Post by Land Of Zargon on Sept 15, 2008 22:00:19 GMT -5
Path of Enlightenment
Dogin seemingly awoke instantly with a startled gasp. He found himself in a world of swirling mist and endless fog, as he got up to look around he realized he was in the same field he had been in only moments ago… And yet it was barren and silent, not even a blade of grass dared to break the delicate portrait arrayed before him. “Am I dead? Dogin couldn’t help but wonder, then the memories of his last moments of life came rushing back into him with the force of a cannon shell. Dogin fell to the ground and began sobbing, He was not sobbing because he was dead, nor that soon the reaper would probably take him away, but for the fact that he left so much unfinished. In the midst of his soba a figure began to materialize out of the fog and with a deep and gruff voice it spoke. “Why do you cry child of the Skrevante?” Dogin looked up from his tearful remonitions to see that it was a Skreive with sleek black fur that stood before him. “I cry for all that lay unfinished and left behind in the world upon my death.” The Skreive seemed to ponder the answer “Then perhaps you are not the one I seek.” Dogin stood now with a questionable expression on his face. “Then whom is it you seek?” The Skreive chuckled “I know who I seek Dogin Hood, but do you know why you are here?” Dogin looked around at the grayed field around him, then back to the tall Skreive. “I am here because I have died, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage…. Mr...?” The Skreive seemed to get a kick out of that. “You are here Dogin, because; you are the only hope that Gorgraz has and as for my name, back when I still walked among the living I was called Sedrick Ghostpaw.” He gave a chuckle “Kind of ironic nowadays isn’t it?” Dogin stared on in shock at the iconic figure before him. “Sedrick Ghostpaw? The Sedrick Ghostpaw? The brave figure that lead the Skreives from Skreiveantia back to Gorgraz?” Sedrick gazed solemnly down at the ground beneath him. “Aye. The same, but do not think me a great man for what I did… I have thought about those days for a long time now, but anyway back to you.” Dogin stared in disbelief “But what can I do for Gorgraz when I myself am dead to it? And what can I do that none before me could?” For a long moment Sedrick did not answer he just gazed up at the grayed sky then he brought his strong gaze back to rest on Dogin. “That… Is not for me to say.” Dogin just blinked slowly “Alright listen here! If I’m going to do whatever it is I must do then I’m going to need some information, so either you tell me or it seems this world is lost!” A newfound glint entered Sedrick’s eyes after seeing Dogin’s determination and he seemed to rethink his previous phrase. “You are the only one that can help this world and yes you can’t do it without knowledge, but I am not the one who must tell you.” Dogin was almost at the end of his rope. “Then who must tell me!” a small smile formed on Sedrick’s face. “All hope for Gorgraz lay in you and all hope for you lay beyond those gates.” Sedrick pointed at a large stone gateway behind Dogin that must have appeared when they were talking; as Dogin looked at the gates he realized that he recognized them. “Those are the stone gates that the Cereash constructed.” While turning back to Sedrick he continued “But I can’t use those… Plus they only connect to other doors like it.” Sedrick just smiled “If you want answers you’ll go.” Dogin looked back at the gates then back to Sedrick “What kind of answers will I find?” Sedrick shrugged “I have waited for generations to tell you a few simple words and they are simply. Dogin Hood, go through those doors… The fate of all Gorgraz depends on it.” Dogin sighed “Fine fine I’ll go through the doors.” Sedrick smiled again “That’s all the world asks” Dogin turned and started heading to the gates then thinking of something snappy to say he turned around to find Sedrick had vanished. Dogin turned back to the gates “For now.” He said with an almost mocking tone. The door was a bit dark and foreboding but Dogin stood before it, on the gate was a symbol that Dogin recognized it was the symbol of the Cereashian people. Taking a big breath Dogin put his hand on the door and surprisingly it started to crank and whine as the gears within it started to turn. It opened reviling a light similar to the time he had seen it open on the mortal plane “Well here goes nothing…” Dogin stepped into the gateway and was engulfed in light.”
Dogin emerged on a dreary looking island covered in a dense veil of grey fog much like that which covered the plains he was just in. Dominating the landscape and at the center of the island was a large mountain. Stretched out before Dogin was a small overgrown path, so leavening the large door behind Dogin walked on along the coastal path. Dogin soon found himself among a ruined town seemingly frozen in time, not a single thing stirred not even the wind. Dogin walked through the silent town seemingly called down the winding streets to an unseen destination. On either side of the street Dogin could see an emblem etched into almost every building. It seemed like an older version of the Skreive emblem, but it was strange. The Skrieve symbol has always appeared as the face of a wolf, as if it was emerging from the shadows. Only the muzzle and the eyes of the wolf where shown… But the symbol that was on the buildings had other things added on to it. The symbol was that of an entire wolf head, but the head itself was made up of five different sections. There was the muzzle and eyes that Dogin knew to be the Skrieve symbol, but then there was the outer face that was split into four other sections. The bottom left and right side of the face where two sections and the top left and top right each with one ear where the other two. “I wonder what that could mean?
Dogin thought to himself... As Dogin walked on the buildings came fewer and farther in between, until he found that he was walking down a small dirt road heading up the mountain toward a large door carved in its side. The door was about as large as the spiritual door he had just passed through to get here, but this one formed a passage way into the mountain. An almost unnatural force seemed to be pulling Dogin inside, urging him to go on. The light was now fading out around him as Dogin grew ever farther from the entrance, the tunnel wound deeper and deeper into the mountain and soon not even Dogins keen eyes could pierce the darkness around him. Dogin followed the wall and after several bumps to the snout the tunnel opened up to what Dogin could only imagine was a large room, as he started to work his way into the room a voice echoed all around him. “Child of the wolf do you know why you are here?” Dogins ears picked up trying to tell where in the room the voice came from… The answer soon came as two large yellow eyes shined through the darkness in front of him. Dogin took a moment to answer “As if… Look I was told that answers lay beyond the door, now here I am and still no answers! Only more questions, so please if you would just tell me! Why am I here?” Dogin was panting slightly with frustration. The eyes before him became tiny slits. “You are right to be frustrated wolf child, but you will hold your tone when speaking to me!” Dogin was almost at his limit. “And just who are you?” The eyes slowly blinked closed then reopened further away. “Who am I?” the voice almost seemed to be laughing “I am the idol of your people, it is I that watches over you, and it is I that knows your fate.” Dogin was confused. “Do you claim to care about us more than Zargon?” The voice was quite for awhile. “Dogin, you know little of what is the truth of your world. I am not a god like Zargon and it is true that he watches over you, but he also watches over the Grogowens, and the Dragoths. I do not watch over there races, I only watch over yours. I am the Wolf Spirit.” As the voice said this the room light up from seemingly nothing and there across the room stood the largest wolf that Dogin had ever seen. “I didn’t know spirits where real...” The wolf laughed “There is much you do not know Dogin, and there is much your race has forgotten.” Dogin stared on in disbelief. “What are you saying? The Skreives have always held the history of their people in check.” The wolf seemed to be looking far away. “The history you know is only partially true. Tell me what do you know of your history?” Dogin began to recall the history classes he was forced to attend “The Skreives where originally from Gorgraz, but after finding an island that held many magical quality’s not found on the mainland the Skreive people left Gorgraz to study the island to better understand the world in which they lived. After generations on the island my people decided to return to Gorgraz to share what they had learned, after so many generations my people had become mighty in the ways of the ocean and became known as Sea Wolves.” The wolf looked questioningly at Dogin. “Does that explain why there was a war with the Dragoths latter?” Dogin was without an answer. “Then what is the truth?” The wolf smiled as much as a wolf could. “Now we’re getting somewhere. The truth is that the Skreives did go to the island to learn its secrets, but after generations on the island they forgot there true purpose and started living only for themselves. They were known as the Sea Wolves because they ravaged the sea with their mighty navy, so when they found the coast of Zargon they saw a rich land already entangled in a war with the Grogowens. The Skreives attacked the land of Zargon seeing a chance to create a new nation on the mainland. The rest of your history is true the races made peace under Zargon and so it has been.” The wolf paused for a moment. “But now I must tell you another truth. Not all of your people left the mainland; in fact you have walked the ancient halls of your ancestors.” As the wolf said this he glanced over at a carving in the stone wall. Dogin followed his gaze and saw that it was the symbol on the buildings in the town below… Dogin knew now what it was. It was the symbol of the Skrieve people yes, but the surrounding symbols where that of the Cereashian people! The top two symbols where those of the StrongSkull and SwiftPaw clans while the bottom two where the HardClaw and DarkEye clans! “The Cereash are?” The wolf smiled as much as he could “Yes Dogin the Skrieves and the Cereash are not two different wolf people. They are in fact different clans of the same race the DarkEye, the HardClaw, the StrongSkull, The SwiftPaw, and the Skrevante are the five clans that make up the Cereashian people.” Dogin started in disbelief “The lost clan of the Cereashian people where the Skrieves?” The wolf nodded “Is that such a hard thing to believe?” Dogin still couldn’t believe it. “But enough of this…” Before the great wolf could continue Dogin cut in. “Wait how could all knowledge of our ties with the Creashian people have been lost?” The wolf understood his concern. “Those where times long ago Dogin… You must understand that things were done differently back then. Knowledge, legends, stories all were passed on by word of mouth, such was the job of storykeepers, bards, and poets… But time changes many things as you may have come to understand. Legends where not told, stories where not spoken, and knowledge that should not have been lost fell through the cracks of time…” Dogin thought that over and the great wolf continued speaking. “Dogin listen to me you have been spared from the embrace of death because only you can succeed where all others have failed.” Dogin thought about how many times that he was spared when others were not. He had always questioned why… Now he looked up at the great wolf wondering if maybe he held the answer to that question. “Your friends have won the war and killed Balthazan or so they think, but Balthazan much like the all powerful Gorgraz is sealed into the land itself.” Dogin was thrown off by this. He had never heard of anything like this before. “Great wolf you refer to Gorgraz as if it were a being, but that can’t be can it?” The wolf shook his head slowly “You mortals have forgotten so much… In the beginning there was only a powerful entity, that which we later called Gorgraz. At some point or another Gorgraz decided to create life and watch it grow, but no other being could populate the same space that Gorgraz was in, or else the balance of the great powers would be thrown and all would end. Knowing this Gorgraz created our world, but in doing so sealed himself away inside it so that we could exist and he could watch.” Dogin was amazed at this he had never even imagined such a thing. “Then what are the gods?” The wolf looked at Dogin knowing that there where many questions that would follow this one, but time was running short. “The gods where created to watch over the world and keep the balance in check, or else all would end. Now I must tell you the history that all mortals have forgotten so that you may do what none else can.” Dogin stood and listened as the wolf went on in great detail.
In the beginning the world that Gorgraz created was greatly different from the world the people of Gorgraz know now. The worlds of mortals, spirits, darkness, and light all lived in harmony or that’s how it was before the true lord of darkness decided that darkness was enough to rule the land. A great battle ensued... A battle so vast its likes have never been seen again, even the demon wars paled in comparison with the bloodshed during this war. On one side were the vast hordes of darkness that had built up their armies to unimaginable numbers. On the other were the combined forces of the light, spirit, and mortals. The war lasted many human generations (Since mortals are the only ones that age) the final battle lasted five weeks, five weeks of constant battling... The ground was painted red with blood and covered with bodies from all sides, it would have continued for several more weeks had the allied forces not attempted a desperate ploy.
The outcome of the battle was starting to look grim as it grinded into a war of attrition. The allied forces decided to attempt to end the war before more lives were lost. The allied forces charged at the center of the enemy lines in an all or nothing attack... The battle was long and hard many died on either side, but in the end three people made it into the fortress of the dark lord. The true lord of light, the spirit wolf, and the human king Ashguard, but each had suffered greatly to reach this point. The lord of light had taken many wounds, the spirit wolf was bleeding heavily and unable to move as swift as he once could, and Ashguards right leg was deeply wounded. The battle between the four warriors was fierce and bloody... In the final moments the lord of light was cast to the ground his strength depleted, as the spirit wolf fought with the dark lord, Ashguard went to the light lord’s side. There the lord gave Ashguard his holy trident that had been crafted from his own righteous blood, but before Ashguard could rejoin the battle the dark lord sent the spirit wolf flying into him. Both lay there bleeding and there they decided that if they where to die, they would put all they had into killing the dark lord. So with one lasts attempt. Ashguard rode the spirit wolf into battle wielding the holy trident and in that moment as Ashguard pierced the demon lord’s heart and an incredible thing happened. The blood of the light lord that the spear was crafted from combined with the blood of the spirit wolf and of Ashguard, and then finally combined with the blood of the dark lord. When that happened a great light flashed forth and when it dissipated the dark lord had vanished, apparently he had been sealed within the ground where the trident now lay embedded... and the human king Ashguard lay dead. After that battle the war ended with the dark lord sealed away the balance shifted to pure good, but the lord of light knew this would happen and thus he gave up his title as the light lord to return the balance to normal. Then to make sure this would never happen again the worlds of darkness, light, and of the spirits slowly faded away from the world of mortals leaving the world as it is today. After his tale the great wolf looked at Dogin with his strong eyes. “I have told you this history so that you can understand what’s about to happen and why you need to stop it… Balthazan is not dead. He is attempting to release the dark lord from its prison. If that were to happen the balance and this world would be destroyed!” Dogin understood that this needed to be stopped but how? “But how can I save the world when I myself am dead to it!” The spirit wolf looked at Dogin. “I brought you here and told you these things, so that you could understand how dire the situation is… As to how you can save the world, that’s another matter.” The wolf glanced aside then back to Dogin. “Dogin Hood understand that what I’m about to say is not to be taken lightly and that all things come with a price.” Dogin grew uneasy at the wolf’s tone. “Dogin I will grant you a second life, so that you can stop Balthazan and save the world.” Dogin was shocked “You can do that?” The wolf gazed aside. “Yes, but it’s not easy… And you must understand that this life is not yours, but the one I have granted you.” Dogin didn’t understand what that meant but he continued to listen. “You will live again on the mortal plane… But you will forever serve me, for you will become my physical representation in the mortal world… You will become the white wolf.” Dogin instantly knew what he meant now… Tales of the mysterious white wolf where handed down in Skrieve legends even today. The white wolf was granted great power to save the world, but the white wolf was forever to serve the balance… Never would the day come where the white wolf would be able to put down the sword. “You’re saying you would grant me a life only if I serve you?” The great wolf shook his head. “Only the white wolf can avert this disaster Dogin… And only you can become the white wolf. Listen Dogin as an agent you upheld the balance, you became the best in hopes that you could save those that others could not… Well now you have the chance to save the world and everyone in it! Without you the world is lost! Become the white wolf and you will serve the balance like you did in life, but now you will only answer to me and you will go through the world with my power and my blessings. Dogin Hood only you can save this world…” Dogin understood that there wasn’t any decision to be made here… He had to accept for everyone’s sake. The great wolf saw Dogin’s hesitation… “It won’t be that bad. You will still experience life with whomever you choose, you will still serve the balance for the good of the world, you will still be yourself.” Dogin held up his hand to stop him. “I understand and I accept this duty… I will become the best… No matter what it takes, so that I can save those that others cannot…” The wolf spirit stood before him and bowed his head. “Thank you Dogin Hood…” The wolf walked over to an opening in the tunnel where a large tome sat upon a pedestal. “Take this… The Book of Ages it contains all the knowledge of Gorgraz himself… It will be your guide to saving the world.” Dogin opened the tome to stare at a blank page… He turned it only to be faced with another blank page. “These pages are blank!” The wolf nodded his head… “Sometimes the darkness that hides all things can reveal the greatest of secrets.” Dogin started blankly… “I don’t think now is the time for such cryptic talk! The world’s in danger and supposedly I’m the only one that can save it, but I can’t even read the guide to saving the world!” The wolf looked at Dogin. “I said that you’re the only one that can save the world and that’s true, but I didn’t say you would do it alone… Only I can grant you the life to save the world. We all have our parts to play Dogin Hood and yours is the lead role, but everyone knows the lead is nothing without his friends.” Dogin was about to protest when the wolf began speaking again. “But we have talked too long and much time has passed. Dogin Hood do you accept the title of the white wolf?” Dogin stared at the wolf with courage in his heart. “Yes… I accept the title of White Wolf and I promise to save everyone!” The great wolf closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Thank you Dogin…” Then the world about Dogin began to fill with even more fog, until everything was lost within it. “Only you can save the world Dogin Hood… But who will save you from the darkness ahead?”
Dogin seemingly awoke instantly with a startled gasp. He found himself in a world of deep warmth and an endless blue sky, as he got up to look around he realized he was in the south eastern portion of the Land of Zargon a place he had been shown by his adoptive father in his youth. His father told him that he was born in this forest and that his parents had died in a massive forest fire trying to save him… And yet the world was filled with the colors of the forest and the songs of birds, the warmth of the sun radiated all around him and the soft green grass felt good beneath his paws. As a gentle breeze blew against Dogins pure white fur he couldn’t help but think. “Am I alive?” Then the memories of his last moments with the wolf spirit came rushing back into him with the force of a cannon shell. Dogin fell to the ground and starred at his hands, at his now pure white fur… “I am the white wolf, the physical representation of the wolf spirit on the mortal plane. I have become strong so that I can save those that others cannot. I have returned to save the world…” Dogin saw that the Book of Ages was lying next to him with a bundle of cloths. “For now…” He thought. “I will have to keep my fur hidden.” No Skrieve except for the White Wolf had white fur… And every Skrieve knew what that meant, danger looming ahead, for the white wolf only showed up when the world was in great danger. “Don’t want to cause a panic.” With that Dogin got dressed and put the book in a pack that was there, then turning to face the wind Dogin started on his journey to save the world.
Dogin seemingly awoke instantly with a startled gasp. He found himself in a world of swirling mist and endless fog, as he got up to look around he realized he was in the same field he had been in only moments ago… And yet it was barren and silent, not even a blade of grass dared to break the delicate portrait arrayed before him. “Am I dead? Dogin couldn’t help but wonder, then the memories of his last moments of life came rushing back into him with the force of a cannon shell. Dogin fell to the ground and began sobbing, He was not sobbing because he was dead, nor that soon the reaper would probably take him away, but for the fact that he left so much unfinished. In the midst of his soba a figure began to materialize out of the fog and with a deep and gruff voice it spoke. “Why do you cry child of the Skrevante?” Dogin looked up from his tearful remonitions to see that it was a Skreive with sleek black fur that stood before him. “I cry for all that lay unfinished and left behind in the world upon my death.” The Skreive seemed to ponder the answer “Then perhaps you are not the one I seek.” Dogin stood now with a questionable expression on his face. “Then whom is it you seek?” The Skreive chuckled “I know who I seek Dogin Hood, but do you know why you are here?” Dogin looked around at the grayed field around him, then back to the tall Skreive. “I am here because I have died, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage…. Mr...?” The Skreive seemed to get a kick out of that. “You are here Dogin, because; you are the only hope that Gorgraz has and as for my name, back when I still walked among the living I was called Sedrick Ghostpaw.” He gave a chuckle “Kind of ironic nowadays isn’t it?” Dogin stared on in shock at the iconic figure before him. “Sedrick Ghostpaw? The Sedrick Ghostpaw? The brave figure that lead the Skreives from Skreiveantia back to Gorgraz?” Sedrick gazed solemnly down at the ground beneath him. “Aye. The same, but do not think me a great man for what I did… I have thought about those days for a long time now, but anyway back to you.” Dogin stared in disbelief “But what can I do for Gorgraz when I myself am dead to it? And what can I do that none before me could?” For a long moment Sedrick did not answer he just gazed up at the grayed sky then he brought his strong gaze back to rest on Dogin. “That… Is not for me to say.” Dogin just blinked slowly “Alright listen here! If I’m going to do whatever it is I must do then I’m going to need some information, so either you tell me or it seems this world is lost!” A newfound glint entered Sedrick’s eyes after seeing Dogin’s determination and he seemed to rethink his previous phrase. “You are the only one that can help this world and yes you can’t do it without knowledge, but I am not the one who must tell you.” Dogin was almost at the end of his rope. “Then who must tell me!” a small smile formed on Sedrick’s face. “All hope for Gorgraz lay in you and all hope for you lay beyond those gates.” Sedrick pointed at a large stone gateway behind Dogin that must have appeared when they were talking; as Dogin looked at the gates he realized that he recognized them. “Those are the stone gates that the Cereash constructed.” While turning back to Sedrick he continued “But I can’t use those… Plus they only connect to other doors like it.” Sedrick just smiled “If you want answers you’ll go.” Dogin looked back at the gates then back to Sedrick “What kind of answers will I find?” Sedrick shrugged “I have waited for generations to tell you a few simple words and they are simply. Dogin Hood, go through those doors… The fate of all Gorgraz depends on it.” Dogin sighed “Fine fine I’ll go through the doors.” Sedrick smiled again “That’s all the world asks” Dogin turned and started heading to the gates then thinking of something snappy to say he turned around to find Sedrick had vanished. Dogin turned back to the gates “For now.” He said with an almost mocking tone. The door was a bit dark and foreboding but Dogin stood before it, on the gate was a symbol that Dogin recognized it was the symbol of the Cereashian people. Taking a big breath Dogin put his hand on the door and surprisingly it started to crank and whine as the gears within it started to turn. It opened reviling a light similar to the time he had seen it open on the mortal plane “Well here goes nothing…” Dogin stepped into the gateway and was engulfed in light.”
Dogin emerged on a dreary looking island covered in a dense veil of grey fog much like that which covered the plains he was just in. Dominating the landscape and at the center of the island was a large mountain. Stretched out before Dogin was a small overgrown path, so leavening the large door behind Dogin walked on along the coastal path. Dogin soon found himself among a ruined town seemingly frozen in time, not a single thing stirred not even the wind. Dogin walked through the silent town seemingly called down the winding streets to an unseen destination. On either side of the street Dogin could see an emblem etched into almost every building. It seemed like an older version of the Skreive emblem, but it was strange. The Skrieve symbol has always appeared as the face of a wolf, as if it was emerging from the shadows. Only the muzzle and the eyes of the wolf where shown… But the symbol that was on the buildings had other things added on to it. The symbol was that of an entire wolf head, but the head itself was made up of five different sections. There was the muzzle and eyes that Dogin knew to be the Skrieve symbol, but then there was the outer face that was split into four other sections. The bottom left and right side of the face where two sections and the top left and top right each with one ear where the other two. “I wonder what that could mean?
Dogin thought to himself... As Dogin walked on the buildings came fewer and farther in between, until he found that he was walking down a small dirt road heading up the mountain toward a large door carved in its side. The door was about as large as the spiritual door he had just passed through to get here, but this one formed a passage way into the mountain. An almost unnatural force seemed to be pulling Dogin inside, urging him to go on. The light was now fading out around him as Dogin grew ever farther from the entrance, the tunnel wound deeper and deeper into the mountain and soon not even Dogins keen eyes could pierce the darkness around him. Dogin followed the wall and after several bumps to the snout the tunnel opened up to what Dogin could only imagine was a large room, as he started to work his way into the room a voice echoed all around him. “Child of the wolf do you know why you are here?” Dogins ears picked up trying to tell where in the room the voice came from… The answer soon came as two large yellow eyes shined through the darkness in front of him. Dogin took a moment to answer “As if… Look I was told that answers lay beyond the door, now here I am and still no answers! Only more questions, so please if you would just tell me! Why am I here?” Dogin was panting slightly with frustration. The eyes before him became tiny slits. “You are right to be frustrated wolf child, but you will hold your tone when speaking to me!” Dogin was almost at his limit. “And just who are you?” The eyes slowly blinked closed then reopened further away. “Who am I?” the voice almost seemed to be laughing “I am the idol of your people, it is I that watches over you, and it is I that knows your fate.” Dogin was confused. “Do you claim to care about us more than Zargon?” The voice was quite for awhile. “Dogin, you know little of what is the truth of your world. I am not a god like Zargon and it is true that he watches over you, but he also watches over the Grogowens, and the Dragoths. I do not watch over there races, I only watch over yours. I am the Wolf Spirit.” As the voice said this the room light up from seemingly nothing and there across the room stood the largest wolf that Dogin had ever seen. “I didn’t know spirits where real...” The wolf laughed “There is much you do not know Dogin, and there is much your race has forgotten.” Dogin stared on in disbelief. “What are you saying? The Skreives have always held the history of their people in check.” The wolf seemed to be looking far away. “The history you know is only partially true. Tell me what do you know of your history?” Dogin began to recall the history classes he was forced to attend “The Skreives where originally from Gorgraz, but after finding an island that held many magical quality’s not found on the mainland the Skreive people left Gorgraz to study the island to better understand the world in which they lived. After generations on the island my people decided to return to Gorgraz to share what they had learned, after so many generations my people had become mighty in the ways of the ocean and became known as Sea Wolves.” The wolf looked questioningly at Dogin. “Does that explain why there was a war with the Dragoths latter?” Dogin was without an answer. “Then what is the truth?” The wolf smiled as much as a wolf could. “Now we’re getting somewhere. The truth is that the Skreives did go to the island to learn its secrets, but after generations on the island they forgot there true purpose and started living only for themselves. They were known as the Sea Wolves because they ravaged the sea with their mighty navy, so when they found the coast of Zargon they saw a rich land already entangled in a war with the Grogowens. The Skreives attacked the land of Zargon seeing a chance to create a new nation on the mainland. The rest of your history is true the races made peace under Zargon and so it has been.” The wolf paused for a moment. “But now I must tell you another truth. Not all of your people left the mainland; in fact you have walked the ancient halls of your ancestors.” As the wolf said this he glanced over at a carving in the stone wall. Dogin followed his gaze and saw that it was the symbol on the buildings in the town below… Dogin knew now what it was. It was the symbol of the Skrieve people yes, but the surrounding symbols where that of the Cereashian people! The top two symbols where those of the StrongSkull and SwiftPaw clans while the bottom two where the HardClaw and DarkEye clans! “The Cereash are?” The wolf smiled as much as he could “Yes Dogin the Skrieves and the Cereash are not two different wolf people. They are in fact different clans of the same race the DarkEye, the HardClaw, the StrongSkull, The SwiftPaw, and the Skrevante are the five clans that make up the Cereashian people.” Dogin started in disbelief “The lost clan of the Cereashian people where the Skrieves?” The wolf nodded “Is that such a hard thing to believe?” Dogin still couldn’t believe it. “But enough of this…” Before the great wolf could continue Dogin cut in. “Wait how could all knowledge of our ties with the Creashian people have been lost?” The wolf understood his concern. “Those where times long ago Dogin… You must understand that things were done differently back then. Knowledge, legends, stories all were passed on by word of mouth, such was the job of storykeepers, bards, and poets… But time changes many things as you may have come to understand. Legends where not told, stories where not spoken, and knowledge that should not have been lost fell through the cracks of time…” Dogin thought that over and the great wolf continued speaking. “Dogin listen to me you have been spared from the embrace of death because only you can succeed where all others have failed.” Dogin thought about how many times that he was spared when others were not. He had always questioned why… Now he looked up at the great wolf wondering if maybe he held the answer to that question. “Your friends have won the war and killed Balthazan or so they think, but Balthazan much like the all powerful Gorgraz is sealed into the land itself.” Dogin was thrown off by this. He had never heard of anything like this before. “Great wolf you refer to Gorgraz as if it were a being, but that can’t be can it?” The wolf shook his head slowly “You mortals have forgotten so much… In the beginning there was only a powerful entity, that which we later called Gorgraz. At some point or another Gorgraz decided to create life and watch it grow, but no other being could populate the same space that Gorgraz was in, or else the balance of the great powers would be thrown and all would end. Knowing this Gorgraz created our world, but in doing so sealed himself away inside it so that we could exist and he could watch.” Dogin was amazed at this he had never even imagined such a thing. “Then what are the gods?” The wolf looked at Dogin knowing that there where many questions that would follow this one, but time was running short. “The gods where created to watch over the world and keep the balance in check, or else all would end. Now I must tell you the history that all mortals have forgotten so that you may do what none else can.” Dogin stood and listened as the wolf went on in great detail.
In the beginning the world that Gorgraz created was greatly different from the world the people of Gorgraz know now. The worlds of mortals, spirits, darkness, and light all lived in harmony or that’s how it was before the true lord of darkness decided that darkness was enough to rule the land. A great battle ensued... A battle so vast its likes have never been seen again, even the demon wars paled in comparison with the bloodshed during this war. On one side were the vast hordes of darkness that had built up their armies to unimaginable numbers. On the other were the combined forces of the light, spirit, and mortals. The war lasted many human generations (Since mortals are the only ones that age) the final battle lasted five weeks, five weeks of constant battling... The ground was painted red with blood and covered with bodies from all sides, it would have continued for several more weeks had the allied forces not attempted a desperate ploy.
The outcome of the battle was starting to look grim as it grinded into a war of attrition. The allied forces decided to attempt to end the war before more lives were lost. The allied forces charged at the center of the enemy lines in an all or nothing attack... The battle was long and hard many died on either side, but in the end three people made it into the fortress of the dark lord. The true lord of light, the spirit wolf, and the human king Ashguard, but each had suffered greatly to reach this point. The lord of light had taken many wounds, the spirit wolf was bleeding heavily and unable to move as swift as he once could, and Ashguards right leg was deeply wounded. The battle between the four warriors was fierce and bloody... In the final moments the lord of light was cast to the ground his strength depleted, as the spirit wolf fought with the dark lord, Ashguard went to the light lord’s side. There the lord gave Ashguard his holy trident that had been crafted from his own righteous blood, but before Ashguard could rejoin the battle the dark lord sent the spirit wolf flying into him. Both lay there bleeding and there they decided that if they where to die, they would put all they had into killing the dark lord. So with one lasts attempt. Ashguard rode the spirit wolf into battle wielding the holy trident and in that moment as Ashguard pierced the demon lord’s heart and an incredible thing happened. The blood of the light lord that the spear was crafted from combined with the blood of the spirit wolf and of Ashguard, and then finally combined with the blood of the dark lord. When that happened a great light flashed forth and when it dissipated the dark lord had vanished, apparently he had been sealed within the ground where the trident now lay embedded... and the human king Ashguard lay dead. After that battle the war ended with the dark lord sealed away the balance shifted to pure good, but the lord of light knew this would happen and thus he gave up his title as the light lord to return the balance to normal. Then to make sure this would never happen again the worlds of darkness, light, and of the spirits slowly faded away from the world of mortals leaving the world as it is today. After his tale the great wolf looked at Dogin with his strong eyes. “I have told you this history so that you can understand what’s about to happen and why you need to stop it… Balthazan is not dead. He is attempting to release the dark lord from its prison. If that were to happen the balance and this world would be destroyed!” Dogin understood that this needed to be stopped but how? “But how can I save the world when I myself am dead to it!” The spirit wolf looked at Dogin. “I brought you here and told you these things, so that you could understand how dire the situation is… As to how you can save the world, that’s another matter.” The wolf glanced aside then back to Dogin. “Dogin Hood understand that what I’m about to say is not to be taken lightly and that all things come with a price.” Dogin grew uneasy at the wolf’s tone. “Dogin I will grant you a second life, so that you can stop Balthazan and save the world.” Dogin was shocked “You can do that?” The wolf gazed aside. “Yes, but it’s not easy… And you must understand that this life is not yours, but the one I have granted you.” Dogin didn’t understand what that meant but he continued to listen. “You will live again on the mortal plane… But you will forever serve me, for you will become my physical representation in the mortal world… You will become the white wolf.” Dogin instantly knew what he meant now… Tales of the mysterious white wolf where handed down in Skrieve legends even today. The white wolf was granted great power to save the world, but the white wolf was forever to serve the balance… Never would the day come where the white wolf would be able to put down the sword. “You’re saying you would grant me a life only if I serve you?” The great wolf shook his head. “Only the white wolf can avert this disaster Dogin… And only you can become the white wolf. Listen Dogin as an agent you upheld the balance, you became the best in hopes that you could save those that others could not… Well now you have the chance to save the world and everyone in it! Without you the world is lost! Become the white wolf and you will serve the balance like you did in life, but now you will only answer to me and you will go through the world with my power and my blessings. Dogin Hood only you can save this world…” Dogin understood that there wasn’t any decision to be made here… He had to accept for everyone’s sake. The great wolf saw Dogin’s hesitation… “It won’t be that bad. You will still experience life with whomever you choose, you will still serve the balance for the good of the world, you will still be yourself.” Dogin held up his hand to stop him. “I understand and I accept this duty… I will become the best… No matter what it takes, so that I can save those that others cannot…” The wolf spirit stood before him and bowed his head. “Thank you Dogin Hood…” The wolf walked over to an opening in the tunnel where a large tome sat upon a pedestal. “Take this… The Book of Ages it contains all the knowledge of Gorgraz himself… It will be your guide to saving the world.” Dogin opened the tome to stare at a blank page… He turned it only to be faced with another blank page. “These pages are blank!” The wolf nodded his head… “Sometimes the darkness that hides all things can reveal the greatest of secrets.” Dogin started blankly… “I don’t think now is the time for such cryptic talk! The world’s in danger and supposedly I’m the only one that can save it, but I can’t even read the guide to saving the world!” The wolf looked at Dogin. “I said that you’re the only one that can save the world and that’s true, but I didn’t say you would do it alone… Only I can grant you the life to save the world. We all have our parts to play Dogin Hood and yours is the lead role, but everyone knows the lead is nothing without his friends.” Dogin was about to protest when the wolf began speaking again. “But we have talked too long and much time has passed. Dogin Hood do you accept the title of the white wolf?” Dogin stared at the wolf with courage in his heart. “Yes… I accept the title of White Wolf and I promise to save everyone!” The great wolf closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Thank you Dogin…” Then the world about Dogin began to fill with even more fog, until everything was lost within it. “Only you can save the world Dogin Hood… But who will save you from the darkness ahead?”
Dogin seemingly awoke instantly with a startled gasp. He found himself in a world of deep warmth and an endless blue sky, as he got up to look around he realized he was in the south eastern portion of the Land of Zargon a place he had been shown by his adoptive father in his youth. His father told him that he was born in this forest and that his parents had died in a massive forest fire trying to save him… And yet the world was filled with the colors of the forest and the songs of birds, the warmth of the sun radiated all around him and the soft green grass felt good beneath his paws. As a gentle breeze blew against Dogins pure white fur he couldn’t help but think. “Am I alive?” Then the memories of his last moments with the wolf spirit came rushing back into him with the force of a cannon shell. Dogin fell to the ground and starred at his hands, at his now pure white fur… “I am the white wolf, the physical representation of the wolf spirit on the mortal plane. I have become strong so that I can save those that others cannot. I have returned to save the world…” Dogin saw that the Book of Ages was lying next to him with a bundle of cloths. “For now…” He thought. “I will have to keep my fur hidden.” No Skrieve except for the White Wolf had white fur… And every Skrieve knew what that meant, danger looming ahead, for the white wolf only showed up when the world was in great danger. “Don’t want to cause a panic.” With that Dogin got dressed and put the book in a pack that was there, then turning to face the wind Dogin started on his journey to save the world.