Apex

Continued from...

• Time Immemorial
• Ascension
• Il Duca
• Upheaval

A new army, so stout and voracious, emerged. The Duke, the leader at it's core; Tee-dee, the horse that tramples - leaders of the pack.

Together with a great sage whose Sharp speech incited rage and foolishness in enemy hearts; an assassin whose blade became nightmare's for many, including those hailing from the Kingdom of Niger; and an aging mercenary from the land of Chieftains, whose spiked mace cut through even the strongest of defenses.

Never had such an army been put forth onto the battlefield - vengeance and redemption were within the clutches of this mighty imperial force. Through the first many months of campaign, no evildoer could stand in the way of this awesome show of strength of will.

The spoils of war were not without stumbles, first the hated Chieftain tribe, led by the infamous Mar-tee, exacted an embarrassing defeat to The Master of Minds and his mythical God-like army of heroes. Then the City of Steel levied another crushing blow to the pride of the Orangemen. Yet, all was not lost. The Duke assembled the troops.

Il Duca, displaying his wisdom and stoic pride, delivered a tantalizing oratory to the masses - inspiring them to achieve incredible accomplishments.

Regrouped, reorganized and refocused to the task, the great heroic army marched forth against the hated left-handed demon whose pet wildcat once ravaged their sacred lands. The destruction was so massive, so complete, that no stone was left unturned, no blade of grass left unburned. Never again would the left-handed devil threaten the supremacy of the great Orange Dynasty.

Emboldened by the route, The Duke marched upon the great chieftain village and the once lame Mar-tee - the battle would become a bloody draw, until the magnificent Tee-dee charged forward to destroy the defensive lines of the natives. A late counter-offensive would be thwarted by the Empires trusty Assassin and the Mercenary.

With vengeance again filling the hearts of the righteous, the great army marched upon the City of Steel. The battle, fought too and fro; victory near, the great sage hoisted a beacon of light above the enemy - all perished.

Fate sealed, one final adversary standing in the way of the mighty armies of Orange. An enemy, whose sacred writ ordained the God-like figure of the Fav-rey. A cheesy worship of a man who preferred fame to ultimate glory.

The Duke, blundered; Tee-dee, a hero's embrace. The assassin, assassinates - the Fav-rey capitulated.

Thirty-eight glorious years of history and in the fourteenth year of the Great King's reign, the Imperial Kingdom achieved total victory. Vengeance attained, redemption secured. The armies descended upon all the lands, exacting tribute and receiving gifts of earth and water. All adversaries humbled by the sheer strength of the new dynasty.

A Golden Age ensued, the first full year without war the world had ever known. Little did anyone know, an old friend/foe was about to rise from the ashes in rebellion.

The ole General, exiled to the ends of the earth, gathered up an army of crows; hungry for the pure blood of righteousness. The rebellion, true and mighty, descended upon the sacred homeland. The Duke, trusting of the Rod, repelled the skies of those demonic creatures. The corpses of the dirty birds littered the battlefield; the ole General castigated.

Another year of peace reigned supreme across the lands of Orange.

The grand Duke retired into obscurity and into Imperial lore. No hero before or after measured up to the ultimate deity of one man. Legends were made.

Unbeknownst to the righteous King and the purity of the heroic men of the Empire, a diabolic plan was being hatched by evil ones that would ultimately bring the great Empire to its knees.

The departure of the grand Duke left a void in leadership, which ultimately enabled the evildoers to unleash their wretched plan, striking down the great warrior Tee-dee from behind. The army quickly disintegrated, the empire collapsed - fear and desolation filled the hearts of its citizens.

Retreat was the Empire's only recourse, the Master of Minds bided his time.

To be continued...