Nidhoggr, the ancient dragon, has existed since before memory or history could chronicle his beginnings. Long before the inhabitants of the Shattered Lands mastered magic or built civilizations, he was already an immense presence, slumbering in the depths of the world, deep within the Praetoria Abyss, buried beneath layers of earth and rock in the farthest reaches of the Deep. His scales were harder than steel, his claws capable of tearing apart reality itself, and his breath a poison that could march across entire lands.

Nidhoggr was no ordinary dragon. He was a guardian, a custodian of the ancient ley lines, those mysterious flows of magical energy that connected the heart of the world to the cosmos. From his self-imposed confinement in the depths, he had watched as the energies of the world flowed through those hidden channels, maintaining the balance between the different realities. He had buried himself to avoid being disturbed, waiting until the moment when it would be necessary to awaken to defend what must be protected.

For many years, the dragon slept, confident that the surface dwellers would protect their own realm. But when the legions of Chaos broke into Praetoria, tearing the boundaries between the Splinterlands and other realms of existence, something changed. The echoes of this intrusion resonated through the ley lines, stirring the energies of the world in unknown and dangerous ways. That was the catalyst that finally awakened the guardian.

At first, Nidhoggr only stirred in his slumber, feeling the tear in the boundaries of the world. But as the rips grew deeper, the dragon rose from his long slumber. Shaking off an entire mount of rock and debris, he spread his vast wings beneath the earth, causing earthquakes that were felt throughout Praetoria. His awakening was like the roar of a thousand storms, and the creatures of the Deep, his subjects for millennia, answered his call.

Rising from the depths, Nidhoggr sent his servants, the creatures that inhabited the shadows and dark waters of the Deep, to the surface to observe what was happening. What he discovered was worse than he had imagined: the Chaos Empire had broken into his world, violating the ancient laws of nature, and the Splinterlanders, those who should have defended Praetoria, had failed. Both sides had caused an imbalance that threatened to destroy not only his world, but the other realms connected through the ley lines.

Upon learning of this, Nidhoggr came to only one conclusion: they were all guilty. Both the forces of Chaos and the inhabitants of the Splinterlands had unleashed a catastrophe that he could not control. And now, the dragon, whose duty it was to preserve the balance, must act to correct that error. But correction would not come with diplomacy or warnings. Vengeance and fury would be his tools.

Rising from the depths, Nidhoggr began his ascent, his massive body tearing apart the ground, opening fissures and chasms in the earth as he went. Each step shook the ground, and creatures on the surface fled in terror at the presence of the colossal dragon. His claws dug into the earth, tearing away rocks and trees as if they were nothing more than dust, and his poisonous breath permeated the air, marching away everything he touched.

But it was not just destruction that Nidhoggr brought with him. The dragon possessed an ancient, calculating mind. He knew that to destroy his enemies, he must know them better. So he sent his servants to infiltrate the cities of Praetoria, observing their leaders, studying their weaknesses, and gathering information on the forces of Chaos and the defenders of the Splinterlands. Nidhoggr sought not only vengeance, but also to ensure that the mistakes that led to this disaster were never repeated.

As chaos spread across Praetoria, Nidhoggr prepared for his true mission: to uproot the forces of Chaos and punish those who had failed to defend their own world. Yet his approach was relentless and merciless. To him, there were no innocents in this war. All had allowed the balance to be broken, and all would pay the price.

The dragon finally ascended to the surface, its wings spreading like an eclipse darkening the sky. From its place high above, it looked down upon the war-ravaged lands. The legions of Chaos and the armies of the Splinterlands clashed in battle, but to Nidhoggr, both sides were equally responsible for the destruction that had swept through his world. In his mind, he had already passed sentence: Chaos must be eradicated, and the Splinterlanders must be punished for their failure.

The earth trembled under his fury. His roar echoed through the mountains and valleys, a warning that the Guardian of the Deep had awakened, and with it, a vengeance that no army, of Chaos or the Splinterlands, could stop. The days of reckoning had begun, and Nidhoggr was prepared to do whatever it took to restore balance, even if it meant burning everything to ashes.

Praetoria trembled before his advance.