The gods of the monster pantheon had been broken long ago. Phabium, the leader of the monster pantheon, tried to fight this truth to counter it. He made plans and carried out little power moves, but in the end, the most he usually was able to accomplish was confirming the monster pantheon wasn't entirely dead yet. Though for how long before the pantheon of monsters would become a tomb to once great gods was seen as only a matter of time.

  As having only God being truly active and that good being the one in charge was a sign that things were not good. But Phabium kept trying no matter how bad things got, no matter how dark the halls of his realm got, or how lifeless his comrades became. He never gave in to hopelessness and kept going. No matter how many times his plans failed to stop the continued decline of his realm and those he tried to guide.

  Then he got a new soul from outside the known realm, the first time he had ever done so. Which was quite the thing, as by this point he had tried every plan in the book at least three times. This soul, as others had done before him, built a monster realm and became a champion of his. He never really expected much, not that he had anything against the lost soul, but after millennia upon millennia of failure, he had come to expect it by this point.

  The soul known as Maxwell did well, surprisingly so, as he was sabotaged right out the gate by another god. But then, surprisingly, something began to happen that surprised Phabium greatly. Maxwell was winning as he was invaded time after time; his defenses held, and his undead realm grew bit by bit in between these attacks. Phabium figured that eventually Maxwell would fall, as had many of the undead kingdom before him.

  As Phabium had seen many an undead kingdom do well for a time due to their unique nature before their enemies found the weakness in whatever unique kind of undead they were. Then they would be swiftly wiped out, as this now-known weakness would be used to devastating effect. But this never happened, and instead a hero came, which was a sure sign of death.

  As the great monsters that had been able to stand against heroes had been swarmed by heroes thousands of years ago. So there were no monsters left in this era that was anything but a chore at absolute best when standing in the way of a hero. This hero showed it would be the same at first as army after army that was under Maxwell's command fell. As his walls were breached in quick succession. Then something amazing happened: the hero stopped as fresh elite undead were called up to deal with the hero, and for a time they stopped the hero.

  But then eventually even these elites were beaten, and the end looked certain for Maxwell. Then they appeared two lords of the elemental undead. The two lords, Red Razor Armory and Hidden Blue Tear, held the line and more, turning the battle into a duel between the three as they went back and forth. As both sides pulled out every trick they had and every bit of power they had to offer. Then the impossible happened, and the hero lay dead on the field.

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  Phabium now had to comprehend this sudden change as the impossible became possible, as now there were monsters once again capable of slaying heroes in the world once more. Before he could even think of making plans or counterplans for how the other pantheons and the gods within them would react, another chance occurred. The holy ritual monster Maxwell had been working on, well under threat of being executed by a hero, was completed.

  This caused even greater change, as with the birth of the holy monster Updawarra came events that caused changes across the world. All of a sudden, a desert that had been traversed unopposed for centuries was having all caravans that crossed through it forced to flee for their lives. There was even a vast ocean that was far more dangerous to cross than it had ever been, and a nation of elves itself was practically under siege.

  Phabium began to hear mortals from across the realm talking about these problems. He knew the other gods from the elven, sea, and desert pantheons would talk about how to deal with the now active and vast monster threats running through these territories. Phabium found himself crying, his eyes constantly changing as he did so.

  He went from the eye of a cyclops to that of a dragon, then to the six of a spider. Though through all of these changes in his eyes, his tears continued to flow. For a moment Phabium wondered why his tears flowed, and then after a few moments it hit him. Things were changing or returning to normal, depending on how old you were and what you could remember.

  As once long ago this was a common occurrence in times long, long forgotten. The other pantheons would come together to talk about how they would react to whatever the monster gods were up to. Whether we were raging personally for a slight or those under them were going on a rampage as they swarmed in vast, unending, unstoppable hordes. The world at one point in the past would raise drawbridges and close the gates as one in preparation for when they thought the monster pantheon might be up to something.

  That time, though, had been long gone, and for thousands of years most had forgotten there even was a monster pantheon. Though some who had forgotten now remembered as the monsters the world had seen as nothing but vermin now marched upon them in swarms once more. This is what had brought tears to Phabium's eyes, as after so many years of trying and failing, he was finally succeeding in bringing the monster pantheon back from the brink.

  It was all thanks to Maxwell. Phabium knew that, and he would have to find new ways to provide Maxwell even more aid in the hopes he could continue to bring the monster pantheon back to life once more. Phabium, through being God of the monster pantheon as a whole, could see and feel the three gods Arrab, Upath, and Dawth being far more active than in centuries.

  Which was wonderful news, especially if their rampages of their respective monsters kept going well. Then their respective courts might begin to gain power as well, which will bring more monster gods back to life from their near-death state. Phabium actually found himself for the first time in his life having to watch his positivity lest he begin pushing too fast.

  So it was that Phabium let his three now active monster gods manage themselves, figuring after so long in inactivity they could be allowed to let loose on their own for a time. Phabium focused all his attention back on Maxwell and his necrotic kingdom to see what Maxwell would do with his new holy ritual monster and his hero slayers. It was a truly interesting time for Phabium, of which he was quite happy.