men, women and children, and that he wanted to join the community to take revenge. Tarnum knew how the boy felt and assured him that the killers would pay for their actions.
The two heroes were more and more sure that Hundric was an increasing threat, so they should defeat him first and only then deal with Vogel. Waerjak then came up with a plan that, according to Tarnum, was flawless and could lead them to victory. The young man took advantage of the barbarian warlord's gluttony and his scouts started spreading rumors that one of the inns was going to serve unprecedented venison, and Hundric immediately entered the trap and left his army behind to go to the scene. However, at the inn, Waerjak's men were waiting for him as he, Tarnum and their army launched an attack against the invaders. Hundric could not be killed and the warlord fled, but the two heroes inflicted a huge defeat on him and even captured two castles.
After that, they set out to find out more about Vogel and his army, so they headed south. He had already launched attacks against the community, but they weren't that big, which is why they didn't expect too much resistance. Another town was found south of Stavgard, from which the shaman came out and welcomed the strangers, but said that no one could enter because they did not want to be part of the war, but said that the two heroes could prove it to them. He said that some evil eyes used to bother the townspeople, if they killed the monsters, they would join the community. However, the monsters' cave was in Vogel's territory, so they were forced to cross over to the enemy's land. A centaur noticed signs of a battle at the border, where dozens of dead warriors were found, and Tarnum noted that they had fought the enemy face-to-face, and there were many of them. Among the dead he noticed a few broken black shields used almost exclusively by Vogel's warriors, and Tarnum looked down on the corpses for so bravely but foolishly confronting the invaders instead of protecting the civilians. Tarnum then rode up a hill and when he saw what he wanted, he rode down very quickly, and Waerjak followed until the two heroes found the ruins of a small town. It was then that the young man understood why his foster father despised the dead warriors as they saw the destruction Vogel and his warriors had wrought. Many dead bodies were found, even the well was full and all structures were destroyed. Waerjak already now hated Vogel and wanted to kill him at all costs, but Tarnum suggested that the first step was to give the dead a decent burial. He then went to the cave where the evil eyes lived and finished off the monsters before returning to the town where the shaman told them that they still feared the two warlords but trusted the community and joined them. After that, the two heroes fought their army for several days against the forces of Vogel, who in turn showed that he is not like Kilgor or the other warlords, but intelligent, cunning and attacks unexpectedly. After several days of fighting, he divided his army into a smaller and a larger part, and the smaller group retreated towards a mountain range. Tarnum volunteered to follow the smaller group with some warriors, and Waerjak must fight the large army with his men, but he assured his adopted son that he must be patient and strong now and that he was responsible for the future of the community as a leader, and then said that if finished with his opponents, then follow him. After that, they parted ways and Waerjak clashed with the enemy and after a great fight he finally won, but at the end of the battle he got an unpleasant surprise. Vogel was nowhere to be found, and the enemy prisoners told him that he led the smaller army which had retreated over the mountains and which Tarnum was pursuing. Waerjak was worried and his men searched for the party for more than a week until they finally found the body of the scouts, who were ambushed by a larger force, but Tarnum's body was nowhere to be found.
==== A King's Choice ====
Waerjak was very frightened when he learned that Vogel Backbreaker had captured and imprisoned Tarnum and was worried about what the cruel warlord might do to him. An old man told the young man that he had seen Vogel take his prisoner to the town of Boernberg and that he was still there in prison. Waearjak also had a plan, but he couldn't carry it out because he had to participate in the meeting of the twenty tribes and the chiefs wanted to elect him king, but he knew what his foster father would choose, so he didn't accept the offer yet, because he still needed to his people to keep them together. The next day, Daeric said that Hundric had been so defeated that his army had to be completely rebuilt, but because of this, hundreds of people were working as slaves in his mines, but Waerjak did not know what to do, because he did not want to betray Tarnum and was afraid that if he went against Hundric , then Vogel will immediately move in and kill him. The next day, the young man received terrible news of how Hundric unscrupulous and disgusting enemy was. Reports are that hundreds of women, children and the elderly, even the sick, have been abducted by his warriors, who must work with his tribe in the mines while he eating in the palace of Clomdenand and the mass graves stink around him. The warlord wants to rebuild his army by working his own people and prisoners to death, and the warriors looked at the young king, who was worried because he didn't want to let Tarnum down, but he didn't yet know what decision his foster father would make in this situation.
Thirty-one days passed until finally a decisive event took place. Vogel decided to get rid of Tarnum, whom he took naked from the prison, chained his hands and feet, and dragged him with his horse three miles over rocky ground to a ravine, where a large crowd awaited them. The massive barbarian then took a large hammer and began smashing both knees and legs as he watched his reaction, but Tarnum did not give him the pleasure of screaming in pain and begging for his life. Frustrated when he saw his enemy grit his teeth and refuse to give him the suffering he craved, Vogel dropped the hammer and picked him up, demonstrating why he was called the Backbreaker. He crushed Tarnum's spine on his knees, who coughed sadly and deeply, and this was enough for the warlord to satisfy his sadistic desires. He then announced that the adopted son would be next and expected everyone to cheer, but there was a great silence, no one spoke. He then leaned over Tarnum, who only told him to wait until he met his Ancestors, then spat his blood into Vogel's eyes, who became furious, picked him up and threw him into the ravine. Tarnum did not cry out or screamed and his body lay unconscious in the ravine Three days later, Vogel began spreading false rumors about Tarnum, that he was an overrated coward who cried for his life and incited hatred among the barbarians, causing Waerjak's friend Wulgar to die and the young man to have trouble controlling his emotions.
In the end, it was precisely because of this that he succeeded in making his decision and led his armies against Hundric to free the slaves, while Vogel achieved the exact opposite of what he did. The deeds of Hundric and Vogel quickly spread among the neutral tribes, who were thoroughly hated them and many joined Waerjak’s community to end the two evildoers' reign of terror. Warjak destroyed all of Hundric's forces, captured the castle of Clomden and defeated the fat warlord in a decisive battle, whom he did not kill, instead Daeric took revenge in prison. The young man was celebrated by everyone and did everything as his foster father had taught him, but he was tired and sad because the one from whom he had learned so much and loved so much had died and he lived strongly in him for revenge against his archenemy.
==== One Tribe ====
There was only one person standing in the way of Waerjak, that the barbarians would finally become not only a united community, but a country, but it was the same person who killed Tarnum and the young king especially hated Vogel Backbreaker, but he knew that his emotions could not overpower him, otherwise with that, his foster father's inheritance would also be lost forever. However, the young man was shocked to learn that Tarnum's body had disappeared into the ravine and had not been taken by Vogel or his warriors. After the young king killed Vogel in the final battle, he was not happy because he felt that the death of his enemy would not bring back the one he loved so much. However, after the war ended and he remembered his childhood in his tent, Tarnum suddenly entered, and the young king did not want to believe it and was scared. He then told him his full story of being the Immortal Hero, what he had been through and why he was immortal, Waerjak felt he had partially betrayed him by not telling him the truth about himself until now, but he was glad to see him again. After that, he said, already when he started to raise him, the Ancestors offered him that he finally found his redemption and could enter the Paradise, but he refused this, because he was taking revenge for his punishment and wanted to see that his people would finally be in good hands and not more to the brink of destruction. He was proud of the young king, whom he called his son, and he cried and the immortal hero told him that he came from him, indicating that he owes the Gryphonheart family that everything happened to him and that he really managed to make amends for his crimes. Then Waerjak saw in Tarnum's eyes that he was genuinely happy, that he had found peace and was free and could finally be relieved after so much fighting, suffering and missions.
Category:Synopsis