Khest in his fury and pain decided this world needed a shake up, do to things in a horrific manner, he was after all accustomed to such things.

Hell, he did such things in his long reign as a butcher king...

Khest sent out his forces to a small village, west of his Forest, not far form his dark realm. An innocent village of fishermen and farmers, healers and craftspeople. Khest decided to make himself known upon the world of Rhydin, and this would be his first demonstration.

A force of 10,000 Shadow Elves, Orcs, Ogres, Men and Undead went forth, like some black wind, from the vast Forest of Misery, a twisted memory of Aetheria, Khest's once proud homeland. And this dark army fell upon the village like ravenous beasts. Khest himself was at the head of the army, astride his mighty NightMare, Infernus. Taking the heads of his victims off in great swipes of his foul Double Axe.

The screams of the dying villagers, and the smoke of their burning village filled the sky, any who survived this onslaught were taken as slaves, to be turned into either breeding stock, food or troops. Those that died, were made into undead troops, to add to Khest's Black Legion. Khest's army then moved from this small, now devastated village, heading north, to another poor village, some four days march.

And soon this next village would feel the Wrath of the Shadow King and his Black Legion.

GreyThorne, a small kingdom, peaceful, nestled between the foothills of the northern Mountains and the vast Altairia woodlands to the south. It was a land of farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, with a small order of loyal Knights, known as the grey knights, noble and good, loyal to the aging king, Therdi the Wise, 7th king of Greythorne. The Knights themselves were getting old too, not much in the way of wars these days.

The small pastoral kingdom had a small army as well, only a thousand or so in strength. Mostly peasent militias called in times of war, and some professional soldiers. Then again Greythorne had not seen a war in some 50 years. There was no real need for a large standing army, that and Greythorne was allied with a number of larger, stronger kingdoms.

None of this mattered to Khest or his Black Legion, which had now grown to 12,000 troops, like some evil plague, he and his dark army swept forth, across the land, once peaceful, idyllic. And began to systematically wipe out all the towns and villages, one by one they fell, The GreyKnights and the militia army were no match for such a large, and far superior army. An army that showed no mercy, no remorse. Khest's Black legion crushed the very land to dust.

Within a week's time, little to nothing was left, towns laid in ruins, burning and shattered. King Therdi was slain by Khest himself, as was the entire royal family, the castle was pounded to rubble by giants and dragons. The treasures taken as spoils, as were any survivors, taken as slaves for labor, food or troops. Those that were dead were raised by Khest's dark priests and wizards as undead soldiers. One way or another Khest would always gain more forces.

On the Black Legion moved, now it was large enough for two full legions of 6,000 troops each. And so Khest renamed it the Black Legions of Aetheria. The evil army went south, heading to Karadin, a large merchant kingdom, and a real challenge for Khest's legions.