The empire of Blackwood existed for almost 1,000 years before Derrezen the Dragon-God broke free from his eternal prison. Although the realm has held Derrezen’s attacks off for the last twenty years, each battle leaves Blackwood weaker while the Dragon-God only gets stronger. To finally defeat Derrezen, the people of Blackwood may need to look to their past.

A War of Gods

Blackwood lies in the western hemisphere of the world called Niiran, and Derrezen has sought to rule that world for millennia. In fact, his quest to conquer goes all the way back to Niiran’s creation.

In the swirling chaos of the universe, two gods emerged. These deities, Ameterra and Arrin, had thirteen children known as the Kami. They created the world of Niiran for their children to share, but Derrezen sought to control it all. He fought against his parents, seeking to steal the power of creation for himself. In the end, he struck down his father Arrin, casting him to earth so violently that the impact created an entire mountain range.

The battle with his father took its toll on Derrezen, and Ameterra struck while he rested and healed from his wounds. Using his own blood, she cast a powerful spell of binding that put him into an eternal slumber beneath the surface of the world. Niiran, which Derrezen sought to rule, became his prison.

In time, the other twelve Kami tried to wrest control of the world for themselves. Each one met the same fate as Derrezen. With her children imprisoned, Ameterra created mortals with a fraction of the Kamis’ power, strong enough to survive and thrive in the world but no threat to her.

For thousands of years, the Kami slept, with mortals largely oblivious to their presence. But not even the enchantments of a goddess last forever.

The Lord of Chaos

Thousands of years went by, and the Kami passed from known entities to the stuff of legend. Then one day, one of them began to stir.

Karos, the Lord of Chaos, reached out to mortals through his dreams. He promised a great conflict to those who would listen. Once he broke free from his prison, he would reignite the War of the Kami. Those who showed loyalty to him would emerge from the conflict stronger, with the blessing of Niiran’s true ruler. Most ignored these whispers as the cries of madness, but some listened and plotted Karos’ freedom.

But Ameterra had prepared for such an eventuality. When she created mortals, she had given a portion of her divinity to the elves, granting them immortality. Elves mingled with humans, and through their mating the divine light of Ameterra spread to humans as well.

Through fate or accident, one mortal inherited an unusually large portion of Ameterra’s divinity. This human, a street urchin named Kajeel, took years to realize her potential. When she did, she became Niiran’s most powerful sorcerer. Kajeel met Karos just before he awoke from his prison and destroyed him, preventing a second War of the Kami and earning her place as one of the world’s greatest heroines.

The Dragon-God Awakens

Twenty years ago, another one of Ameterra’s children awoke. Derrezen, the firstborn, slayer of Arrin, finally broke free from his prison. Within the span of a few years he laid waste to the northern realms of Capertia, twisting them into the monster-infested Dragonlands.

After destroying the Northern Realms, Derrezen turned his attention south but found himself stymied by mortal innovation. The realm of Blackwood had created mighty war machines while the Dragon-God slept, including firearms and airships. Bolstered further by Kajeel Shadowslayer and her husband Garyl, Derrezen found himself locked in a frustrating stalemate in his bid to rule Niiran. But there are more ways to win a victory than by brute force…

As Shadowslayers opens, Derrezen and Blackwood have fought to a standstill over the course of 20 years. But Derrezen has moved on to a more subtle method of manipulation, poisoning Queen Elony and leaving Blackwood with a leadership void. In curing the queen, Kajeel will start a new chapter of the ongoing war that may cost her more than her very life…

To find out what happens next, check out Shadowslayers, available as an e-book!

_{Featured Image: Andrea Stöckel}