Before we proceed with this tale, perhaps I should introduce myself.  I am Aquila, named for the north wind which bore me here upon its graceful wings.  I am the queen of the southern lands, though I am initially of the north.

Here is my story, and the story of how this great war began..

The prophet was born into one of the northern herds, partially blind.  She was a small filly of ordinary colouring and stature, and fared well among her siblings.  She grew to be a lovely mare, and produced many offspring, and was ever sought out by the young foals, for she always told the most amazing of stories.  One of which is the story we are about to impart to you.

In times not far from here, in a world not unlike our own there existed two civilisations.  In the north ruled the queen Alhaja, of Malaire.  She was fair and beautiful, but sad.  Her king was killed by a band of unknown warriors.  None of her family still live, but her daughter Aquila.  The warriors have declared war on her northern kingdom, and Malaire now must go to war.  Since the death of the king, Aquila has led her father's army, and despite her mother's protests, she leads them into battle once again.  Days of fighting ensue, in which thousands of lives are lost, but still Aquila continues, determined to drive the dark warriors from her home.  The end draws near, and the dark ones seem to flee, but suddenly darkness surrounds Aquila, and cold, mocking laughter reverberates through the ever thickening air.  For hours the mare waited and waited for her doom to fall, but it didn't.  

The dark one, who had orchestrated the war, and had worked for years, killing off all of Alhaja's family, aside from her daughter, now went to her, and offered her a deal.  If Alhaja gave her soul up to the dark one, Aquila could go free, but must be banished from the northern kingdom.  After losing everyone else, Alhaja was unwilling to allow her only daughter to be murdered, and so she agreed, and Aquila was banished, but alive.

Alhaja lived on, now immortal, for her tiring soul no longer burdened her.  Now she was subjected to the most horrible of tortures- living on, her only loved one driven into the south.  Alhaja refused to take another king, knowing that only sadness could come from love now, for he would grow old and die, and leave her grieving once again.

The people of her kingdom thought of Alhaja as a goddess, after all, she never aged, her beauty never waned.  But Alhaja was bitter and angry at her hopeless situation, and she began to weaken, finally embracing the dark one's strength.  Now the dark one empowered, her, knowing her mind and heart,  and taking full advantage of this, it called upon its warriors, and they came to bolster the northern armies, readying them for battle.  Malaire would now lay seige to the southern kingdom. 

Alhaja thought often of Aquila, wondering what had happened to her.  By this time Aquila would be dead, for many years had passed by since her banishment, and even if she were alive she would be weak and old, and would not survive long.  Alhaja could think only of last seeing her daughter, proud and young, and powerful, as she fled before the dark warriors.  Little did she know that Aquila lived on, and prepared her own southern army for battle.  Aquila now ruled the south, she too empowered and immortal.  However, it was not the dark one who aided Aquila, but the white one.  The white one did not own Aquila, nor did it posses her, or rule through her.  It guided her, and allowed her glimpses of her enemies, so she may prepare to protect her people. 

Aquila had been given the power to counter Alhaja, and the dark one, only enough to counter the dark power, not to bring it to its knees. 

The day of the great war drew near...

And so ends our knowledge of the prophet's story.  However, this is not only the prophet's story, but our own.  I ask you now to choose - cliché as this may seem, you now must decide your future - fight for the dark one, or the white one.  Do not take too long.

enter the shadows
[opens in a new window]

this is an intermediate/advanced rpg