In the darkness, they chant, in the deep crevices that cover the barren lands of Nythrak.
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They came in ten, draped in dark, tattered shrouds with long, sharp bones protruding from their backs. They stood side by side, their faces concealed in the shadows of their hoods. They spoke an ancient language, unknown and eerie, as a green mist swirled around their bodies.
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"Today is the day of reckoning!" A loud, commanding voice echoed through the valley, filled with thousands of dark green-skinned orcs, who roared in savagery and madness.
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He stood hunched over, a crooked staff in hand, adorned with ancient carvings, small animal bones, and a human skull at the top. He wore a black, torn cloak with red runes etched into the fabric, and thick, large bone spikes pierced through the cloth on his back. He was known as the SoulCatcher Grulgor, leader of the Ten Savage Clans.
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"The day of Ghulrek!" Grulgor shouted over the frenzied crowds of his people. "Today we take what is ours! We reclaim what has wrongfully been kept from our kind—the lands bathed in sunlight. Those lands are our birthright!" he bellowed.
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"Hail Grulgor!" screamed the orcs.
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"Hail Thornak!" cried another.
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Grulgor raised his hands high, and a green energy began to emanate from his body. "Today, we take it all back!" he yelled. "Let the war begin!"
***
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In the far east, they rode through the forests of Lumina, knights in silver armor belonging to the kingdom of Eldoria.
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They rode through tall trees and along endless roads covered in stone and grass, led by Captain of the Guard Leon Talveris. After hours of riding, they finally came to a halt as they met five more of their fellow knights standing before dead bodies with green flesh and spilled blood.
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Leon jumped off his horse and stepped forward. "Orion," he called, looking toward the young knight he knew to be his own son.
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"Father..." Orion said, removing his helmet as he approached. "I mean Captain," he corrected himself.
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Leon smirked as he looked at his son, the youngest knight in generations to receive the title of High Warden, one of ten protectors of Eldoria's borders.
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"What is this?" Leon asked, looking down at the corpses scattered across the ground. The green bodies were strange and alien to him, and they smoked as if they were on fire.
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"We received word of strange creatures destroying and raiding small villages throughout the land," Orion said. "Upon inspecting a few of these villages, we were attacked by these creatures." He looked down at the strange bodies.
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"They were vicious, gigantic monsters with great strength, capable of lifting horses and tearing apart men with their bare hands."
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"Delightful," Leon said, kneeling next to one of the bodies. "Why are these bodies so decayed?" he asked.
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"I have no idea, Captain," Orion said.
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"We're going to have to figure this out," Leon said, standing up. "We are taking the bodies back to the kingdom!" Leon ordered. "I want them intact!" he yelled.
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"Yes, sir!" shouted the border knights in unison.
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Leon walked up to his son and placed a hand on Orion's shoulder. "Be careful," he said. "I have a bad feeling about all of this."
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"Whatever it is, I can handle it," Orion said with such confidence that it made Leon smile.
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Leon said no more as he walked back to his horse and began the ride back to the kingdom, followed by his guardian knights, who in turn were followed by the border knights dragging the dead corpses on wooden wagons.
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As they exited the forest of Lumina, none of them were aware of the eavesdropping eyes watching them from the tall bushes.
***
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Leon stood in the medical ward, the sterile air thick with the scent of herbs and ointments. The wounded border knights lay on cots, bandages swathed around their limbs. At the corner of the room, behind closed doors, examined by several healers were the grotesque corpses of the green-skinned creatures.
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Next to him stood Elisa Valenbane, known as the High Medicus, her robes adorned with sigils of healing and protection. Both Leon and Elisa gazed down at one of the decayed bodies on a stone slab, their expressions troubled.
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"Even though these creatures are vastly different from human biology," Elisa began in a measured, clinical tone, "there are numerous similarities that cannot be ignored." She used a slender metal rod to point out various parts of the corpse. "Their bone structure is exceedingly thick and dense compared to ours," she said, tapping on a forearm bone that looked nearly impenetrable on. "And their muscle fibers..." She poked at what remained of them. "They are significantly larger and more robust than those found in humans."
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Elisa then moved to inspect the creature's head. "Note these large tusks protruding from their jaws," she continued, indicating sizable tusks adorned with metal rings. "These must serve both physical combat purposes as well as some cultural significance given these adornments."
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Leon shook his head slowly. "Why are their bodies so decayed? They died recently," he commented, perplexed.
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"That is what confounds me," Elisa replied thoughtfully, staring intently at a dried-out limb. "Despite perishing just hours ago, it appears this body has been drained of its life force or energy—something that's not standard decay." She tapped her chin contemplatively.
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Suddenly, a knight burst into the room breathlessly. "Captain Leon!" he shouted urgently.
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Leon turned sharply toward him. "What is it?"
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"Someone claims they have information about these strange creatures," said the knight hurriedly.
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Leon looked toward the soldier, his eyes confused. "And who might that be?"
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Leon said as he walked out of the room and exited the medical ward, following behind one of his knights as they made their way toward the front of the city gate.
***
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Leon and his knight stood in front of the grand city gate, its massive iron bars looming high above them. Leon's sharp gaze fell upon a young man with short brown hair, held firmly by two guards.
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"So you're the one with the information, are you?" Leon inquired, his tone steady but scrutinizing.
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The boy nodded earnestly. "My name is Gram Velaris," he introduced himself. "I request permission to study the bodies."
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***
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