A brief synopsis, the story of Ashan.

969-972 - Civil War in the Griffin Empire
Nicholas Griffin dies. In desperation, Queen Isabelle seeks help from the necromancer Markel, who promises to resurrect her husband, and together they ravage the Silver Cities in search of the artifacts needed for this ritual. Emperor Nicholas is resurrected as a vampire lord, a loyal servant of Markel. Fortunately, the plans of the latter are thwarted by the united elves of Irollan, the wizards of the Silver Cities, and the dark elves of Ig-Shail. Meanwhile, the Demon King's agent in Ashan, the succubus Biara, kidnaps Isabelle and takes her to Shio. Kha-Beleth rapes Queen Isabelle so that she bears his child - the Dark Messiah.

The son of Isabelle and Kha-Beleth is delivered by demon minions to the demonologist Fenrig, who knows the truth about the child's origin. Fenrig's mission is simple: to raise the boy, train him in magic and martial arts, and hide him from those who would prevent the fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Dark Messiah. The prophecy has begun to unfold, but no one in the world knows it yet.

The Griffin Empire is torn by civil war. The succubus Biara, in the illusory guise of Queen Isabelle, usurps the throne. Her minions establish a new faith in the one goddess - Saint Isabelle. Followers of Elrath are mercilessly exterminated. Nobles who oppose the rule of the mad queen secretly send the young Andrew, cousin of the deceased Nicholas and direct heir to the throne, to Grimheim. But the dwarven kingdom is also torn by internal contradictions, which, with the arrival of Andrew, escalate into open conflict... In opposition to the tyranny of the illusory Queen, the young Duke Duncan Deer and Frida, heir to the Unicorn Duchy and daughter of Godric, as well as the dwarf Wulfsten, leader of the North Wind Clan, stand.

Unfortunately, they fail to protect the young Andrew, and Biara uses the boy's blood to open a portal to Shio in the middle of Talongard Square, the capital of the Empire, using the Heart of the Griffin, which has been corrupted by demonic influence.

In the decisive battle at the walls of Talongard, the united forces of the peoples of Ashan, joined by the orcs of Ranaan, drive out the demons. Queen Isabelle abdicates the throne in favor of Frida. The Griffin Empire becomes the Unicorn Empire.

972 - Aranthir begins the search for the Skull of Shadows

For several centuries, the necromancers have been rebuilding their strength, and now they have reasserted themselves as a powerful nation under the leadership of the Lord of Death, Aranthir, who devoutly worships the goddess Ash and hates demons with all his heart. While exploring the origins of demonic corruption in the Holy Empire, Aranthir discovers that the coming of the Dark Messiah is imminent. He also learns that Menelag, a wizard from the Free Cities, is trying to find the Skull of Shadows, and that there is an inextricable link between this relic of Sar-Elam and the prophecy of Sar-Shazzar. Aranthir unites the forces of Erish and concentrates all the resources of the necromancers on preventing the coming of the Dark Messiah. He intends to destroy the Skull of Shadows, releasing a fragment of Sar-Elam's soul and sealing the breach that weakens the walls of the prison world of Shio during lunar eclipses. In this way, he hopes to avert the fulfillment of the prophecy, forever imprisoning the demons in Shio.

985 - Menelag finds the Skull of Shadows

After decades spent studying ancient documents that were long thought to be destroyed, ruins, and interrogating spirits, the mage Menelag finally discovers the Skull of Shadows. The artifact is located in the ruins of the Shantiri temple, located on a once uninhabited island in the Jade Ocean. Now, an orcish tribe of the Red Skull, led by the shaman Aratrok, lives there. Menelag convinces the rulers of Stonehelm to organize an expedition to the island of the Red Skull. Menelag and his team begin excavations in the ruins, repelling attacks from orcs who are very hostile to strangers. After four years, they finally find the Skull, but it is located in a crypt that is impossible to enter. The only way to do this is to find the rarest Shantiri crystal, which will restore the magical energies of the temple, and the demonologist Fenrig, Menelag's secret mentor, possesses such an artifact.

989 - The Coming of the Dark Messiah

Fenrig sends his student, Sareth, the son of Isabelle and Kha-Beleth, to the city of Stonehelm. The young man, who is still unaware of his heritage, carries with him the Shantiri crystal, which is supposed to help Menelag reach the Skull of Shadows. To guide and protect the young man, Fenrig binds the succubus, Xana, to his soul. Sareth arrives in Stonehelm shortly before the city is attacked by an army of the undead led by Aranthir. The necromancers manage to infiltrate the city, kill Menelag, and steal the Shantiri crystal. With the help of Xana, Sareth pursues the necromancers and returns the crystal.

Together with Linna, Menelag's niece, Sareth sets off for the island of the Red Skull. Together they open the ancient tomb, confront the guardians of the Skull of Shadows. Sareth descends into the heart of the tomb, where he finds the relic and instantly realizes his true nature and destiny. But Aranthir continues to pursue them. He captures Linna, attacks Sareth, and, leaving him to die, takes the Skull of Shadows. Xana brings the young man back to consciousness, after which Sareth flees from the orcs of Aratrok and returns to Stonehelm.

A battle is about to begin. An army of necromancers has invaded the city, and Sareth has to fight his way to the sanctuary, where Aranthir intends to destroy the Skull. To do this, the necromancer needs a huge amount of magical energy, so he decides to sacrifice the inhabitants of Stonehelm, and then direct the energy of their souls into the Skull, in order to shatter the relic. But Sareth defeats Aranthir before the necromancer completes the ritual.

On this day in midsummer, the sun turns blood-red and remains so. The volcanoes of the dwarves' homeland awaken. Lightning strikes the central tower of the city of wizards, Al-Safir, eleven times, an unlucky number. In the elven kingdom, the flowers that bloom are black or blood-red. Two comets appear in the sky, and then suddenly disappear. No one, not even the Blind Brothers, can understand what these signs mean. In this terrible hour for the world, Sareth holds the Skull of Shadows in his hands, and with it - the future of Ashan. He must decide whether to accept his heritage or reject it, to pass the relic on to his father, Kha-Beleth, in order to free the demons from their prison world, or to destroy the Skull of Shadows, thereby completing the ritual of Sar-Elam and finally imprisoning the demons in Shio...