Inferno

"Do what thou willst"

Inferno

The ravening monsters that would burn the world to a cinder just to watch it burn.  Demons are an alien pantheon of hostile monsters that are bent on conquering Ashan.  Fortunately, they are imprisoned in Hell (a “dimensional jail” created in the lava core of the planet) and can’t exist for long in the material (surface) world, except when they are summoned by a sorcerer or when they can possess a mortal body.  On the battlefield, Inferno troops are famous for their insane brutality in both the might and magic fields. Inferno troops will rush into the melee, while creatures with magic abilities will disrupt the normal order of things to call for demonic reinforcements or to summon the fury of the fire element on their enemy.  The inferno heroes will of course support their troops, sometimes taking part into combats but most of the time they will use their tremendous resources in mana to cast countless and devastating spells.

 BRIEF HISTORY

 The origins

 28-40 YSD: Wars of Fire

First great demon incursion.

The great wizard Sar-Elam, know as the “Seventh Dragon”, sacrifices himself to end the Wars and repel the demon incursion. Sar-Elam and his disciples seal the demons away to prevent their return. 

62 YSD: The Schism of the Seven

Schism between the disciples of Sar-Elam, who can’t agree on the best way to follow the road laid down by the Seventh Dragon. Sar-Antor founds the Blind Brothers, a congregation of healers, seers and embalmers dedicated to the worship of Asha. Sar-Badon founds the Dragon Knights, a martial order disciplined in both body and mind.  

67 YSD: The Prophecy of the Demon Messiah

Sar-Shazzar gives the Prophecy of the Demon Messiah, which predicts, among other things, that a half-demon hero will someday shatter the Demon Prison and unleash bloody chaos on the world. 

104 YSD: The Dragon knights become a secret order

On his deathbed, Sar-Badon commands the Dragon knights to retreat from the world and dedicate themselves to preserve the teachings of the Seventh Dragon, watching against any Demon activity.  No longer are the Dragon Knights to be prominent or visible in the world. 

330 YSD: 1^st Eclipse - War of the Blood Moon

– Creation of the Orcs

A total lunar eclipse provokes a massive rupture of the Demon Prison. The Demon Lords force their way out and raven across lands. Armies are rallied to meet them, but, caught by surprise, they are rapidly overwhelmed.

The Demons are finally defeated but at most terrible cost. The Demon Lords are cast down, and the surviving demons banished back to their hellish prison. The Dragon Knights emerge from hiding to repair the prison as best they can, then vanish once again. 

564 YSD: 2^nd Eclipse - Rise of the Demon Sovereign

Total lunar eclipse. This time the Blind Brothers had predicted it, and the Alliance, helped by the Dragon Knights, is quick to react. Only a small band of demons manage to escape into the world. The names of the Demon Lords, Urgash’s first children, are heard no more. Instead, the name of Mal-Beleth, new and only Demon Sovereign, appears. 

717 YSD: 3^rd Eclipse – Dragon Hunt

During a brief lunar eclipse, a band of Demons escapes into the world. They seek out the hidden strongholds of the Dragon Knights and begin a bloody secret war. The outcome of this conflict is unknown to date.

 The modern ages

 843 YSD: 4^th Eclipse - Falcon’s Last Flight

Total eclipse. This time, the Demons storm the capital of the Falcon Empire and massacre the royal house. As soon as the Demons are repelled, fighting breaks out as the various noble houses attempt to claim the throne. Duke Ivan of Griffin conquers the bloody crown. The Empire is renamed “Holy Griffin Empire”. 

969 YSD: 6^th Eclipse - Queen Isabel's War

An eclipse not forecast on any calendar grips the Blind Brothers in a panic. The Demons emerge in force and march towards Haven’s capital. This war will be known as Queen Isabel's War and is the topic of Heroes V’s campaign.