"At one time my ancient masters were caretakers of more worlds than there are apples in a bushel. Before the Kreegans — before the Silence — they were worlds of wonder. My masters were kings and queens of a golden civilization. I was made, not because I was needed, but because I could be made — a protector of that which needed no protection… a symbol of might to a mighty people. But now, and for a millennium, the Kreegan blight has eaten away the splendor of the worlds. And so have my masters fallen. They are now warlords and generals, and I am their greatest soldier." — Escaton the Destroyer
Escaton, the Destroyer of Worlds, Escaton the Destroyer or simply Escaton was the unwilling antagonist in the game 'Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer.'
Character's games and general info
- Might and Magic 8: Day of the Destroyer
Escaton was a Guardian of immense power created by the Ancients sometime before the Silence and the Great War, very likely during the Time of Wonders. This makes him at the very least 1500 years "old." It's not clear what was his purpose, if any, before the Great War.
The Destroyer
Lamenting the loss of contact with the Spinward Rim, the Ancients decided to spare no Kreegans from their wrath. They enacted a Scorched Earth policy — any world with an active infestation of Kreegans would be destroyed if its inhabitants failed to eliminate the Kreegans in time. This would prevent or at least slow down the spread of the Kreegan blight.
Escaton was given the rule over the Plane Between Planes(also known as the Plane of Chaos) from which he was able to travel to seemingly any world in the galaxy. The Destroyer would then travel to a world infested with the Kreegans and perform the Convocation of Cataclysm. It would cause chaos between the Elements that would result in the eventual destruction of the planet. It's not clear whether this was the only method Escaton used to destroy worlds.
A Failure to Communicate
Eventually the Destroyer was called to the world of Enroth/Colony. The world had recently been invaded by a band of Kreegans, who were eliminated by the natives; however, Escaton had already been sent to destroy it before the Kreegans were vanquished. This unfortunate misunderstanding, as Escaton himself would later explain, was because the situation was looking hopeless for Enrothians and the Ancients decided not to take any chances. Unfortunately, due to Escaton's programming, once he is called, he must perform the Convocation no matter what. In his own words: "I am aware that the king and queen of Enroth have rid your world of Kreegans. Still, your world is to be destroyed. Once I am called, I must perform the Convocation. Once the Convocation is begun, it must continue. I was called while Kreegan still lived on your world. It matters not that they were dust by the time I arrived."
Escaton summoned an Elemental Conflux Crystal in the town square of Ravenshore, continent of Jadame, and retired to his palace in the Plane of Chaos to await the culmination of the Cataclysm. The summoning of the Crystal alone caused significant elemental upheaval across the continent: volcanic eruptions, violent floods, massive explosive firestorms, etc. Moreover, maddened elementals poured through the newly-created Elemental Gateways, wreaking even more havoc.
These destructive events compelled the numerous peoples and factions of Jadame to unite: The Minotaurs, the Dark Elves, the Ironfists(who came all the way from Antagarich to help) and two other factions, including the Necromancers Guild lead by Sandro and Thant, joined forces to plot a way of eliminating the Crystal Conflux in Ravenshore. Spurred on by the archmage, Xanthor, a group of heroes(the player characters) retrieved the four Elemental Heartstones. Xanthor combined the stones to create a Conflux Key by which the heroes could enter the looming Crystal in Ravenshore and through it, the Plane of Chaos.
In the chaotic plane, they found Escaton's Palace(that was actually a skeleton of a 400-foot tall giant). In the palace, they came face to face the Destroyer himself. Rather than killing the heroes, Escaton spoke with the heroes and calmly revealed his intentions and reasoning. As a Guardian, his conditioning would not permit him to undo the Cataclysm or directly divulge any knowledge to anyone that would allow to do so, even though he agreed with the heroes about the unnecessary destruction of their world.
Escaton exploited a loophole in his programming by indirectly providing hints to the heroes by asking them riddles. He also gave them the keys to the Elemental prisons by placing them on a table and turning his back, reasoning that if the keys were to disappear while his back was turned, he technically wouldn't know what happened to the keys and that even if the heroes took them, they wouldn't necessarily know how to use them.
The heroes used the keys given to them by Escaton and released the four Elemental Lords from their prisons. Though significantly weakened by their imprisonment, they managed to manifest themselves in the town square of Ravenshore and destroyed the Crystal Conflux. Its destruction drove a great rupture through the Plane of Chaos, which caused Escaton's Palace to crumble and fall on top of the Destroyer himself. Powerless or unwilling to stop it(since he would be compelled to come back to the world of Enroth/Colony and begin the Convocation of Cataclysm anew), he was badly damaged in its collapse. His energies dying out, Escaton's last act was to send out a small spider-robot to the Ancients with the message saying "Tell them… I have failed."
Relative peace and prosperity reigned over Jadame for the remaining last few years of the world, as the factions that united themselves against the Destroyer's menace never really exited their de facto alliance.
Overview of powers
Escaton is a planeswalker of great power. He has the ability to seamlessly traverse dimensions/planes and even in-between them. He has complete mastery over Elemental magics and a connection to the Wire. In order to perform the Convocation of Cataclysm, Escaton needs to simultaneously overcome, capture, and imprison the four Elemental Lords. His ability to do so belies his vast power. The Destroyer was noted to have an invisible shield around him that paralyzes and/or violently casts away anyone or anything that approaches him in a hostile manner. Escaton has also been said to single-handedly vanquish entire Kreegan armies.
Equipment
Nothing notable.
Character feats
While Escaton has shown very few feats(since he didn't really have to fight anyone), his mastery over Elemental magics and his connection to the Wire grants him spells and abilities too numerous and varied to list.
Notable debates
Controversial debates/Debates with no clear winner
Trivia
Quotes
- "If I could regret, I would regret having to needlessly annihilate your world."
- "What have we here? Some of the beings of Jadame? Yes. Destroy them? Surely within my rights… but, no. It has been a slow millennia. Perhaps they will provide some diversion."
- "I am Escaton the Destroyer also called "Devil's Doom," "Ruin" and "The Spider in the Web Gate." There are places where I am worshiped as a god. But to myself I think of myself only as a servant to my greater masters."
