Heroes 5 - The Skull of Shadows - chronicles of ashan
The potency of the Skull of Shadows lies both in its origins and its purpose.
Literally speaking it is the skull of a dragon, though not from one of the corporeal dragons that exist on the surface
(or in the depths) of Ashan. It is the skull of one of the dragon gods, and of a very particular dragon-god at that.
A brief explanation of cosmology and history is necessary.
The world of Ashan was created by the mother dragon and goddess called Asha.
Since the dawn of time, however, she has been challenged by the powers of her sibling, the dragon Urgash, scion of Chaos.
He seeks to undo or conquer all that Asha built and holds precious.
To aid her in creating and protecting her world, Asha created six dragons that tend the physical plane of existence.
Each of them is tied to an aspect or element (Air, Earth, Fire, and Water as well as Light and Dark),
and each of them created races in their own image to cultivate Ashan and worship their creators.
There's more to it, but this is meant to be brief.
One particular faction developed apart.
They are the Wizards, who worship no dragon (or all, depending on your point of view)
and strive rather to pierce the fundamental mysteries of the powers and mechanics that govern their world.
They studied and experimented tirelessly (and still do),
seeking mastery of the rules that Asha laid down when she created the world
(or the limits that an even higher authority placed upon her when she did her works,
but that debate shall doubtless go on until the fading of the sun).
The first and mightiest of these Wizards, Sar-Elam, gained such an astounding depth of knowledge,
and such an abiding love for the works of Asha, that he ascended into the sphere of the Dragon-Gods,
becoming himself the "Seventh Dragon." It was he who sacrificed himself voluntarily during the Wars of Fire,
donating the powers of his divine soul and body to help lock the Demon hordes away in a prison dimension.
And the Skull of Shadows is his skull. One may view it as a lock to a door,
though more accurately it is a keystone in the structure of the impossibly complex spell that created
the Demon prison and homeworld of Sheogh.
Once the incantations were complete and the Demons locked away,
the Wars of Fire came to an end.
The Skull was taken away by the faithful of Ashan to be hidden in a heavily guarded and secret temple, far from prying eyes.
But what should happen if the Skull of Shadows was to be discovered by a powerful wielder of magic who is a follower of Urgash?
What if the keystone that seals the Demons' prison was to fall into the hands of the prisoners?
The answer to that question is as obvious as it is terrifying…
By Jeff Spock, Writer, and Erwan Le Breton, World Coordinator Heroes 5.
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