1. THIRST

[The marauder:]

The crimson sun beats down upon me
As I cross this desert wasteland
No reprieve from the dust and heat
But what I seek is near!

An artefact of great power,
They'll cower before my might!
The kings in their ivory towers
Will not forget this night.

For centuries they've ruled this world,
Content to let men die of thirst
Waging bloody, endless wars,
Over the last scraps of this dying earth.
With the power I'll unlock,
I'll ascend among their ranks;
Shift the balance of power
Into my own deserving hands!

Trapped beneath the shifting sands,
An ancient secret awaits.
That holds the power to transform me
Into what I've always dreamed.


2. DEFILER

[The marauder:]

I have mastered the art forbidden and despised.
Drain the life around me, and feel the power rise!
All that is lush, and green is mine.
To do with what I will, to murder! to disguise!

Strength of steel, nor will of mind,
Can command the energies of what was once alive

Reduce to ash
The spell is cast.
Create the flame
Kill again!

Life is cheap, destroy the weak,
Feel the magic flow!

[Spirits of the land:]

Hear their spirits, crying out in pain. A world robbed of life, a sky without rain.

[The marauder:]

I'll gladly consume these archaic spirits, to help fuel my arcane might!
Only through conquest and destruction to kingdoms spread, do flames ignite.
To the victor go the spoils, only the strongest can survive, and though this world is slowly dying, I will still be here, alive!

[Spirits of the land:]

Defile...deify. Desecrator, you will die.

[The marauder:]

Defile!
Deify!
Bow before me, or you will die!

As I descend into this dark ruin 'neath the sands
I feel the icy tendrils of another mind touching mine.
Ancient and unspeakable, it fills my heart with fear

[The scourge:]

Mortal! Let me into your mind, I shall take what you hold dear!


3. SCOURGE OF THE DESERT

[The scourge:]

You are no match for a mind such as mine - your memories and dreams are my weapons! There is nothing alive that I cannot destroy. Nothing thinks without me hearing its thoughts!

[The marauder:]

I feel the mind of the Great Destroyer, The Scourge of the Desert, The Dragon of Tyr! If He does not have the knowledge I seek, nothing in this world will. Hear me!

[The scourge:]

There are few who would seek me,
Only fools and madmen. I do not grant boons to the likes of you,
Pathetic rabble all!

You shall learn fear, mortal,
And pain
And death.
I have ravaged this world for aeons, destruction on my breath!

[The marauder:]

Immortal! Inescapable! Terror of Kings! Nightmare of Ages Past!

[The scourge:]

I will grant you this, mortal, you are not unlike me.
A mind full of power and malice, a dragon in its infancy.

There are no gods on this world, and there never shall be
Except for me.
Become my disciple, my prophet,
And all my secrets shall be yours.

You draw the life out of this world to fuel your petty magicks
I too use the lives I take, to serve a greater purpose!
I was not unlike you once, before I gained true power,
And underwent the rite that made my Form reflect my Soul.

There is a spell, a metamorphosis
That will turn your flesh to blackened scales!
A hundred years of agony and a thousand souls as tribute
To become what you've always been.

[The marauder:]

I can see now, what the price of this power is
I can see his memories, the face of every screaming soul he's sent
To the Grey.
His mind is an endless maze of horrors, the last scraps of his humanity are gone,
Nothing remains.
I cannot submit to join him, to twist my body into a daemon's,
All I desire now is escape.


4. RESTORATION

[The marauder:]

Time slows
And thoughts
Meld into one

In the deepest recesses of his mind,
I see something I cannot believe.

I can recall a time, when life was not unkind.
But nothing I know can compare to this.


Can this be true? This image, this vision,
From the mind of The Beast?
Can this be a memory of the world as it once was?

Unspoilt and untouched by my wicked art,
The shade of trees, the sound of rain.
Beautiful to behold:
A world where thirst does not exist.

Whether it is true or not, that this deadly world
Is the twisted mutation of something divine,
I would gladly give all I have
To see this world realized.

Only one chance to make an escape,
His mind is open and exposed
An attack would be suicidal, but it would be a noble death,
Retribution, however weak.

Horrible strike to His psyche!
My will manifest into an obsidian edge!
Instantly expelled from his mind, and speak forbidden words one last time,
To aid me in my flight!

Fly

[The scourge:]

NEVER SLEEP! I will find you!
And punish you for your insolence!
I offered you power, and a chance to live forever.
Instead you have chosen to die in agony.

[The marauder:]

I will not forget what I have seen.
Nor regret this fateful day.
For I have discovered a dream worth dying for!
And though I'm doomed to wander the desert,
I will see this world restored.