Posts from A brief synopsis, the story of Ashan.

Might & Magic Heroes VI takes place in the 564th year of the Seventh Dragon* (approximately 400 years before the events of Might & Magic Heroes V), during the time of the second Blood Moon eclipse and the rise to power of Kha-Belekh, the future Demon Lord.
The legendary Archstrategos of the Archangels, killed during the War of the Ancients, is resurrected. Under the guise of preparing for the demon invasion, he seeks to restore his power and conquer Ashan, while simultaneously destroying his ancient enemies. However, he underestimates the simple human dynasty of the Griffons...
Heroes VI tells the story of the Griffon family at a time when they were still Dukes of the Holy Empire and had not yet ascended to the Imperial Throne (as in Heroes V and Clash of Heroes). The Duchy of Griffon is located in the east of the Empire, in an area that corresponds to the Slavic countries in our world.
The founder of the dynasty, Duke Pavel, was a devout servant of the Light and a trusted commander of the Emperor. He fell defending his land from an armada of demons summoned by the death curse of a desperate enemy. Pavel held out to the last. Thanks to this, his son, Vyacheslav – then just a child – was saved.
Then, Svetlana, Pavel's sister, who had once left her homeland to study necromancy in the Seven Cities and became an outstanding necromancer, was called home. She took the place of regent for Vyacheslav and took on his education in accordance with the traditions of the Griffon family.
Fifteen years passed, and the war became a thing of the past. Duke Vyacheslav became the father of five promising children. They are the heroes of the Heroes VI campaign, and they will lead the inhabitants of Ashan into battle.

* Nowadays, the calendar in Ashan is counted from the day when the legendary prophet Sar-Ilám achieved enlightenment and was deified as the Seventh Dragon. Little is known about the events that preceded this, but judging by the ruins of ancient civilizations, Ashan has existed for thousands of years.

History of Ashan

Age of Legends

Legend of Creation: The Void, the Cosmic Egg, the birth of the Dragons of Order and Chaos. Asha, the Dragoness of Order, creates the world and gives rise to the Elemental Dragons. The "Elder" mortal races are created as servants of the Elemental Dragons.

- The Chaos Dragon spawns demons.

- The Age of Legends ends with a battle between the two Primal Dragons, fought across all planes of reality.

- The Chaos Dragon is defeated and imprisoned in the planet's core, and his spawn are cast out from the mortal world.

- Weakened by the battle, the Dragoness of Order descends into the depths of the moon to heal and restore her strength.

Ancient Age

Wars of the Elders: Angels stand against the Faceless. The consequences of the conflict are terrible; emerging civilizations and kingdoms are destroyed at their roots. The Primal Dragons are gradually forgotten, mentioned only in legends. Mortals worship only the Elemental Dragons. Demons manage to penetrate the world. Establishing themselves in its secret corners, they begin to gather strength.

New Age — Years of the Seventh Dragon

0 - Appearance of the Seventh Dragon
Sar-Elam is the first wizard to reach the consciousness of the Dragoness of Order, who teaches him the nature of matter and spirit, and shows him the higher spheres of power. Enlightened, Sar-Elam becomes the Seventh Dragon.

3 - Birth of the Falcon Empire
The Great Falcon unites the human kingdoms, founding an Empire. The Seventh Dragon predicts that the line of descendants of the Falcon will not end as long as this world lives.

28-40 - Fire Wars
The first invasion of demons. Most angels perish during this conflict. Survivors find refuge in the Falcon Empire, whose inhabitants gradually turn away from the Dragon of Air in favor of the Dragon of Light. The Seventh Dragon sacrifices himself to end the Wars and stop the invasion, weaving a prison of eternal fire from a part of his spirit. Sar-Elam and his followers wall up the demons in an interdimensional prison to prevent their return. Elves also participate in the War, fighting on the front lines.

However, the magic summoned by Sar-Elam failed to create a perfect prison; tiny cracks were found in the impenetrable barrier, allowing demons to reappear in the world during lunar eclipses. Only a skull remained of Sar-Elam himself. Called the Skull of Shadows, it fell into the hands of loyal followers of Mother Asha, the creator of Ashan and the source of magic. They hid the relic in an ancient temple on a forgotten island, far from the eternal passions of humans, elves, and dwarves.

48 - The Falcon Empire becomes "Holy"
Foundation of the Free Cities of the East. Emperor Brian Falcon hands over power to the cult of the Dragon of Light. The human kingdom is renamed the Holy Falcon Empire. Discontent grows among citizens who are forced to renounce their faith in Silata, the Dragon of Air. Many of them migrate to the Free Cities of the East.

50-260 - Years of Healing
A time of rebirth after the Fire Wars and relatively peaceful relations between mortal races. Huge areas of elven forests were burned by demons, and river waters poisoned. The elves dedicated the Years of Healing to cleansing their native lands from the consequences of the demonic attack. Creation of the elven kingdom of Irollan.

62 - Schism of the Seven
Foundation of the community of Blind Brothers, Dragon Knights, and the Seven Cities. A schism occurs among the followers of Sar-Elam, unable to reach a consensus on the path to power that the Seventh Dragon had commanded them to follow. Sar-Antor founds the society of Blind Brothers: healers, seers, and followers of Asha, the Dragoness of Order. Sar-Badon founds the order of Dragon Knights. Other followers, led by Sar-Shazzar, the most gifted among them, found the Seven Cities (the first kingdom of magic) in the southern deserts.

67 - Prophecy of the Demon Messiah
Sar-Shazzar prophesies the coming of the Demon Messiah, stating, among other things, that one day a half-demon hero, using Sar-Elam's artifacts, will find the demon prison and plunge the world into bloody chaos.

"Ten centuries the fortress shall stand – walls frozen in a silent scream. And horned lords shall bow before him who is not yet born of the master of darkness. Midnight shall come, the moon shall be eclipsed, and the crypt shall open where lie the remains Of Her who gave name to land and people, many-faced, seventh, same as pure. Prophecies shall clash, peace shall crumble, sacred vaults shall tremble. The forces of darkness will be lured and led by a maiden, heiress of an ancient line."

74 - Mysterious Death of Sar-Shazzar
Sar-Shazzar dies in his sleep. When they attempt to bring his body to the necropolis, it crumbles into dust.

104 - The Order of Dragon Knights becomes secret
On his deathbed, Sar-Badon orders the Dragon Knights to build Sanctuaries and hide within them. These Sanctuaries are scattered across the world and are intended to preserve the teachings of the Seventh Dragon, keep a sharp watch for any signs of possible demon invasion, and train new Dragon Knights to replenish the ranks of warriors. In subsequent centuries, Dragon Knights only rarely leave their fortresses, and then — during great threats.

330 - First Eclipse: War of the Blood Moon
A total lunar eclipse leads to a breach in the walls of the demon prison. Their lords break out into elven lands to bring death to all living things in this world. Armies of humans and dwarves stand against the demons, but are soon completely defeated. Elves ask for help from the sorcerers of the Seven Cities, and they send their forces to the battlefield. These mages conduct experiments with demon blood, injecting it into the veins of humans — slaves and criminals. Thus, orcs appear. With their help, the Alliance triumphs over the demons. The Demon Lords are dead, and their servants are once again locked in the hellish prison. After the war, orcs settle in the Falcon Empire and the Seven Cities. However, freedom is not granted to them.

461 - Discovery of Necromancy
Belket, a follower and student of Sar-Shazzar, discovers the teaching of necromancy. Experiments in raising the dead begin in the Seven Cities.
Belket paid less and less attention to his mentor's teachings, and more and more to his own research and conclusions. One day he stumbled upon an ancient manuscript written by Sar-Elam himself, which was part of the "Revelations of the Seventh Dragon." The document found by Belket spoke of necromancy, the power of the immortal soul, and an aspect of Asha that was least known and least revered. Belket became convinced that this very aspect was also the most comprehensive.

"For Asha — the goddess who created the world and gave it her name, is all facets of the wheel of existence; a triune entity of birth, life, and death. She is the Faceless Maiden, herald of Fate, unseen and watching to ensure that all living creatures fulfill their destiny. She is the Mother who brought forth all living things in the world; giving life, she gives form to chaos and meaning to the inexhaustible potential of possibilities. She is the Old Woman, bent and ancient, who tears the web of life with needles held in gnarled fingers when the hour comes."

The text of the "Revelations" read by Belket stated that the third hypostasis of Asha was the most powerful, subsuming the fruits of the labors of the other two. From the rituals included in the manuscript, Belket drew two points that would have a fundamentally important influence on the development of necromancy. First, the representation of Asha as a spider weaving the thread of life and capable of breaking it when the time allotted in the mortal world expires. Second, the idea of the continuation of life: death is not an end, but merely a transformation. The wretched desires and needs of the flesh, the destructive passions of the heart, the short-sighted decisions of the mind that spawned so many wars and conflicts — death was the answer to all, the casting down of existence into its purest and most immutable form.

467-504 - Orc Uprisings
Orcs revolt in the Seven Cities and in the Falcon Empire. Despising their masters and the Dragon Gods, they proclaim themselves free. In the Falcon Empire, troops act against the orcs to suppress the uprisings and return the orcs to the worship of elemental dragons. After a series of brutal battles, the orcs are defeated. Survivors scatter everywhere, including to the southern deserts, the northeastern steppes, and the eastern Border Islands. A terrible storm sinks the same Imperial fleet that followed the fugitives to the islands. The Emperor accepts this as a sign from the Dragon Gods, and the persecution of orcs ceases.

512 - Creation of Beastmen
Beastmen (minotaurs, centaurs, harpies) are created as servants, guards, or pets in the Seven Cities. The purpose of their creation is to replace the scattered orcs.

528 - Separation of Tuidhana
The third elven king, Arniel, decided that from now on the system of government in his state would be a hereditary monarchy. Opposing this, Tuidhana, queen of a small elven province on the border with the Falcon Empire, declares her people's independence from the Elven Kingdom.

540 - War of Bitter Ash: Birth of Dark Elves
A war between the elves of Irollan and the humans of the Holy Falcon Empire. At the center of the conflict is Tuidhana's kingdom, attacked from two sides. Tuidhana turns to Arniel for help but is refused. After which he throws his troops against the human empire, not caring much about the small kingdom on whose territory the so-called Ash War is being fought. In desperation, Tuidhana makes a deal with one of the remaining Faceless in exchange for power to protect her people. Those who follow her are changed by the will of Malassa, the Dragoness of Darkness. And from this day they are called dark elves. With the help of new allies, they expel both elves and humans from their lands.

548 - Peace of New Spring
The Holy Falcon Empire renounces any claims to elven lands. The independence of the kingdom of dark elves is recognized by both elves and humans, though border conflicts occur from time to time.

564 - Second Eclipse: Arrival of the Demon King
Total lunar eclipse. This time the Blind Brothers managed to warn about it, and the Alliance, supported by Dragon Knights, reacted immediately. Only a small group of demons managed to penetrate the world. The names of the Demon Lords, first children of Urgash, the Chaos Dragon, are heard no more. In their place comes Kha-Belekh, the first and only Demon King.

566 - Day of Fiery Tears: Death of Tuidhana
A terrible fire destroys the elven capital. High King Arniel and many of his associates perish in the flames. And most terribly — the fire consumes Brittiga, Mother of Trees, the sacred symbol of the elven people. The dark elves were blamed for what happened, and Vaniel, son of the fallen Arniel, offered them a choice: exile or death. Most preferred exile; the rest were put to death. Among the latter was Tuidhana, who refused to leave her lands. The place where Brittiga stood is erased from all maps, and to this day no elf approaches it. A new Mother of Trees is planted in the depths of the elven forests.

568 - Resistance
Two years after the Day of Fiery Tears and the death of Tuidhana, the exiles — dark elves — are still searching for a place they can call home. Their forest kin pursue and ruthlessly deal with them, accusing them of destroying the Sacred Tree and killing the High King. Eruina, leader of the dark elf community and daughter of Tuidhana, hoped to find refuge on the Island of Far Winds and approached Rutger, chief of a human settlement there, with a proposal for an alliance. However, he sent word to the elves, his long-time allies, informing them where their dark brethren were hiding. A fleet set out from Irollan, led by the elven hero Talanar. Additionally, own problems were created for Eruina by Sinitar, an ambitious and dangerous dark elf. Rumors say that communication with phantom dragons drove him to madness, and now he has seriously decided to challenge Eruina's rule. Having first eliminated her overly arrogant kinsman and members of his clan, Eruina struck the settlement of the traitor Rutger, and then destroyed Talanar's fleet as it approached the island.

585 - Discovery of Demon Involvement in the Day of Fiery Tears
Dragon Knights bring evidence to the elves that the burning of Brittiga was carried out by demons. Emissaries are sent to the dark elves to convince them to return home, but they reject the offer.

586 - Creation of a second kingdom of dark elves on the border of dwarf lands
Relations between the two kingdoms become extremely strained.

610-660 - Arrival of Necromancers
The number of necromancers continues to grow, and soon they become a powerful force in the Seven Cities.

684-702 - Under-Mountain War
Dwarves start a war with dark elves. The latter are defeated, and then demonologist sorcerers, exiled from the Silver League, contact Tuidhana's ruling sons, offering help in exchange for worship.

717 - Third Eclipse: Dragon Hunt
During a brief lunar eclipse, a detachment of demons penetrates the world. They search for hidden Sanctuaries of Dragon Knights and wage a secret war with them, from which the Dragon Knights emerge victorious.

Knight of the Order of the Dragon
In the distant year 62 after the ascension of the Seventh Dragon, a secret knightly Order of the Dragon was founded to protect Ashan from demons. But the war of the Third Eclipse called their existence into question — many knights of the order were killed, and their secret sanctuaries destroyed. The Order needed new recruits, but only a few possessed the necessary qualities to continue the work started. Only the wisest and most patient could pass the test in the Valley of Riddles, which the head of the order created for his future allies.

751-770 - Eradication of Necromancers: Civil War in the Seven Cities
Fearing the power of necromancers, the rulers of the Seven Cities begin an active campaign against them, including confiscation of property, exile, and public executions. A prolonged civil war follows. Ancient cities are destroyed and many lands are now uninhabitable.

Own Island
The war between wizards and necromancers split the people of spellcasters. And now necromancers seek a territory they can call their home. They reached the deserted valley of Heresh — a peninsula surrounded by many small islands. One of the necromancers named Raven desired most of all in the world to continue her magical research in peace and quiet. She established a dwelling on one of the islands, calling it "Obiira." But peace will not come soon, for the hostile inhabitants of the archipelago, as well as the sorcerers pursuing apostates, will try to delay this moment as long as possible, and much time will pass before the clang of swords and screams of the dying are replaced by the quiet rustle of papers and the creak of a pen. And Raven threw all her strength into subduing pirate captains who had run wild in the archipelago's territory, and into destroying the sorcerers of the Seven Cities pursuing her. It must be said that in subsequent years, both parties no longer risked approaching Obiira.

756 - Death of Vaniel
After Vaniel, Alaron ascends to the throne of the elven kingdom, and his gaze turns toward external lands. Slowly, ties between elves and other races are strengthened. Alaron helps the wizards of the Seven Cities in their war with necromancers, and also invites merchants to visit the elven forests.

771 - Foundation of the Silver League
Surviving inhabitants of the Seven Cities found the Silver League in the southern lands. Necromancers move east, into the Heresh valley.

813-822 - War of the Broken Staff
Necromancers try to crush the Silver League, but their plans are not meant to be, and eventually the battle moves to them in Heresh. Necromancers are defeated, and their kingdom lies in ruins.

820 - Maahir's Gambit
Sorcerer Maahir from the League of Silver Cities went to Heresh, which was then a fertile and blooming valley despite the rule of necromancers. Maahir had two goals: destroy Zoltan, the henchman and right hand of Belket, with whom the League had been warring for 7 years, and recover four powerful artifacts of Sar-Isa stolen from the Silver Cities — the crown, robe, staff, and ring. Few believed in Maahir's gambit, but no one could have imagined that just two years later he would overthrow Belket and become First of the Circle, the greatest archmage of the League of Silver Cities.

823 - Refugee
The War of the Broken Staff, during which the kingdom of necromancers Heresh was devastated, ended. The land of the dead is no more, the great Belket perished, and his students were exiled. Many of them are in hiding, some try unsuccessfully to resist, others — such as the necromancer Naadir — seek truth in the long-forgotten wisdom of Sar-Elam and Sar-Shazzar. Naadir sets out on a long and dangerous journey in search of a complete copy of the "Revelations of the Seventh Dragon," which he learned about from an ancient manuscript. The document contained vague directions regarding the path to a portal guarded by phantom dragons leading to an ancient crypt, where for 300 years a copy of the "Revelations" with Belket's own notes has been located. Having found the Necklace of Dragon Teeth, Naadir reached an agreement with the guardians of the crypt, granting them the artifact in exchange for passage. The secrets of the Seventh Dragon opened to him, and the order of necromancers will surely be reborn.

843 - Fourth Eclipse: Last Flight of the Falcon
Total eclipse. A huge number of demons invade Ashan. They besiege the capital of the Empire — the city of Falcon's Nest and deal with almost all members of the ruling family. The Demon King strives to bring an ancient prophecy to fruition — "the world of humans exists only as long as a descendant of the Falcon dynasty lives." However, there is another prophecy: descendants of the Falcon will never be eradicated as long as humans hold Falcon's Nest. Knowing this, the Demon King sent one of his best generals at the head of the army — the demoness Jezebeth, to crush the defiant stronghold. Besieging and taking the city, Jezebeth dealt with Queen Maev, however Brendan — a young heir of the dynasty, escaped death by hiding from the eyes of demons. In fury, Kha-Belekh directed his wrath at Jezebeth herself. As soon as human armies expel the demons from Ashan, a battle breaks out between noble houses claiming the throne. The crown goes to Duke Ivan of House Griffin. The Empire is renamed the Holy Griffin Empire.

951 - Diplomat
Rumors of an upcoming demon invasion become more than just rumors. As air, the Empires need an alliance with the League of Silver Cities in the coming war. But long-standing disagreements between the two peoples hinder the creation of an alliance. Sir Godric must persuade the mages and bring them to the side of the Griffin Empire. To do this, he needs to find the Amulet of Mastery and present it as a gift to High Archmage Cyrus, which will serve as a sign of reconciliation between the powers.
The artifact was found in the dungeons beneath the League's lands, right under the mages' noses. And by giving the Amulet to Cyrus, Godric thus laid the cornerstone for the foundation of the Grey Alliance.

Fifth Eclipse: War of the Grey Alliance
Total lunar eclipse. The demon armies are opposed by a new alliance — knights of Griffin, wizards of the Silver League, and elves of King Alaron. Emperor Alexei Griffin drives the demons back into their underground world, where he perishes. His soul is saved by Dragon Knight Thieru and enclosed in an artifact called the Heart of the Griffin. Alexei's six-year-old son Nikolai takes the imperial throne.

952 - A Tear for Ossir
The War of the Grey Alliance has ended. Border cities of the Griffin Empire lie in ruins, and wizards of the League of Silver Cities are still counting their huge losses. The elves of Irollan are busy rebuilding destroyed settlements, and King Alaron sends Ossir, one of his best generals and trackers, to the eastern borders of the kingdom in search of a legendary artifact — the Tear of Asha, with which restoring cities will be much easier.
Despite opposition from dark elf clans and remaining demons, Ossir fulfilled the sovereign's command, finding the Tear of Asha for his people. The terrible traces of the Fifth Eclipse were erased on Irollan territory.

954 - Hot Pursuit
Three years after the end of the Fifth Eclipse, the elves of Irollan publicly announced a celebration in honor of the valiant warriors who triumphed in the war. One such warrior was Sir Dugal — a knight who served under Alexei Griffin, deciding to take part in an archery competition. On the way to the tournament, he encountered a band of brigands, and while pursuing them, unexpectedly discovered demons who had stolen a unicorn horn bow — the main prize in the upcoming tournament. It turned out that there were far more of these creatures on the border between the Griffin Empire and Irollan, and Sir Dugal gladly eradicated the demonic presence in the region, which proved to be much more exciting than participating in the tournament.

969 - Sixth Eclipse: War of Queen Isabelle
An eclipse not predicted in any calendar throws the Blind Brothers into panic. Unprecedented forces of demons move toward the capital of the Griffin Empire…

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...