While Alaric, Lyra, and Cassandra were carving a path through the lower levels of the Demon Fortress, a much larger and more brutal conflict was unfolding in its core regions. The Archmages and Martial Kings of the Eloriath Kingdom, each a powerhouse in their own right, had indeed managed to overcome the initial demonic defenses and were now locked in a desperate struggle against the most powerful Archdemons the Nightmare Legion had to offer.
Archmage Gideon Thorne, his staff crackling with arcane energy, unleashed a barrage of high-level spells against a hulking Archdemon with skin like hardened obsidian and massive, razor-sharp claws. "Arcane Detonation!" he roared, and spheres of pure magical energy slammed into the Archdemon, causing it to stagger but not fall.
