The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, and Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Barren Realms of the north. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning. Born amidst the shining towers of Valence, the wind blew north, through the ancient forest, past the frozen wastelands of the north. It winded its way down the Realms till at last its frosty chill blew across the rim of a mug of giant coffee. Thus, from the brown primordial ooze of life after midnight arose a being of immense awakening power. Filled with the power and magic of light and darkness, good and evil, saidar and saidin, of endless nights and the sobering mornings thereafter, the birth of a faerie drew the attention of the mightiest beings of the land. Thus, to prove his worth of a place among them at Aegir's feast, Java set out on a quest of passage. Surging through the lands of hero, Java set about infusing others with his power. But as always, the balance of order and chaos must realign. So was born the great demon M'dterms of Collegus. M'dterms descended down onto the Realms to work his powerful sleep magic. The gods were caught by surprise as another sudden shift in the Balance wrought havoc down upon the Realms. Seeing this as an opportunity to prove himself worthy, Java sought to confront this great demon of darkness in its lair. Upon entering the cavern of M'dterms Java was frozen in the still silence of the place. "Where is this place?" he wondered. "More important, where is M'dterms?" As if to answer him, a burning shaft of darkness shot straight towards Java. Dodging aside, Java struck out at its source with his own blast of coffee. There was a horrendous torrent of noise as the two met and fell upon each other in a blazing furry of conflict. As M'dterms' horrendous claws tore into Java's flesh, Java struck back with his blows, causing the great demon to writhe in its pain. As the battle raged on, the power of the demon's magic over the other gods waned. The other gods awoke and found Java locked in combat with the great demon. In an effort to help overcome the demon, the gods combined their power to provide Java with their own energies. Thus, Java was able to find deep within himself the combined power of sugar, spice and everything nice, along with several dozen gallons of cream. Java attempted one last desperate swing at the demon with the remnants of his strength. M'dterms was flung away from Java screaming as the entire cave crumbled and collapsed. As the other gods mourned over Java's sacrifice to defeat the demon, a brown ooze rose out from the grounds of the cave. In their amazement, Java's body transcended into immortality as it rose from the ruins of the cave. A great cheer arose as the gods accepted Java into their ranks. A great weave of magic was placed upon the ruins of the cave sealed with Runes of Power. Even today a horrible shriek can be heard in the regions of M'dterms' Lair as the demon remains trapped onwards into eternity awaiting its chance to arise again to cause havoc. But Java stands waiting, seeking to restore the Balance of power. Infusing those in need with his power of caffeine.

| Barren Realms | Story and page by Ben Zou (Anubis/Armageddon/Rand/Generic) |