"The fall of Yggdrasil began on a midsummer's night. I still recall it quite clearly to this day. A full moon hung above, bathing the world in its warm glow. The stars sparkled ever so beautifully in the night sky, like little diamonds upon a dark drape. All was peaceful beneath Yggdrassil's beautiful branches, the outside world's chaos a foreign notion to the sacred land.
Unfortunately, the blissful atmosphere would not last, for, seemingly out of nowhere, a dense, evil aura blanketed the city, carrying with it a choking sensation of death and destruction. In my time, I have come across several evil beings. Vampires, demons, lichs, devils; Name it, I have seen it. But never, not once in my life, have I ever experienced the sort of dread I felt that night.
The pure destructive nature of that aura was like nothing I had ever felt. It was not a matter of power but intent. The twisted, dark, vile presence promised death to all who experienced it. In fact, several people fell ill upon contact with that aura.
Fearing the worst, I, who at the time was the chieftain of the city, rushed to the city gates with a fierce delegation to confront the source of this evil.
We had expected an army of undead – maybe zombies or demons. However, we were shocked to find a single man stood at the city gates. This man, though, filled us with more dread than if we had to face the entire world. That's right. It was none other than Razznik Y'Terlow.
He had been missing for months following Aethir's denouncement. But he suddenly showed up on our doorstep. As you can understand, we collectively cursed our bad luck, wondering what could have possibly brought this calamity to our doorstep. Surprisingly, we didn't need to speak before Razznik made his demand.
And what an outrageous demand it was too.
I still recall his exact words to this day. The sheer arrogance and effrontery of it all. "Five Tasks. I'll accomplish any Five Tasks for you. In return, I desire a branch of Yggdrasil." Now, sitting here, listening to me, you might think this was some sort of trade or bargain.
It was not.
Razznik shamelessly demanded a branch of Yggdrasil, knowing full well no one had ever received one. Leaves might have been given out, but to cut off a branch was beyond blasphemous! This was an extension of the gods! However, his tone of voice, his eyes, and his overall aura revealed he was not here to negotiate. He had stated his terms. Now, it was in our best interests to either agree to those terms or risk losing the city to his rage.
Fearing the worst, I quickly explained that I could not make decisions in regards to Yggdrassil. The World Tree was handled by the Treants. Now, before I go any further, Sophie, you are familiar with the Treants' origin, but I wager the same cannot be said of you, Zuri.
Ha. Do not fret. I expected as much. Most people do not know the Treants' real history. You see, Treants are living trees. They look and grow like trees, but they have surprising intellect, although they may take ages to come to a decision.
Now, did the term 'living trees' ring any bells?
Yes, Zuri. Treants were born from Yggdrassil. Every couple of years, a branch of Yggdrasil would gain sentience. This branch would then break off from the main tree and fall to a clearing below. At first, there was one. Then two. Now there are thousands. Those beautiful miracles of nature were called Treants... And I caused their extinction.
...
Okay, back to the story, girls. So, as I said earlier, I took Razznik to Yggdrasill's trunk, where the Treants made their home. My hope was that they would have a way to convince Razznik to back off. I certainly lacked the courage to do so. If it were a one-on-one fight, I might have taken him on, but there was an entire city of people to protect. I could not risk their lives to satisfy my selfish pride.
I didn't mention this before, but because of the Treants' pure nature, they did not like conversing with the impure humes. So, they often had someone they trusted to speak on their behalf. Someone they considered pure of heart and mind. We called them 'World Guardians.' Mostly as a joke, because of the 'World Tree.'
When Razznik came in, the current World Guardian was a newly appointed child, barely 10 years of age. The child was exceptionally skilled in strange magics, but he enjoyed playing with the Treants far more than he did training.
Hehe, do you think him young? Never make that mistake. Marusan might have been a child, but his intellect could rival our best scholars. This was why I did not hesitate to bring Razznik before him.
Marusan and Razznik's meeting was surprisingly uneventful. Marusan gamely agreed to Razznik's requests, and in return, gave out five tasks, each exponentially more complicated than the last. The last job still sends shivers down my spine to this day.
You see, many powers coveted the World Tree for themselves. Unfortunately, the city's staunch defense and the tree's ability to protect itself meant most people could not pose a threat. Unfortunately, there existed this race of demons called void-eaters.
Void-eaters possessed the ability to tear through space, which allowed them to slip through our defenses and attack the World Tree with impunity. No other race or faction could regularly pose a threat to the World Tree, and quite a few Treants had perished to them.
Marusan final task for Razznik was to track down every last void-eater and then render the race extinct. Only then would he give up the branch. At the time, I could not believe my ears. Kill every Void-Eater? This demon race did not live in communities like others. Instead, they were scattered all over space, in secret personal dimensions. Forget killing; just locating them alone was an impossible task.
Surprisingly, Razznik accepted the task without a second thought, shocking just about every soul in the clearing. I remember looking at Marusan, wondering if he had gambled wrongly. This was Razznik Y'Terlow! Who knew what was impossible for this man!?
Also, mostly because it was Razznik, we could not afford to give him a branch, taboo or not. This was a man responsible for slaughtering cities with ease. Who knew what kind of evil he would wreak upon the world if we handed him something so powerful?
Luckily, Marusan pulled me aside after Razznik left to accomplish the given tasks. He explained that the goal was never to provide Razznik with an unfinishable task, as the walking calamity would never agree. Instead, Marusan gave out a time-consuming task. One, which, regardless of strength, would still take a long time to accomplish.
Intrigued, I asked Marusan why he went through all that trouble. Razznik would still accomplish the task and then return for the branch. And Razznik would not be pleased if we withheld the branch or tried to extend by giving out more tasks.
Marusan then revealed his brilliant plan. He never, for a moment, believed a task existed that Razznik could not complete. No, his intent was always to buy time, and as such, he gave a job that would consume an inordinate amount of time, regardless of personal skill or strength.
The reason Marusan went to all this trouble was to lay a trap of epic proportions for Razznik. You see, back then, Yggdrasil served as a gateway to many dimensions – the Divine Realms included. Though it took a long time to set up, gods could descend upon the earth when summoned through Yggdrassil's branches.
Yes, Little One. Marusan's plan was to have Aethir descend upon the earth when Razznik returned. She could then wipe out Razznik with nothing but a simple flick of her fingers. Such is the insurmountable power of the gods.
It was a brilliant plan. One which both the Treants and the Council agreed was worth trying. Razznik was a blight upon the world, and so, none stood up against the proposal.
Looking back, I wish someone had done so...
But, regardless, we cannot change the past. As it so happened, we did go along with the plan as intended. Marusan and the Council spent days worshipping Yggdrasil, their prayers charging the tree with divine energy required to facilitate Aethir's transfer.
Everything was on track. The veil to the Divine Realm slowly but surely tore open with each passing day. One day, two weeks later, the veil finally tore open, ushering in divine energy onto the world. I still recall the warmth to this day. There is nothing like it. The sweet cleansing sensation, like all evil, is washed from your body. I cannot begin to describe it. This is something you must one day experience yourself.
More importantly, following the veil's tearing, a tremendous pressure exploded out of the veil, forcing everyone to their knees. We did not have to look to know that a god was about to descend to the mortal plane.
Everything was perfect. The plan was on track. However, we did make one small but extremely catastrophic error.
We underestimate the perverseness of Razznik's resourcefulness. Tasks which, collectively, should have taken months, if not years, he achieved in two weeks. To date, I am clueless about how he managed to accomplish this feat, but at the time, that was the last thing on my mind.
This was because Razznik chose the worst possible moment to return – right when Aethir was descending to earth. Listen, girls, have I mentioned Razznik's rage? Someone once described it as a 'Chimera with a thorn in its paw.'
Razznik's anger was a legendary sight to behold. Contrary to how it may seem, he was not easily enraged, especially during his later years.
However, those unfortunate enough to stoke his rage were consumed by the enduring, endless inferno.
On that day, we experienced that rage for ourselves.
Upon returning, Razznik took one look at the veil and instantly figured out what we were planning. His response? Quite reasonable, really. Like a true gentleman, he rendered the Treant extinct, cut down Yggdrasil with a cursed sword, and then demolished the city, bringing an end to millennia of a peaceful civilization.
I have never seen so much death and destruction in my life. The casualties amounted to the millions. The world wept that night and for several nights after as what was left of Yggdrasil was forcibly seized by Razznik before he departed.
Initially, we chose not to chase him too far because we just believed Yggdrasil would regrow one day. Unfortunately, we did not account for Razznik's proficiency with curses. The curse he used was evil to its core. But even worse, it thrived on pure energy. The type that Yggdrasil emanated.
The curse grew more potent through feeding on Yggdrasil's energy and then rendered it impossible to grow. No one knows how Razznik obtained this curse – which seemed tailor-made for Yggdrasil, but in the aftermath, no one cared.
Like so many before, we were assured in our own hubris and were thus foolish enough to challenge Razznik.
We lost.
And the price we had to pay for that loss... Too steep... Far too steep.
Marusan lost his entire family in one night. I lost my children, who had been part of the guards. It was a terrible night—one which I regret deeply to this day. Unfortunately, Marusan did not take the loss so well and suffered a mental breakdown. Now, he lives in solitude, choosing not to interact with other humes, save a select few.
Heh... but you know. There was a silver lining in all that destruction.
Yggdrasil was the only mode of transportation between our realm and the Divine Realm. Without it, the gods could not descend into our world. At least, not for long. However, the same applied the other way. With Yggdrasil gone, Razznik's inadvertently killed his dream of one day challenging the gods.
Personally, I like to imagine how miserable he must have been the moment he found out this truth.
Heh... But, that is the story of Razznik and us.
The final tale is one of love, betrayal, and sacrifice. The tale of Razznik and the leader of the Cursed Seven. The only man on this planet to have had the honor of calling Razznik a friend. The last is the tale of a vampire-werewolf hybrid named Lucius Ludarak and the daughter of the realm's most powerful being, Zeno.
This story, as most of Razznik's do, begins with the mad man's quest for a worthy challenge. Following his decimation of the World Tree, a kill order was placed on the warrior's head. Countless mercenaries, warrior clans, and kingdoms threw their hats into the ring for a chance to claim his life.
Unfortunately, Razznik once again proved that, as far as the mortal plane went, no one could provide a slimmer of a challenge.
Razznik traveled across the continent, hoping to find someone who could reignite the flames of combat in his soul. Unfortunately, despite all of creation benefitting from the lack of a level limit, there were very few and far between who could reach the previous highest level, let alone survive long enough to actually provide a semblance of a challenge.
Just when it seemed hopeless, Razznik received a secret message from Niye. In the letter, she revealed she'd seen a vision of Razznik laying defeated, drowning in a pool of his own blood. She had intended to keep this to herself.
But knowing Razznik, she knew he would rather seek out his own death in a worthy challenge than continue killing the pesky flies that came after him.
This thought process caused her to, against her better judgment, contact Razznik. She hoped Razznik would take up this challenge and thus stop his wanton destruction. You know, many would have considered this suicidal challenge stupid, but Razznik was different.
Yes, Razznik jumped at the opportunity to find this being who could actually beat him in battle. Following the directions in Niye's letter, he crossed the Forever Sea until he found a small island inhabited by dragons. The warrior was no stranger to this island. He had crossed it countless times while searching for foes to battle.
During his younger days, many dragons had fallen to his blade while he tempered himself. Unfortunately, after a while, not even the Elder Dragons could challenge him. He had not returned since then. Who would have thought it hid a terrifying secret?
Razznik's return was akin to a nightmare turning to reality for the dragons. Fear and panic gripped the proud beasts' hearts as they cowered before the warrior. Fortunately, Razznik had no eyes for them. The warrior, instead, made his way to a cave at the center of the island.
Once again, relying on Niye's information, Razznik searched the seemingly empty cave until he stumbled on an indenture in the walls. He pushed the false rock and then watched as a section of the cave opened up, revealing a passageway beyond.
Razznik was not the only one stunned by this discovery. The dragons, who were warily watching his movements, were equally shocked by the hidden cave. Several Elder dragons with the ability to shapeshift changed to their humanoid forms and followed Razznik into the cave—at a safe distance, of course.
Razznik paid his entourage no heed as he delved into what turned out to be a man-made dungeon. Various powerful but unintelligent dragon species roamed each floor of the city-wide dungeon. These monsters, which got increasingly stronger at each level, attacked Razznik on sight, but he defeated them all with ease.
Razznik journeyed through the dungeon's floors until he got to the final floor, where he was met with an incredible sight. The last floor was akin to a small world of its own, with a sky, stars, and constellation of its own. He could not see the ends of this strange plane, but he made out a giant mountain out in the distance.
Razznik made his way to the mountain but soon realized upon nearing that this was no mountain but a sleeping dragon, larger than anything he had ever faced. The dragons behind him fled the floor upon recognizing the sleeping beast. This was no typical dragon. He was Skyrm, lord of all dragons and the strongest being in the mortal plane.
Razznik was not privy to these details and so challenged Skyrm to a battle. To date, I do not know why Skyrm did not kill him on the spot. Instead, he not only forgave Razznik's rude awakening but also obliged the warrior to a fight. Without getting into details, Razznik was utterly defeated in a few breaths, beaten to the point he lay in a pool of his own blood.
Razznik would have perished were it not for Skyrm's benevolence. The Dragon Lord healed Razznik before his condition took a drastic turn.
But he did so at a cost.
Razznik would have to take his daughter to journey through the world. In return, he would inform Razznik of a method to rapidly gain strength. A way he could satisfy his cravings for worthy battles and also gain strength.
As you should expect of Razznik by now, he readily accepted the proposal. Skyrm then introduced his daughter to Razznik. His daughter, Zeno, was his one and only progeny in this world. There was none before her, and there would be none after. He expressed to Razznik how important she was to him.
However, even though he had sheltered her for so long, Skyrm knew every dragon had to leave the nest at some point.
At the very least, Skyrm hoped Zeno's first foray into the outside world would be accompanied by someone strong and trustworthy – in that order.
Skyrm was thus understandably delighted when Razznik agreed to the proposal. After the introductions, he opened a portal to the Netherworld. This dimension housed incredible monsters whose abilities had long since passed the level limit. This realm was divided into two permanent warring factions who engaged in endless battles, ceding and seizing territory every day.
Razznik took to this realm like a fish to water. With Zeno by his side, he charged into the frontlines, battling numerous foes with the craze of a mad man. Perhaps because Razznik was the only other person she had interacted with aside from her father, Zeno adopted many of his mannerisms. She shared his thirst for battle, eagerly seeking out more formidable opponents. Luckily, however, she possessed a much more positive personality and was often friendly to her allies.
Razznik and Zeno, especially as a result of their young age, soon grew famous in the Netherrealm. So much, so that terrifying individuals in the Dark faction began to take notice. Over time, the duo started to fight tougher individuals increasingly as leaders in the Dark Faction began to challenge them.
Eventually, they caught the ears of one mighty general in the Dark Faction. Lucius Ludarak, son of Vladmir Dracula, the first and oldest vampire, and Luna, sister to Lucian, the first and oldest werewolf.
Lucius, the first and only successful hybrid of these two immortal species, possessed powers beyond the scope of imagination. Lucius enjoyed a reputation similar to Razznik, as he ran one of Netherrealm's strongest organizations. Its name was 'Oblivion,' and it housed a legion of dragon riders.
At the time, Lucius, for reasons known only to him, chose to go by 'Rider.' Yes, the very same man who stands behind you. Do not look so shocked. Even I do not know how old he is.
Heh. Anyway, Lucius, upon hearing of Razznik and Zeno's rampant destruction, decided to confront and challenge them both. Only, upon actually meeting them, he fell hopelessly in love with Zeno on sight. It was like something out of a teenage romance tale. The immortal vampire, hundreds, if not thousands of years old, falling for a young, comely girl.
Hehe, do not look so angry, Rider. I am yet to utter a single lie, have I?
Heh. So girls, guess what Rider did after falling for Zeno? Well, what most muscle-headed men tend to do. He valiantly challenged her companion, Razznik, to battle, hoping to prove his worth. What he did not expect was that, before he could even utter a challenge, both Razznik and Zeno rushed at him.
Razznik was a smidgen faster than Zeno, and Rider was forced to block his strike first. Suddenly, Zeno stopped her attack, leaving Rider to Razznik. Only then did Rider realize the duo had been competing on a chance to fight him first. They never took him seriously, to begin with.
Rider, if your face gets any paler, you'll turn into a ghost. But I suppose it is fitting because your fight with Razznik indeed almost turned you into one. However, you did push Razznik to the brink, and for that, he sought to battle you more often. You, of course, agreed to this arrangement because it meant you could remain close to Zeno.
Hehe, well, to cut a long story short, Rider quit his organization and partied up with Razznik and Zeno. The trio ran rampant through the Netherrealms, growing in strength and reputation.
Along the way, Rider managed to succeed in wooing Zeno. And so, over months, their romance bloomed and blossomed under Razznik's disinterested gaze. All was well with the merry trio until the Day of Reckoning. The day an angel fell from the sky.
However, to understand that event, you must first know what kind of being Skyrm was. You see, Skyrm was not a being that belonged in the mortal plane. He was initially created by the gods to be the enforcer and balance in the Netherrealms. Basically, if any faction grew too strong, or if there was a severe offender, Skyrm was supposed to maintain balance.
Unfortunately, Skyrm proved to be more powerful than even the gods anticipated. Using his own abilities, he tore a hole through space and then migrated to the mortal plane.
Initially, the gods intended to have a holy army exterminate him. But considering the Dragon Lord's power and the seismic number of casualties that it would require to kill him, they reconsidered.
The gods entered an agreement with Skyrm. They severed his ability to have children, and in return, he could live as he wanted in the mortal plane, as long as he did not break the balance of the world.
Initially, Skyrm was satisfied with this arrangement. He did not see why he would ever want to bear children. However, as millennia passed and countless friends passed away, he began to long for someone like him. Someone who was as immortal as he was and could pass the years by his side.
As a result, no one knows how, but Skyrm managed to circumvent the gods' curse and created a child in his own image. This child was Zeno.
Skyrm, wary of the gods' retribution, raised her in secret, intending to keep her away from the gods' sight. However, upon meeting Razznik and seeing the open defiance in this man's eyes, he changed his mind. He decided to let his daughter carve her own path—one of defiance against the heavens.
After all, dragons are proud creatures. They do not bow their heads in fear of any being, regardless of strength. If Razznik taught his daughter to fear the gods, who knew how much that fear would corrode her innate pride.
Unfortunately, this decision proved to be the wrong one. Razznik, Rider, and Zeno's partnership shattered Netherrealm's balance. These three troublemakers attacked both sides without rest, killing off several of the strongest demons, monsters, and fighters.
This break in Netherrealm's balance alerted the gods to their presence, and their origins were easily acquired after a little investigation.
Enraged by Skyrm's audacity to circumvent their agreement, the gods ordered Zeno's execution. To be honest, if Zeno were still under Skyrm's care, they might have hesitated to give the kill order. But because she was in the company of Razznik and Rider, they assumed they could take her out without any loss.
With this thought in mind, 100 Adjudicators descended upon Mount Rave, where the trio was resting after a previous fight. They challenged Razznik and Rider, warning them to stay out of the battle or risk execution. Naturally, Razznik paid their warnings no heed.
But Rider, who had always lived his life following the rules, hesitated for one second.
That one second proved to be fatal.
The adjudicators took advantage of that second to launch an Annihilation Sword at Zeno. If they were warned beforehand, things might have turned out differently. Unfortunately, neither Zeno nor Rider had ever seen nor heard of an Annihilation Sword.
As a result, their reactions were delayed. Realizing it was too late to dodge, Zeno grabbed the blade to stop it from impaling her. Unfortunately, in the process, she also suffered deep cuts on her palms. And with the Annihilation Sword, all it took was a scratch to doom a person.
Almost immediately, Zeno cried out with pain as red cracks began to appear around her body.
Perhaps because of her powerful bloodline, the process took even longer than usual. She suffered terribly as her body tore apart from the inside. Her blood formed rivers that ominously cascaded down the mountain. To this day, that river remains in place.
Rider panicked and then quickly attempted to heal her. However, before he could do anything, Razznik pushed him aside and then coldly beheaded Zeno, ending her suffering. Maybe if Razznik had explained the truth about the Sword of Annihilation; Maybe if he had said that Zeno was doomed to die, things would have turned out differently.
Unfortunately, Razznik's propensity for silence ensured Rider was kept in the dark at this crucial moment. Enraged by the coldness in his so-called friend's eyes, Rider attacked Razznik. However, Razznik seemed to anticipate this as he not only blocked Rider's desperate strike but also incapacitated the hybrid with a powerful blow.
Following this, an earth-shaking battle commenced on the mountain as Razznik faced the Adjudicators in open combat. The entire Netherrealm bore witness as, eventually, an angel crashed to the ground, never to rise again. Even more shocking, the Adjudicators retreated immediately after this death, evidently not confident in killing Razznik.
Unfortunately, Razznik once again disappeared from public view following this battle. Rider, unfortunately, never got to ask him why he killed Zeno, and as a result, bore a seething grudge until the day we were cursed."