#cs lore

The Fourth Galactic War was by far the bloodiest and had the most casualties of any war that had come before. Millions upon millions of soldiers and civilians alike had lost their lives, and the armies of the four factions – the Alamo Empire, the Veriol Alliance, the Gerualdi Union, and the Nazdrovie Pact – were beginning to desert their posts and rebel. However, no treaties could be made. No side wanted to surrender. At last, the leaders came to an agreement: The godslaying weapons, in many ways, had been the cause of the war. It was only fitting, then, that they be the end of the horrific war.

The Alamo Empire had Ji Lhan and Eiorozziore – Reality's Edge and the Godbreaker, respectively. The Veriol Alliance's weapons were Feivelkt the Blazing Phoenix and Jadern Istrat Hnev, God's Final Breath. Zwehan Kut and Nascimedo, the New King and Fear's Birth, were in the possession of the Gerualdi Union. And, finally, Lagrímala the Last Tear and Oladani, Destruction Lust, were the weapons of the Nazdrovie Pact.

Each faction sent their “champions” – those capable of wielding the godslayers – to a particular battlefield. The Gerualdi Union and the Nazdrovie Pact, though their armies were less trained than the other two factions, were able to send two champions each, each one bearing one of the weapons. The Alamo Empire, on the other hand, only sent Captain Hretlakk Flametail, as she had trained with Ji Lhan and Eiorozziore for many years, and they did not have time to locate someone else capable of wielding a godslayer to help her. At first, it seemed the Veriol Alliance would also only have one champion, the wielder of Jadern Istrat Hnev, for Feivelkt's owner had gone into hiding and had ignored the summons.

On the eve of the bout, a young girl with Feivelkt appeared, claiming to be the younger sister of Feivelkt's owner. Her name was Gwyna Velkt, and she showed that she was capable of using the sword. Unsure of if the other Veriol champion could use both Feivelkt and Jadern Istrat Hnev, and feeling desperate to have a second champion on the field, the Veriol Alliance permitted Gwyna to fight on the behalf of the Veriol Alliance.

The bout's rules were simple. Fights would begun at dawn and end at dusk. To attack at night would violate the rules of the bout. One was permitted to take the godslayers of the fallen, but not to steal them from any living champion at night. Whoever's champion was alive last would be declared the victor of the Fourth Galactic War.

The last designation was awfully important, for the whole of the galaxy expected the wielders of the godslayers to tear each other apart with no survivors in the first day. The bout lasted three days.

On the first day, Gwyna Velkt, champion of the Veriol Alliance and wielder of Feivelkt, was immediately targeted by the other champions. She was young and foolish, and Feivelkt was weak in her hands. It is unclear who killed Gwyna, but everyone knew she was the first to die. The other Veriol champion quickly retrieved Feivelkt from her corpse. The sword spoke to the Veriol champion the moment that they obtained that sword of fire.

“You have a great destiny, and I shall aid you in fulfilling it.” Had those same words been spoken to Gwyna? Was this her “great destiny”? The Veriol champion had no time to mull over how unfair this was. Knowing they were outnumbered, they fled to higher ground to hide and attack from afar until the other champions' numbers had dwindled.

Hretlakk Flametail of the Alamo Empire was initially a perceived easy target, as Gwyna had been; Hretlakk was outnumbered no matter where she turned. However, Eiorozziore shielded her from her foes' attacks, and Ji Lhan forced her enemies to stay well out of her range. As the sun began to set, the wielder of Oladani – one of the Nazdrovie champions – grew desperate. Using the full extent of Oladani's power, the Nazdrovie champion rushed at Hretlakk and attempted to run her through. But Eiorozziore activated, shielding her from this fatal blow. The great powers of Oladani consumed the Nazdrovie champion, and they fell to the ground, nothing more than a crumpled corpse in a lake of blood. Fearing Oladani being used against her once more, Hretlakk took Oladani and left the battlefield.

All the while, Oladani whispered to her, imploring for her to kill the other champions while they did not suspect any attacks. She stuck the spear in the ground at her campsite, unwilling to obey the violent weapon's demands. However, even as she slept, the ghastly whispers of Oladani continued through the night.

The second Nazdrovie champion, the one with Lagrímala, feared that they would lose. Oladani's wielder had been the superior fighter of the two, and now they were outnumbered. Unlike Hretlakk or the Veriol champion, they didn't even have two godslayers to stand against the remaining champions. Unable to sleep and growing more and more desperate, the Nazdrovie champion took Lagrímala and searched for the nearest enemy campsite. They found the Gerualdi champions both fast asleep. Neither of them had thought to stand watch in the night just in case.

Conjuring up a monumental spell, the Nazdrovie champion incinerated the Gerualdi champions' camp. Once the flames had died down, they picked their way through the ashes and found their weapons: Nascimedo and Zwehan Kut.

“Last to be forged, first to take a life... Even now I can hear their screams,” came the ghastly whisper of Nascimedo as the Nazdrovie champion picked it up.

“I am indomitable, and you shall rule alongside me,” Zwehan Kut told the Nazdrovie champion.

Convinced that now they could win, the Nazdrovie champion went into hiding, intending to stay away from the battlefield until Hretlakk and the Veriol champion killed one another.

On the dawn of the second day, Hretlakk and the Veriol champion both noticed that the second Nazdrovie champion and the Gerualdi champions were missing. Realizing that something was amiss, they forged a temporary alliance to uncover what had happened the night before. They found the Gerualdi campsite completely torched. At first, the Veriol champion thought Hretlakk would accuse them of doing this, as they currently had Feivelkt and very well could have used the sword to consume the camp in a blaze of hellfire.

But Hretlakk believed the Veriol champion would not have used Feivelkt to do such a thing. The corpses were too charred to make out any recognizable features. Though it was unlikely that one of the bodies was the Nazdrovie champion, they could not rule out the possibility. What was certain, though, was that whoever had done this had Lagrímala, Zwehan Kut, and Nascimedo.

Hretlakk and the Veriol champion spent the rest of the day searching for the culprit. However, the Nazdrovie champion was clever and hid themselves using Lagrímala's magic. Knowing that they could not search forever, Hretlakk and the Veriol champion set up a camp. In the night, the Nazdrovie champion crept up on the all-too-obvious campsite. Seeing Hretlakk sleeping there with Oladani nearby, the Nazdrovie champion started to conjure a spell. An arrow struck them in the back, killing them instantly. The Veriol champion had been hiding nearby with Jadern Istrat Hnev, knowing that the one who had broken the rules would do so once again.

Hretlakk and the Veriol champion stared at one another for a long while. Hretlakk then packed up her things and wordlessly parted ways with the Veriol champion. Come dawn, they would have to fight one another as the last remaining champions. The Fourth Galactic War was not yet over.

When the sun rose, both Hretlakk and the Veriol champion were already waiting for one another. Neither of them had gone back to get the dead Nazdrovie champion's weapons. It was Ji Lhan and Eiorozziore against Jadern Istrat Hnev and Feivelkt.

Nocking an arrow to the godslaying bow, the Veriol champion opened fire on Hretlakk as she charged at them, Ji Lhan raised. The arrows stuck into Hretlakk's body, but her charge never slowed. Withdrawing Feivelkt, the Veriol champion knew that Eiorozziore had been what saved Hretlakk from being torn apart on the first day. If they could get that sword away from her, even the famous captain of the Alamo Empire could be killed.

The two struggled, exchanging blows and going back and forth until the Veriol champion slashed through Hretlakk's arm. Her hand, still gripping Eiorozziore in its dead grasp, fell to the ground. The Veriol champion charged and pierced Hretlakk's heart with Feivelkt, but it wasn't enough. Hretlakk raised Ji Lhan and, in a single swing, cut off the Veriol champion's head. The decapitated body fell back with a low thud. The only sound was the frantic panting of Hretlakk and the low sound of her blood dripping to the ground. Ripping Feivelkt out of her chest, she threw it to the ground.

The Fourth Galactic War was over.

The Alamo Empire immediately moved in to retrieve Hretlakk, cheering that they had won. But Hretlakk was still staring at the battlefield that was now the grave for the final victims of the war and their terrible godslaying weapons. She shook her heavy had and dropped Ji Lhan to the ground, where it fell by the side of the Veriol champion's corpse.

“We lost just as they did,” Hretlakk said. Falling to her knees, she shook her head once more. “We have all lost.”

Hretlakk's body was never moved from that battlefield, nor were any of the other champions'. Shortly after the bout ended and before the Alamo Empire could make any demands of those who had lost the Fourth Galactic War, a monstrosity emerged from Kyrol, soaked in the blood of the Ailnyk Galaxy's gods and proclaiming the end of any who would stand against him.

His name was Rotus.

Too divided and torn from the Fourth Galactic War, the major powers of the galaxy were unable to combat the menace. The galaxy fell into chaos, and it fell farther and farther until there was nobody left to stand against Rotus.