Grimoire Doloris
The Book of Contamination
◀ Chapter 3 · Chapter 4 · Chapter 5 ▶

¹After many days, the voice of SATANAS returned unto Exanthis, bidding him to gaze upon yet further visions of the scourge’s terrible might.
²The dark lord showed him the plague’s relentless spread beyond the lands first visited, into distant realms and across wide seas, touching all corners of the Oærth.
³Behold, Exanthis, quoth the voice; how this pestilence knoweth no borders, nor heedeth the pride of kings nor the prayers of priests.
⁴It cometh upon the swift steeds of merchants and the slow caravans of peasants alike, riding on winds and waters that none can stay.
⁵The prophet beheld cities fallen silent as the grave, their marketplaces empty and their towers deserted, save for the cries of the dying.
⁶Where once the feast was held, now is famine’s shadow; where once the hearth was warm, now lies cold and dark.
⁷The vision showed the faces of the afflicted, marked by fever’s flame and the swelling of cruel sores, their breath ragged and weak.
⁸These are the tokens of the wrath that doth cleanse the Oærth, burning away corruption and pride as the fire doth consume chaff.
⁹Exanthis saw the streets of great cities filled with hastily dug graves, where many were laid without name or lament, forgotten by the living.
¹⁰Yet, said the voice; from such desolation may arise renewal, if the hearts of men turn in humility and seek forgiveness of their Maker.
¹¹The prophet heard the voice of many lamenting the loss of kin and country, and the rising of fear that bound men as with iron chains.
¹²The pestilence shall not spare the noble nor the lowly; all shall bow before its dread power, and the empire that once stood proud shall tremble.
¹³Exanthis trembled at the sight, and bowed his head in sorrow for the souls doomed to suffer such grievous trials.
¹⁴The voice commanded him once more: Go forth among the scattered peoples, and declare unto them the fate that is come upon the Oærth.
¹⁵Tell them that no fortress nor sword shall shield them from the breath of death that walketh unseen in the winds.
¹⁶Let them gird their loins with faith and humility, and prepare their spirits for the days of darkness that lie before.
¹⁷The prophet arose, his heart heavy yet resolute, knowing the burden laid upon him was greater than mortal strength might bear.
¹⁸As he journeyed, the voice of the Lord of Shadows followed him, urging him onward through towns forsaken and fields laid waste.
¹⁹Speak to the living, O Exanthis, and tell them that only by turning from pride and seeking mercy may they hope to survive the scourge.
²⁰The empire that spanned the Oærth, foretold by Mortivar, shall know its fall beneath the weight of this plague, and the nations shall be shaken.
²¹Let no man boast of his strength, for all flesh is as grass, and the breath of the Almighty is upon the Oærth to humble the proud.
²²The prophet’s voice grew strong as he proclaimed the dread warnings to the fearful remnant, calling them to repentance and faith.
²³Yet many turned away, consumed by despair or hardened by disbelief, refusing to heed the solemn words he bore.
²⁴The pestilence spread ever onward, carried by ships and caravans, by traders and wanderers, swift as the hawk upon the wind.
²⁵The great cities faltered one by one, their walls no bulwark against the invisible enemy that walked the streets unseen.
²⁶The graves overflowed, and the air was thick with the scent of death and the cries of those bereft of hope.
²⁷Yet in some hidden places, small communities clung to life, their hearts turned toward prayer and their hands joined in humble labour.
²⁸Exanthis witnessed these pockets of light amid the darkness, and found solace in their faith and steadfastness.
²⁹The voice of SATANAS spoke again: Know, O prophet, that even amidst destruction may seeds of renewal be sown, for from decay cometh new life.
³⁰The empire shall crumble, yet from its ashes shall rise new kingdoms and new hopes, shaped by the trials endured.
³¹The prophet’s burden was heavy, yet his purpose was clear: to bear the warning unto all peoples, to prepare them for what must come.
³²He traversed plains and mountains, deserts and forests, speaking words of doom and hope alike, seeking those who would listen.
³³The pestilence did not discriminate, yet some were spared, their lives a testimony to mercy and grace amid the storm.
³⁴Exanthis taught that repentance and humility might soften the hand of wrath, and that the spirit might endure when the flesh falleth.
³⁵The shadow lengthened, and the days grew dark, yet the voice of the prophet sounded like a beacon to those who would not be swallowed by despair.
³⁶Prepare thyselves, O children of man, quoth he; for the pestilence is come, but it is not the end of all things.
³⁷Heed the warning, turn from vanity and pride, and look unto the Lord, whose mercy endureth forever.
³⁸The lands were broken and barren, but within the hearts of the faithful was kindled a flame that no darkness could quench.
³⁹The voice of the Lord of Shadows faded, leaving Exanthis to his solemn task, his steps heavy but unyielding upon the Oærth.
⁴⁰And so he went forth, carrying the prophecy to every corner of the known world, until his voice was but a whisper on the wind.
⁴¹The pestilence passed as a scourge, and the world was changed, its peoples humbled and its empires shaken to their foundations.
⁴²Yet the prophecy endured, a warning for generations to come, and a call to remember the frailty of mortal life.
⁴³Thus endeth the vision of the great pestilence, and the charge given unto Exanthis, servant of the shadowed Lord.
⁴⁴May all who hear these words take them to heart, and seek the path of humility and mercy, that they may find peace in the days to come.
⁴⁵For though the darkness be long, the dawn shall break, and the faithful shall arise in light and hope anew.
⁴⁶Blessed be they who heed the warning, and prepared are they for the trials that shall befall the sons of men.
⁴⁷Thus the voice was still, and the prophecy laid to rest, until the appointed time should come again.


Copyright ©2025 Adam Alexander T. Croke. All rights reserved.