The Tempest of Eerikki - Book One - THE PANACEA QUEST

Prologue

In the beginning, seeing that the curse of darkness had begun to adversely affect their blessed mortal children, The Divine Goddess Minerva and her lover the Supreme Warrior Kopis created two great forces to fight and protect all.

Firstly, Kopis invested the warriors he thought most worthy with the ability to teach the skills and knowledge of battle creating the first great Sword Masters. He tasked these Sword Masters to create elite warriors to battle the darkness. Then Minerva gifted some of her mortal priestesses with dea Viribus, the ability to call on the strength of ten great warriors in times of need. The priestesses could pass this gift to any elite warrior they deemed fit through the act of congress. This would enhance their strength in battle. These priestesses were sort after and valued by those true to the Goddesses teachings. Though as time passed and the Goddess's teachings became more myth than doctrine, they were often shunned and some were even persecuted.

Seeking to re-establish the balance Kopis and Minerva produced a child. Kopis deemed that his child should be a warrior and thought when they came of age to send them to train with the mortal, he trusted above all, the great Sword Master of Eerikki. With the wisdom of the divine and again knowing balance was essential Minerva deemed the child should be female for she would be the panacea to cure the sickness that now plagued all mortals.

The darkness that so concerned the Goddess and Supreme Warrior was Arawn, Underworld God of terror, revenge and pestilence. He is the great sadist that presides over She'ols, the pits of hell. Taking pleasure from the creation of pain and chaos, twisting men's minds and allowing them to act on their primal nature. This demonic being corrupts with a touch, infesting the minds of the weak, the possessed, the obsessed, the sadist and the depraved. They often referred to those that he corrupted to as the 'Dishonoured'.

Arawn discovered that the more followers he created, the more power he possessed. His goal became the absolute dominion and the enslavement of not only the mortals but the other gods for his jealousy of Kopis was great and he wanted to possess Minerva.