A hobgoblin lay on the ground, unable to walk after days of hunger and thirst. As the leader of his people, he had looked for a better environment to live in. The desert had been too harsh for them, as they always lacked food and water. Some even resorted to cannibalism to survive, and the hobgoblin knew life could be better elsewhere. There must be an oasis somewhere, or perhaps that a great forest was nearby was more than just a tale.
A short man stood in front of the hobgoblin. This man wore a top hat, polished shoes, a fancy gray suit, and a mask that resembled a bird, with a beak jutting out where the man's mouth was. In his right hand, he held a cane, and in the other, he had a bag. The man bent down, touching the hobgoblin's forehead. "My name is Alnod Marsh. I will give you a name, and you can think of me as your father if you wish. I can also give you food and water." The hobgoblin studied the man, and the latter knew he was not trusted. "You can die here too. I'm not the one in need."
"Give me a name," the hobgoblin croaked. "I'll take your offer and the food."
"Very well. I shall name you Bleak. One day, you will become a Goblin Lord who will devour the forest of Silverlake." The man opened his bag and tossed a piece of steak, as well as several bottles of water, to which the newly-named Bleak quickly consumed. Alnod Marsh looked at his new servant, who had now become a ghoul. His appetite had become insatiable, and he wanted to eat everything around him.
Alnod Marsh stood atop a hill, looking down at a vast number of hobgoblins marching into Silverlake. In total, there were three hundred thousand hobgoblins, and they were led by a ghoul, the same one Alnod Marsh had named five years ago in the desert. For him, everything was falling into place, and now the ghoul's hunger would lead to the destruction of the forest.
The hobgoblins had already destroyed all the ogre villages in the forest. On demon emperor Karem's orders, Alnod Marsh was to direct the army towards Glouvons Clove. That was the swamp which was the abode of the dracaena. They had the bottom half of a slithery reptile and a humanoid top half(they had forked tongues, and some had snakes for hair). Karem had ordered Alnod Marsh to eliminate the dracaena as he saw them in the way. As a mere servant, Alnod Marsh had no choice but to obey. If the hobgoblins succeeded in taking over the forest, Karem would make him a demon lord, something he so desperately wanted. Alnod Marsh had longed for promotion in status and an increase in power. However, if he failed, he would be executed. For Alnod Marsh, that would simply not do. The forest of Silverlake must be conquered by him and his army of hobgoblins.
The Queen of the dracaena, Medusa, had been told the ogres had suddenly vanished and felt something was amiss. She had sent scouts to search the forest for anything unusual. These very scouts now stared at the hobgoblin army, pale from fear, for they saw the army was heading towards their home. The Queen must be informed of the possible invasion as soon as possible.
The dracaena dwelled underground in caves, for they provided shelter and did not require much maintenance nor construction. The throne was built of stone, and besides signifying the leader, it was nothing special. There was no need for it to be elaborate or decorated, for all that mattered to the dracaena was to be efficient. The Queen herself dressed in rags, and an excessive display of wealth or power was frowned upon, for it was considered a waste, as one could be doing better things with their time. These ideals were the keystones on which dracaena lived, making them strong soldiers and dedicated workers, which would be essential for overcoming the approaching army.
The Queen, Medusa, had the appearance of an elderly woman. Like the other dracaena, there were live snakes on her head in place of her hair, and she had the scaly bottom of a snake instead of legs. Her skin was fair, and her eyes emerald green.
Her scouts have just returned to the cave. "I'm afraid that we bear grim news," one of them said. "An army of hobgoblins is heading their way towards here."
Medusa arched an eyebrow. "Hobgoblins? Then prepare for battle at once. We'll beat those foul slimes easily. What are their numbers?"
Another scout began to speak. "Well, milady, that's the issue. We've estimated the army to be about three hundred thousand strong."
"Three hundred thousand? Are you sure about that? How on earth do they feed such a large army?" Medusa's daughter, Euryale, was worried. "Their army is fifty times our size. Is this report accurate?"
The scout nodded. "Yes, Lady Euryale. All of us scouts counted and reached the same conclusion. The army numbers in at three hundred thousand. Furthermore, they all are wearing armor and seem to be carrying weapons."
Medusa rubbed her finger on her lips. Goblins were not very intelligent creatures, and they could not make armor on such a scale. Someone had to be colluding with them. "Very well, I trust you. That is all. Continue monitoring the hobgoblins."
"Yes, my lord!"
Medusa's advisers began discussing amongst themselves. "Three hundred thousand? How the hell are we going to win against that?" one man said.
"And they have armor and weapons," another bellowed. "Goblins don't have access to such things. Even if they did, how is that army not falling apart?"
"Someone is conspiring with them," Medusa answered. "This might be part of a plot to take over Silverlake, explaining where they got their equipment from. As for how the army is kept together, it may be possible that a ghoul is leading it."
"A ghoul?" a fat man had asked. He was one of Medusa's closest confidants. "Isn't that the unique demon born every ten centuries?"
"Yes. A ghoul is a truly terrifying creature, feeding on all the thoughts of its minions, meaning they cannot think and blindly follow all of the ghoul's orders. For this reason, the ghoul's army will never break, even if you defeat it. On top of that, the ghoul has the power to gain the abilities of anything it eats. The ghoul shares this power with its minions. If the ghoul was responsible for the ogres' disappearance, then the hobgoblin army will be a challenge to beat. Each hobgoblin may possess the strength of an ogre, and then there's the ghoul itself. Still, we have no choice but to try and prepare to the best of our ability."
"What should we do?" To Euryale, it sounded like the dracaena were soon to be wiped out. If the hobgoblin army attacked, there would have little chance at victory. "We won't be able to take an army that large on our own."
"Yes, indeed." Medusa stood up. "Where is my son? Has anyone seen him lately?" A male dracaena entered the throne room. He wore a beige vest and a yellow button-up shirt underneath. He had dark skin, freckles, and the same green eyes as Medusa. He bowed before her. "Hello, mother. I heard you call me for me and came as soon as I could. Is there something you need?"
"Yes. Now that the ogres have disappeared, we must find other allies. Recruit the help of as many elves and other races as you can."
"Mother, are you sure? Hobgoblins aren't strong, to begin with. Even if their army is many times our size, we can still tip the scales."
"Perhaps. But if there really is a ghoul, that will not be easy. One wrong move and it could spell doom for us all."
"I understand, Mother. I will recruit as many as I can."