I am the Black Pilgrim for I walk in the places abandoned by God and his light.

We shall first speak of the Dark Places for though we walk in Shadows we must not be of them.

As with all things, Darkness has a history and though mortal man has forgotten the Wars in Heaven no secret stays buried forever.

Here now of the soldiers of Heaven Wrath that fought bravely against the angelic legions of the Morning Star and smote his standard upon the ground beyond the borders of Eden. That which was thirdly created was firstly protected and Man was brought into God’s Garden while the battles raged in Heaven above.

Many a battle was fought over the rise of Man in God’s sight and at the last the earth was marred by the bodies of the Fallen. The screams of a thousand dying angels deafened the call of Gabriel’s trumpet and the Throne of the Morning Star was lost.

The fiery body of the Light-Bringer fell between soil and sky and the earth was aflame while the sun was black as ash from a burning heaven blocking the light of Dawn.

God’s chosen was finally set above his loyal servants and the Burning Earth would be cleansed of its stain. First born of God’s Children were ignorant of the blood shed in their name.

Those of the Fallen who saw their master thrown form the walls of Heaven found where his body came to rest and called it The Pit, for it was the first Dark Place. The Prince of the Morning, weakened from the War, sought refuge in the Shadows of the Earth and called to him those of the first race who he called brother.

Burned and blackened, the Fallen were no longer the most beautiful of God’s works. They came with Swords of Fire and Shields of Shadow for their master would extract his revenge upon those who God would raise above he who was once first of Heaven’s Wrath.

Their trumpets were now twisted horns of hate and pain but the Servants came one by one. From the Blood of the Fallen slithered the Horned Serpent and as twilight fell upon the Burning Earth, the shadows crawled long and as Spiders.

Spider, Serpent and Shadow did come to the call of the Fallen and protect the shattered remains of the Light-Bringer and the Pit was darkened with their presence for Dawn would come again with the vengeance of Michael to burn away that which was enshadowed by the War.

The Fallen who were forsaken by God were without house and garb and so the Morning Star wove for them shrouds of the shadows of the Earth and called them to their new houses. First House to him he called they who would walk as a Shadow by day and as a Spectre by night for they would be an army unto he who is without death. Second unto him called was that of the Horned Serpent who coiled about the enemy slowly to corrupt the hearts of Men with fear and with lies. The Serpents would steal passage into God’s Garden and tempt them with the Fruit and lead them away from his protection. The Third House called but the first to come to the Fallen Prince was that of the Spider for it was within his web did the secrets of the Earth give him power to rebuild that which was destroyed.

The Houses of Shadow and Serpent did He loose upon the world of Men with due haste. The House of the Spider he did send far from the Pit to weave a den of Shadows so mighty that his Black Cathedral, called Genhinnom, might escape Heaven’s Wrath. Nestled into the Valley of the First Tear, the cathedral grew as the Ages of Men passed until it was as the First City of the Forsaken.

For this is the greatest of the Dark Places, the most pure from the vision of the Light-Bringer who now was now called the Lord of the Earth. In turn each of the Houses did craft for themselves similar places but none rivaled the capital of the Kingdom of Shadows.

Aside from the Cities of the Great Houses so too did the Kingdom of Shadows build mighty forges set aflame with the breath of long-slumbering dragons unchained by the cunning of the Horned Serpents. These forges burned day and night to craft sword and shield for the armies of the Hidden Lord. Mightiest among the forges was called Argath for it was the name of the Dragon who slumbered beneath its mountain. It was in Argath where hammered the arms were for the Ebon Legion, First of the Forsaken.