Chronomancer

00 - History: Ballad of the Devil's Spawn

There exists a tale... a story of a time long gone... a time when even the dust of the world we call home was naught. It was within this eternal void wrought by emptiness and sorrow that they clashed. Like two sides of the same coin, they zoomed through the cosmos, tearing into space itself and wreaking havoc on all of reality.

As quickly as they had appeared, those ethereal beasts vanished once more, leaving a faint trail of intertwining silver and gold as a reminder of their passage. In their wake, the universes were left in ashes; hardly a fraction of their former glory and diversity. The beings that had miraculously survived the onslaught were few but what they were left with was nothing. Their destiny had been tampered with and their purposes erased. Time had been warped and the natural flow of all life had been altered. In a moment these hellish deities had caused irreparable damage to the fabric of existence and without its support in place, it came to collapse upon itself.

Like an incurable cancer, space had begun to destroy itself at an exponential rate. Entire galaxies folded into themselves and it's said that the excruciating wails of the goddess of the universes echoed in vain, pleading for relief from this relentless Armageddon.

On bent knees and bowed heads, the survivors called to the highest lifeforms in the galaxies but when all else failed, they turned to a heathen soul whose impious morals had led it to be not only feared but outcast. In their final, desperate squeal they summoned the Devil.

It is said that a great cost was paid for their foolish choice but this was rewarded by the Devil's wise words, "I cannot help you but I know who can. Turn to him... the Pagan God of Kairos. Wake him from his slumber. Remind him of his power! When he stirs tell him this: 'The first and the next have made their move but it is not yet time. The heir has yet to rise!' He will know what must be done once he is graced by this knowledge."

Despite their ultimate sacrifice, the survivors had found a reignited ambition. With a solution in sight they heeded the instructions of the scaled Devil. Descending to the lowest plane, they brought to consciousness the sealed God of Time, Chrono. His yawns rocked the shredded lands around them and twisted the stars suspended in the darkness. Entire solar systems began to revolve haphazardly and unpredictably, crashing head first into neighbouring masses as they spiralled out of control.

The survivors trembled as regret washed over them. In the end, they had succeeded only in perpetuating their downfall... or so they initially assumed. Slowly, planets and suns began to form from the remnants and debris, dead and rotted corpses sprung to life... it was as if time itself had begun to regress in a localised region. Realising that their trust had paid off, they beseeched him for his mercy on their worlds. Though he denied their imploring, once he had been graced by the Devil's wisdom he sung a new tune.

"My power alone could never restore as vast a catastrophe as this, but with theirs anything is possible."

With those words Chrono retreated to the centre of the universes where he basked in the remaining particles of power forgotten by the gold and silver beasts. Absorbing their splendour and wielding his newfound strength, the Time God unleashed a resounding roar. Every corner of the forsaken lands rocked as they were consumed by his eternal grace. Like magic, the masses of debris slammed into each other, wilted roots planted themselves once more and the bodies of flesh breathed with reinvigorated breath. Waves of relief and ecstasy spread throughout as the universes regained their pristine forms.

Such a tremendous task should have been impossible. To restore not one, not two but every single galaxy to perfection was an undertaking even some of the greatest of lifeforms could not fathom but Chrono had completed the task nevertheless. His sacrifice for all existence became his zenith.

The survivors bowed at the feet of the deity, singing his praises and chanting his name. They vowed that they would ensure that none forget the grandeur and mercy showered upon them by the Time God and that for as long as life persevered, none would dare sully his ultimate name. They promised that he would no longer be looked down on as a pagan being.

In their joy they had forgotten an important detail. A deal had been struck and the time came to pay their dues. In a shrouding purple darkness the Devil approached. With a clawed arm the Devil struck down the survivors, consuming their souls as had been promised. They retaliated in a final desperate act but they could not escape their fate. One by one they would fall, crying out for mercy. The outcome of the brutal battle had been deemed obvious but what would take place was far from anticipated. As the Devil sat atop a mountain of corpses, one woman rose to her feet. She was well past the brink of death. Bleeding profusely from gaping wounds and with over two dozen shattered bones, she should have been dead but through sheer will she clung to life and charged at the vicious spawn of hell. But in the end, no mortal could ever hold a candle to such a demon. Even when she was bound and suspended in the air, that final survivor squirmed and resisted that highest form of evil.

It's said that the Devil chuckled and in that moment a prophecy had been made, "You are strong. Stronger than any man, beast, apparition and mortal. You may not be able to move a mountain but your body is the only one that could filfill the task of righting the wrongs of this universe. I will make you the vessel for my progeny. You shall bear my child... a child that shall bring about a new era... A child who will rise to prominence bearing that cursed name. These allies of yours will live on even in death. I shall grant unto them the gift of ascension and in their celestial forms they shall forever stand at the side of our bloodline."

Many call it a hoax, others claim it is but a fable carried along through the orative but what is certain is that upon her return to her homeland, that lone woman would change the course of history.

From nothing they rose, like a Phoenix rearing it's head from the ashes, and decimated the world. Cities, Kingdoms and Countries were crippled before them. In one fell swoop they seized control of the Earth and established themselves as the one, new World Order, while on their sleeves they carried the name Mara.

They were a unique people, claiming to be of the human race but wielding incomparable prowess. In addition to their mastery of the martial arts, they owned at their side a Celestial Sire, a sentient construct of the stars and space with whom they could become one. In these combined forms they took on the aspects of their Celestial Sire gaining the traits of said creatures and more. Leading their charge stood a single warrior whose bloodthirsty glare struck fear even in the hearts of the greatest men: Xeben Mara, son of the Devil.

Xeben reigned supreme as the King of Earth wielding an untouchable power. Together with his Sire, the mammoth snake, Pylon, they became known as Emperor Cobra.

Stories tell that Xeben was immortal and his reign lasted for a thousand years before one soul would dare rise against him. That saviour appeared wielding an unusual power which he harnessed in a tireless battle against the tyrant. Though he could not fell the Demon, even on his knees that saviour held his will strong.

Bleeding profusely he proclaimed, "You have betrayed the pact, forsaken his trust! Your actions have gone too far Xeben! Have you forgotten your mother's promise and wishes?! I come today as the Messaiah of the True God, Chrono! Your mother fell at his feet for mercy; A mercy he granted at the cost of his own life! And yet, you've enslaved, tortured and abused those he recreated in his grace! You have sinned Xeben, and I have come to put you in your place. You may have won this battle. I may not be able to slay you... but I will take you with me!"

With his final breath, he cast an ungodly spell ceasing the time of himself and the Devil's son. No longer synced with this plane, the two vanished into the void as time sped along without them. Despite having lost their leader, none were left that could rival Mara's power. The clan rallied and stood once more as an unshakable tower. To this day they look down on us as the highest mortal power and they forever shall should none dare to challenge them for the sake of all.