In an unremarkable hovel, in a land of near perpetual twilight, a woman by the flickering light of a linseed oil lantern read a morbid story to a young child. The hovel was one you’d find in a slum anywhere, made of bits of discarded wood, mud, hay. The smell of waste was permanent in the slums of Darniuston. The woman was unremarkable, her once blonde-grey hair now almost completely grey, her hands with arthritic joints showing signs of years of hard work aging her well in advance of her actual age. Her face was careworn, she had a dark moon shaped tattoo on her forehead, clearly visible even in the pale, low light. Critters scurried in the dark, something could be heard chewing on the walls of the hovel. She spoke quietly while her only surviving child listened.

"In a sparkling silver and white castle sprawling across a large mess an elderly appearing man sat upon a silver throne. His silver hair cascaded down to his shoulders, his trimmed silver beard was worn neatly by his handsome and wrinkled face. His blue-purple eyes were dull, resignation filling them as he watched the scene play out before him. His empire, his family and his dreams had reached their end after a 10,000-year reign. He was the Great Dragon Emperor. The Silver Dragon who ruled the world in a time of peace and greatness.

Before this ancient emperor was his court, on their knees, while men held blades to their throats. His family, his wives, his children, all waiting on their knees for the emperor’s words. The works and evil of man had betrayed the great emperor, and using forbidden magics had captured the court, sealed their powers and would bring about ruin. Standing slowly the old man spoke to the leader of the armed men

“It is not necessary to use a blade Darius” pain could be heard in the old man’s voice as he gazed upon the usurper Darius. “For I would kill myself if it was my time to die.”

Darius’s fat lips quivered in excitement, as he toyed with a blue crystal sword, taping the tip of the blade against the white marble floor tiles. You see Darius was a fat old man, deeply steeped in the dark and evil of the world. His voice was unmanly, his plots numerous, he would be the usurper that doomed MAN. “Grey Worm, don’t think you can talk me out of this today. Your line has enslaved this world long enough.”

The old Grey King spoke in a deep enchanting voice; “Peace, Prosperity, Freedom from oppression. I wonder in what way the people are enslaved Darius? Slavery isn’t even legal in this world. Men and women do not die to plagues, as they did before me, dangers from the wild have been pacified, the roads are so safe a child could carry a thousand tals of gold from one end of my empire to the other without fear of robbery. There is no starvation, no war, and the only death in this land is accidental or thanks to a long life. Where is this Oppression?”

Darius sneered, “Can I be king? Emperor? Can I take a wife I desire? I desired your granddaughter once. Yet the great Grey Worm of an Emperor wouldn’t deign to allow his 129th heir marry a common man like myself. My people live too short for your kind you said. Humans and Dragons cannot be wedded you said.” The fat craven man Darius spat on the floor of the hall, and cast a murderous glare over everyone there. “What about this castle? Can anyone live here? Of course not, the humans who put food on your plate and paid the taxes for this castle to be built cannot live here, or even enter here without your leave. What about magic? You’ve forbidden man from learning it. Even the most talented of children who learn a little magic on their own without a tutor are taken away by your traitorous family. Never seen again. What do you do to them? Eat them? Steal their mana?”

The old Grey King sighed again and looked up toward the sparkling transparent dome in the throne room, looking at the sun above then looked down at the man Darius. “Elis will not stop you Darius. He has told me that the children of man are beyond salvation. With Elis’s blessing, your own patron god chose me to protect, guard and educate his wards. You are a querulous race, given to slaughter and savagery. In many ways you are similar to my kin. But where my kin typically are content with their homes, humans are not even content with their neighbors’ homes. I’ve said my piece Darius. And I know it will not turn your heart. Just know when I die, be it at your hand or not it will be at the will of Elis, not you. I am tired. Very very tired of this life. I ask only, if you must take my head, to not take the heads of my family. Allow them to travel to Erindalle in the Sky. They will never return to this mortal world or covet the wicked works of your hands.”

Laughing, Darius stepped forward “You want me to think that Elis, the god of humanity is your patron? You may have been able to fool my forefathers when you took over 10,000 years ago with that nonsense but I do not see any of Elis’ works in you. Now that I own this CRYSTAL WARD SWORD, you have become powerless to oppose me. So stop pretending to be in control.

The old Grey King shook his head. And for reasons lost to time he even had a humorous look on his face as if he found this situation hilarious. “Kill me then. But allow my family to leave”

Darius thought for a long time then answered in a tone dripping of deceit“I will spare your family.”

The old man descended the steps of the marble platform the throne rested on, leaving the silver and diamond crown resting on the throne. He knelt before Darius and bowed his head. Then he closed his grey eyes for the last time and spoke in a voice which echoed out across the city. “The children of man are all cursed. With this death man will know pain, suffering, and want. All creatures who shield them from this fate make war with Elis. All gods which take pity on them make war with Elis. All who have or will aided the Usurper and his allies, and their children will be cursed a short life their line tainted for 100 generations. Those with the curse are to be slaves to the virtuous. The cursed shall be marked with a MOON on their foreheads, for they have turned away from the Sun. Be warned children of man. If blood of my lineage is spilled after mine, I will return for blood.”

Not long after those words were spoken, echoing across the continent, the sun turned the color of blood. And mankind lost the grace of the gods.

This is why the Sun remains red and dark, and why man suffers child. "

She paused a long moment then continued. "But there is hope child. For before the blade descended and doomed man, a last sentence was spoken by the Grey King; 'When man has suffered enough a savior shall come. And he shall be like a sun, and shall lift the cursed veil on the sun, and shall become king. However, his reign shall be bloody, and the foes of the gods will greatly suffer his rise. Weep for your savoir will come. Weep for yourselves for he shall come in blood and carnage.'"

After a long pause the high voice of the child broke the silence. “Did the bad guy spare the Grey King’s family?”

The mother was quiet then replied “It isn’t clear, though I have heard tell that Darius did not spare them.”

The child spoke in a high clear voice “Mommy when will the King come back? I don't like the red sky”

“I don’t know. Rest up child, and speak not of a savior, or hopes of the king returning to kill the wicked. I pass this story to you as it was passed to me when I was your age. This story is heresy. The lords of this land will kill you if you speak it. Remember this tale well, and if you learn of a great man rising, one blessed by the gods, serve him. Serve him for all the generations which suffered before you. Rise up against those who would stop him. Join him, aid him. Give your life to him. For if there is one thing which this world has made clear. Those of us with this mark of the moon are trash. We are worth less than nothing.”

Silence descended upon the dark hovel on the edge of town, the only noise being the creatures chewing on the walls.