The Dawn of a New Era

Season Two Prologue

As the sun hits its apex for the day, the outline of dust where Anubis fell stays unmoving as the wind picks up in the Valley of the Dog - which the local inhabitants immediately begin to call The Valley. The dust of Anubis' minions fills the air and the ground is pock marked with holes and shattered rocks reminding those that a battle just took place on this ground not long ago.

The Posse of heroes is meandering around the field. Marguerite’s body had appeared in the Cave after Anubis was defeated. She was breathing very lightly, but no manner of trying could wake her from her sleep. Corman, who was knocked out by Reggie at the end of the battle, remains oddly unconscious for some time as well. After a few more hours of attending to the wounded and gathering up any horses or wagons, Fairfax and Mr. Parker decide it is time for the group to leave. The men from Gomorra talk and thank Reggie for his advanced warning and wish they could have done more before they leave. Fairfax leaves some of his men behind to guard the cave. Fairfax, who started this venture with roughly 30 men, is riding home with about 15 on horses and 3 who needed to be placed in the wagon.

As the Posse rides back you start to hear tales of what just happened in the Great Maze. They hear stories of those crazy “China-men” in Shan Fan raising a twenty foot devil and releasing it on the Maze as retribution on some slight in honor. Others are talking about the destruction across California and especially in Shan Fan. Talking with people on your way home you find out that the docks and warehouse districts in Shan Fan have been very heavily damaged and the shipping business there will be slow for some time now. Also many people talk about the destruction of towns and homes due to a horde of dogs which seemed to be humanoid. Other say it was a tornado, where others have stated an increase of men with black dusters running around the Maze. One thing for sure is that Anubis or some of his minions did raze many of the small mining camps and towns on his way to the Cave.

As some of the destruction you investigate can be ascertained to be his dirty work. The number of people killed attributed to the rampage ranges from 500 to 2000. So far no accurate numbers were able to be identified on your travel back to Freedom. Another area of concern especially for Fairfax and Mr. Parker is it seems that communications between California and the rest of the country has slowed down to horse and carriage for the time being as the telegram wires have been either destroyed in the rampage or cut down by saboteurs.

Why are saboteurs cutting down telegram lines and limiting the communication of newspapers and messages you ask? It is because WAR has actually come to the Great Maze. As Anubis was raging through the Maze, the Mexican forces there began their march of conquest. The Mexican Armada and Army have started to take over mining camps, towns, and ports that belonged to the Republic of California. They are also currently engaged in battle with the Confederate troops down in the southern part of the Maze. People talk of seeing the Mexican forces moving north to take some of the Union enclaves. People mention that the Mexicans are unbeatable as bullets bounce off them and that they march all day and night. How can anyone even think that they can defeat them?

Along with this chaos that has spewed forth, there are stories that a Union Regiment was defeated in ambush by Grimme’s Guardian Angels. That none of the Union soldiers survived and that only their equipment has been found. One thing that has been realized for certain, is that sailing in the Great maze as of late will be dangerous as the Mexican Armada is hunting any ship that does not fly their flag. So far the water ships which are heavily guarded have made it through but many more have been sunk. The Union and the CSA have lost their fleets in surprise attacks at Fort Lincoln and Shannosburg. It takes the group traveling 10 days to make it back to Freedom as you dodge some Mexican patrols and regiments. On the 4th day Marguerite and Corman will wake both feeling very refreshed and healed from any wounds they might have suffered previously.

As you enter Freedom during dusk on September 4th, 1878 the town seems quiet and troops are patrolling all along the border. It seems more like a military encampment than a town now. The Great Maze has become tense as everyone watches to see what the next move will be. Your world is changing in front of your eyes; will you grab the bull by its horns and create your own destiny?