Major Story Arcs
Devils and Deaths
Goran is introduced as a young boy who dreams of being like his older brother Drago, one of the best warriors in his Grendel clan not long after the era of Orion Assante. Unfortunately, Drago has been contaminated by radiation and is slowly dying. Drago tries to stay away from Goran in order to protect him, but loves him too much and finally agrees to cherish the time they have left together. Then Drago takes on a mission to kill a monster that has been harassing the area. It turns out the monster is actually not violent, and only killed people by accident. Another Grendel attacks it, however, and Drago is forced to kill it out of mercy. He then kills himself out of sadness.
Goran takes his brother’s sword after his death and bemoans the lack of honor in today’s Grendel clans.
Devil’s Choices
Goran is now a young man and, like his brother, one of the best warriors in the clan. He still sticks to the old ways of Grendel honor. However, his clan, the Agrami, are in constant random battle with the surrounding clans. One day, after single-handedly slaughtering a patrol of his enemies, he learns that the Agrami signed a peace treaty with then the day before. He complains to his clan’s general, Igor, and is sent to the front of a new battle as a result. His team comes upon a seemingly defenseless man, and Goran orders his men not to shoot, thinking of recent events. Unfortunately it turns out the man is a suicide bomber and he almost kills Goran’s squad.
Mislav, Goran’s rival in the squad, tosses him out, and Goran ends up spending time with Marica, a beautiful warrior from their new allies, the Savas. The two flirt and bond over their mutual love of swords, since he still has his brother’s katana and she has a newer laser sword.
He goes on patrol with her group, and they find some enemies. Instead of shooting them from afar, the two decide to charge in and kill them by hand, full of their love of battle. They win, but are sent to guard duty that night for their reckless behavior. But to the two of them, who are still true believers in honorable war, it’s just more flirting. That night they leave their posts and make love.
The following morning, they get up and banter some more, but are worried that they can’t raise the Savas on the radio. When they get into town, they find that all the Sava troops have been killed, and that the killers were the Agrami. Marica goes berserk and thinks Goran tricked her. She attacks him, shooting off his ear and then cutting his old metal sword in half with her laser sword. He finally calms her down and convinces her that he had nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, one of the local peasants shoots her in the back of the head, thinking that he is doing Goran a favor by killing the last of the Savas, and she dies in Goran’s arms.
Knowing that Igor must be behind this, Goran rushes back to his town. He finds Igor leading the charge against the enormously-larger army of the Grendel-Khan, rightful leader of these lands, who has just taken back his power. Goran rams into Igor with a motorcycle and argues with him, but Igor shoots him in the gut. The Khan’s army takes over the town and executes Igor.
When Goran wakes up, the Khan’s general makes him the new Agrami leader, based on his bravery and willingness to put the clan before himself in trying to stop Igor.