Now, a small group of mercenaries has breached the cavern where the final struggle took place. In the wet and sunken rock they uncovered the ancient throne of the Skeleton King and the riches he kept around it.
They stand around their camp and newly acquired stock of gold and treasure. They dug into the cavern in search of gold and now they prepare to load up what they have found and retreat out their entrance tunnel.
A watchman stands near the ancient and only designed entrance to the room. He looks back to his companions nervously for he hears strange sounds coming from beyond the sealed door.
The doors fly open from a magical burst of energy and religious fanatics pour into the breach. For God they intend to cleanse this aging tomb.
An old coffin sits idly by, guarded by timeless statues.
Suddenly it opens, revealing its true nature as a secret passageway. A bent and twisted guide peers out into the gloom.
From inside the passage comes the glory hounds of the surface, Green Dragons to claim endless prestige.
The battle begins.
The watchman sprints away from the door toward his companions.
Meanwhile, they group together and prepare to fight.
The fanatics likewise sprint into the room, on fire to prove worthy of their warrior gods.
The glory seekers advance as they can, slowed by the wet and slippery rock.
And so the battle began with the shouts of men and stomping of boots.
The mercenaries grouped together, soon to be pinned by two opposing forces.
From one side comes the Red Lions, their legs churning fast. The lead man readies his javelin.
The bolt strikes true, claiming the life of a mercenary.
As his blood seeps onto the cold rock, a shriek echoes in the cavern.
"FINALLY!!!"
The elegant statue shatters, the form of the ancient Skeleton King standing in its place.
"This throne shall again be mine!" he cries, his voice bouncing off the chamber walls. Around him rise the long dead and decaying to once again serve their cruel master.
The Dragons are undeterred and continue moving towards their foes.
And so did the most foul of foes enter the fray.
The mercenaries rush towards the rear of the cavern, engaging Dragons as they flee.
An experienced veteran slays his target.
As does his companion, the youngest and least experienced in the ways of battle.
With a shout the Lions engage the Skeleton King, but to no avail.
The War Priest strikes a shadowy necromancer, throwing his weight behind his hammers.
But he is tossed away by supernatural power and he receives a gruesome wound.
A reanimate tries to attack a heavily armoured Knight
But it is sent back to death with a powerful blow.
Another reanimate meets his end in the same way.
But another succeeds in his attack.
The warrior throws off his helmet in pain and vomits blood as he slowly feels his mind slip away.
The Skeleton King's Guard dispatches a distracted Lion.
The War Priest is attacked by a reanimate, but his mental fortitude is so great that the reanimate's own head simply disintegrates. The necromancer fails to finish off the War Priest with a magical attack.
Another Guard and skeletal archer likewise fail to harm any mercenaries.
A skeletal warrior engages a Dragon, but neither is able to land a convincing blow.
The Dragon Champion advances toward two stalemates.
And so the battle waged on, four factions struggling for dominance.
Young mercenaries throw themselves into the fight.
They claim the life of a Dragon warrior.
The rest continue their own fruitless duels.
The War Priest regains his composure and again rushes the necromancer, supernatural power augmenting his charge.
He blows right through his foe, releasing his foe's evil spirit back to the abyss.
The Knight attacks a skeletal warrior.
The fallen skeleton's bones rejoin the dust from which they rose.
A Lion lands a mighty blow on the Skeleton King, wounding him.
But he loses his head for his small victory.
The infected warrior rises, his spirit corrupted and dying.
The Knight finds himself besieged by reanimates.
He gifts his fallen companion with peace.
But even he cannot hold on forever.
A skeleton attacks the two young mercenaries.
It's fallen form falls back to the rock and disturbs the dying embers of the campfire.
The veteran finds himself fighting another foe.
The undead warriors bring him down.
The Skeleton King rushes to avenge his necromancer.
But the War Priest counters him. Their combined blows throw them apart, though neither is hurt.
The mercenary captain and the Dragon Knight grow increasingly frustrated as their fruitless fight drags on.
The Dragon captain turns to strike the skeletal warrior that hunts him.
With ease he breaks it apart.
And so did the battle wage on, bodies beginning to pile and blood soaking the dust.
The young mercenaries come to help their captain.
The Knight perishes amidst a score of blows from sword and spear.
The captain, now free, destroys a skeletal warrior.
The War Priest stands and shouts, issuing his challenge to the undead menace.
He leaps toward the fallen form of the Skeleton King, ready to strike the fatal blow.
But the Skeleton King's frailty was an illusion. He leaps to his feat and his club slams into the War Priest.
The War Priest's shattered body hits the ground, coating the rock with blood.
The undead advance, ready to finish the fight.
A Guard engages the mercenary captain, but neither can gain an advantage.
The skeleton archer hits his mark, slaying the young mercenary.
The Dragon Champion swings his mighty sword again.
The mercenary slumps to the ground in death.
And so the battle began to decline, one force utterly destroyed and the others wasting away.
The captain is wounded when his own strike fails.
Behind him the undead menace advances.
The Guards slay the captain with a flurry of blows.
The Skeleton King brings down his hammer on the Champion, who can do nothing but close his eyes and prepare for the inevitable.
His blood soaks the ground like all those before him.
And so the Skeleton King achieved victory again, free to sit on his throne and once more plan the destruction and corruption of the world.
