The Tangle with the Cold Rider or the Second All Saints War

An Avatar of Uranus had been in the Unseelie Court helping the Dark Queen Lussina expand her portfolio. Uranus delighted at the Dark Queen’s Wild Hunt: a group of several hundred Unseelie both live and undead that stalk the mortal world and in particular the Unseelie’s hatred of the immortal elves. Uranus has helped expand Lussina’s goal from simply killing her mother to complete control of the Shadow Realm.

After the defeat of the Ichor Entity; Uranus projects himself to the Shadow Realm. Now dominating the landscape are two huge figures. One the most common sight, the Cold Rider, stands one hundred feet high and looks to be a statue carved of pure ivory or alabaster. The Cold Rider appears to be cloaked in a veil of mist but closer inspection will reveal that the Cold Rider is surrounded by shadow spirits and demons that move over him in a blanket of shrieking souls wailing in lament. The second figure is that of Uranus; standing one hundred feet tall and appearing all black with dot-like decorations that appear to be stars, galaxies, and other stellar phenomenon.

Several other figures would appear on the horizon; the young wizard Ruornil, the noble knights Haelyn and Cuiraecen, and the druid Erik. They would watch the conflicts first blows and witness the strength of the Cold Rider. Uranus struggles under the undead might of the Cold Rider, fore curse of Azari that gave rise to the Shadow Realm gave rise to the power of the Cold Rider. If not for Uranus incredible power, the Cold Rider might be able to defeat the Elder Sky God but it stands in a stalemate. The gods of the mortals watch on.

Now dear reader this is when you say, well something must be done. But whom dear reader could intervene? Could it be that Uranus is struck in such a struggle that he cannot call out for aid? This is when perhaps the greatest aid to our story advancement Sephiroth, the Arch Lich helps move the story along. The Master of the Past and Present, Sephiroth, tries to approach the gods in the Shadow Realm. But that dear reader is when Sephiroth is besieged by perhaps the greatest story line derailed; Seoras of the Crystal Staff interrupts.

A grand wizard’s duel begins between Sephiroth and Seoras. Most of gods do not pay attention; the struggle between Uranus and the Cold Rider compels their attention. But the wizard Ruornil spies the conflict between the wizards and believes correctly that the agent of his daughters is probably more of a bane than a benefit. The god of arcane magic Ruornil interrupts the wizards and demands answers to his questions. While Seoras tries to waste Ruornil’s time; Sephiroth merely pleads that this is best chance to slay the Cold Rider.

Eventually Ruornil would accept Sephiroth’s plea and try to persuade the gods of the mortals to intervene and attack the Cold Rider. Cuiraecen would not budge to aid anyone associated with his enemies in the mortal world. The same goes to the druidic god Erik whom had recently lost control of a major portion of groves on the mortal world. Haelyn stood silently and stoically.

Any chance for intervention seemed lost and Ruornil contemplated unleashing vast magic energies directly at the Cold Rider when a ray of hope began to shine. Appearing on the horizon, the rising sun seemed to shine light into the Shadow Realm. But really it was the coming of Avani, god of the sun. The grand goddess moved close to the conflict between Uranus and the Cold Rider and began to funnel energy into Uranus. With the increase in strength the tides seemed to turn.

The Cold Rider seemed to shudder under the strain of Uranus. The pure alabaster form of the Cold Rider began to crack and some chips fell off. While this might have signaled the end of the Cold Rider it was the beginning of something very worse. The destructive energies between Uranus and the Cold Rider eventually would explode and the ivory body of the Cold Rider would give way. Underneath the white marble exterior the Cold Rider hide the true form of Azari.

In the wake of the explosion Uranus and Avani stood motionless waiting what would come next. The new form of Azari was that of a hundred foot tall demon, of the purest black, brimming with spikes, with leathery wings, and a massive tail. The reborn Azari would hold out two clawed hands and then open them palm ward toward Uranus and Avani. The pair of gods seemed to be caught in some horrible crippling energy beam that was sucking the essence of their very begin from them.

Something had to be done and Haelyn would act. The noble god of war would move to charge Azari, sinking his sword deep into the beast. The reborn Azari would wheel back, with the sword still stuck in the foul demon, and begin a death wail. All the dark energies of Azari began to flow into Haelyn, First it seemed as if the could of evil spirits that once surrounded the Cold Rider begin to be drawn into Haelyn’s mouth. Then the very body of the reborn Azari begins to turn into a black miasma and that too is drawn into Haelyn’s mouth. Then it seems as if the shadows that make up the bleak landscape of the Shadow Realm begin to flow into Haelyn’s mouth as well.

It seems that Haelyn ate up all the evil in the Shadow Realm and has given rise to a rebirth of the Spirit Realm. Gone are the loaming shadows and horrid landscape. Now replacing it is a beautiful world of grass and tress, pure lakes and skies. But Haelyn is changed as well. Maybe the curse of Azari still lingers in the bloodtheft that had just occurred on the cosmic scale. Haelyn’s eyes filled with rage and if it not for the aid of Uranus, Haelyn would have struck down Avani for her bloodpower. And in that very uncharacteristically chival move Uranus inspires something deep within Haelyn and there is no better way to explain it then; in a fit of rage Haelyn teleports away to brood over what has happened.

Uranus will explain to Avani that he was tasked by the mortals of this realm to defeat the Cold Rider and is glad the task is accomplished. Appearing to be the most noble and just of the gods Uranus appeals to Avani to protect this new Spirit Realm as well as the realm of the mortals. But if only Avani would know what evils Uranus had helped sow in both the Spirit Realm and the mortal realms before departing. Uranus makes it appear that he departs after the defeat of the reborn Azari but the Elder Sky God will not let any corner of the universe slip past his grasp.

So what happens next dear reader? What of the agents of Azari on the mortal world like the Gorgon? Well those are excellent questions for another time. But what is next for Uranus is to travel back to his home realm to defeat yet another would be godling.