The books proved to be incredibly intriguing. The first one delved into the Legions of Sheogh, each led by a demon bearing the title of Prince. These Princes were ancient demons of particular races, such as Pit Lords or Succubi, and were typically the strongest of their kind. They commanded entire Legions, like Ahribban, the demon Prince of Hate and Leader of the Legion of Hatred. Ahribban's legions were infamous for nearly annihilating the entire Human Empire upon their departure from Sheogh. There were also five other major Legions directly under the commands of the Six Overlords or the demon Sovereign, depending on the context.

Following the losses suffered by each Legion during the Second Eclipse, a young Arch-Demon named Kha-Beleth ascended to power in Sheogh. He took control of all the Legions, uniting them under his banner and orchestrating the destruction of Ashan during the final Eclipse.

Kha-Beleth possessed a unique ability to unify Legions that had long been locked in internal strife, channeling their collective hatred and animosity towards the living races of Ashan. Ultimately, his leadership proved successful in the annihilation of Ashan.

One Legion that particularly piqued my interest was known as the Legion of the Bastard, led by a figure named Kiril. I recognized Kiril from my experiences in Might and Magic Heroes 6, where he served as a playable character in the Inferno campaigns. Kiril received assistance from Kha-Beleth throughout the campaign, which ultimately led to Kiril's betrayal of Kha-Beleth. This act of treachery allowed Kiril to rise to power as a Prince of Sheogh and initiate his own revolution against Kha-Beleth, resulting in the power vacuum that now exists in Sheogh.

However, with the demons lacking a collective hatred and a common goal, they descended into mindless wars and relentless slaughter among themselves. With Kha-Beleth's disappearance, his throne remained empty, and his vassals scrambled to claim the rewards of his labor and schemes.
As for my own legion, it was once under the direct command of Kha-Beleth. Led by an archdemon named Kazos, our task was to safeguard the knowledge of both Sheogh and Ashan in our library for preservation.

The legion didn't boast incredible strength or power, but it was renowned for its close ties to Kha-Beleth, thanks to Kazos being one of his most competent generals.

After absorbing all the knowledge from the books, I decided it was time to resume my travels. I had spent more than three days engrossed in reading, delving into vast tomes filled with magical knowledge. Although my own magical talents were lacking, I was fascinated by the intricacies of spells like 'Fire Storm'.

The mere existence of such a destructive spell within the library's first floor filled me with anticipation for the power held within the higher levels.

I learned about something called the 'Demonic Tongue', a language used by the greatest demon lords to manifest their thoughts into reality, provided they have enough mana, of course.

Resuming my climb for a few more hours, I watched as the sun gradually rose above the mountains. Although the ascent wasn't particularly challenging, I longed for it to end so I could finally take a moment to breathe and relieve the stress of traversing the Burning Steppes.

Even if I was not in immediate danger, the fact that I was surely during the first war meant that the Horde will pass by here and I will be in danger, I was quite in the dire spot, between the Dwarven clans, the Horde and the soon to be formed Alliance. And it's not with a dozen more demons that I will be saved from them.

I needed to find a spot where I would not be in immediate danger of being attacked and killed; and back in Sheogh I needed to start to extend my influence in the demonic realm.

After a day-long climb, I finally reached the summit of the mountain just as the sun began its descent below the horizon. From this vantage point, I could see the vast expanse of the mountain range stretching out before me, eventually giving way to the desert terrain characteristic of the Badlands in the game.

'I still have to climb around four or five more mountains before reaching the desert of the Badlands,' I mused to myself as I began my descent toward another peak. This area seemed like a promising place to gather resources, considering that the underground was likely filled with minerals, given that Uldaman was situated in the Badlands.
However, the dilemma lay in with whom and for what purpose I would gather resources. I had no interest in ordinary metals or resources, but magical components were certainly tempting. For now, though, my priority was to expand my power in Sheogh.

I made the decision to carve out a small cave in the side of the mountain. It required a significant amount of time and mana, but once completed, it provided me with a secure shelter. Now, I could easily practice more advanced fire magic, something I couldn't do during my previous training in the cave.

'Practice makes perfect,' I thought with a smile as I settled into the new cave. I closed it off with some boulders, ensuring there was enough ventilation to prevent suffocation. This cave would be my refuge for some time to come.

Closing my eyes, I once again found myself transported to Sheogh. The fiery atmosphere enveloped me as I awoke on my throne. As I looked around, I saw the demons I had summoned patiently waiting for my command.

Closing my eyes, I once again found myself transported to Sheogh. The fiery atmosphere enveloped me as I awoke on my throne. As I looked around, I saw the demons I had summoned patiently waiting for my command. Below the throne's precipice, I noticed even more demons—Maniacs and Horned Demons among them. Their presence was promising, signaling strength, yet they were notoriously difficult to control. In the realm of demons, only the strong commanded respect, and any display of weakness could be swiftly exploited.

Standing up from my throne, I motioned for the hounds to follow me. They were the only demons I trusted at the moment; Imps were too skittish, Maniacs too unpredictable, and Succubi too cunning.

Entering the Library, I left the hounds at the door and sought an accurate map of the surroundings.

"A map of Sheogh," I commanded, and a book flew from the shelves—an old trick I had learned. The library seemed to respond to my voice.

Placing the map on a table, I then requested two more books. "A book about basic fire magic and one on alchemy," I said. Two more volumes flew from the shelves, the alchemy book notably thicker than the fire one.

Arranging the books on the table, I focused on the map. It depicted the vast expanse of Sheogh, a world far larger than any continent I had ever seen. We were situated in the far North, within the sphere of influence of the Legion of Voracity, known for its hellhounds and Cerberus. Its leader, Ur-Magara, was once a human turned Heretic during the last Eclipse. The scribe's accounts detailed her two pyrrhic victories against the Legion of Hate's army commanded by Nymus. While she initially supported Kha-Beleth, Nymus was a fervent supporter of Kiril during the revolution.

As I delved into the book, I discovered the tragic fate of the Legion of Knowledge. Kha-Beleth was the one who ordered their demise, demanding they sacrifice themselves for a ritual. The scribe's final entry indicated that the entire legion would partake in the ritual the following day, marking their end.
Surveying the region's key points of interest, I noted several mines containing an ore called Malum. This ore possessed remarkable summoning properties and was integral to numerous rituals and alchemical processes.

'The region seems quite impoverished,' I observed, scanning the map for additional resource nodes. However, my search yielded few results; only obsidian seemed to be abundant, with a dozen mines located near my throne.

In the regional records, I discovered that my throne was once situated within an enormous city-wide fortress during the legion's heyday. However, following the legion's demise, other demons had descended upon the fortress, stripping it of its obsidian and leaving it a barren wasteland.
'But why did the Library survive the onslaught? This makes no sense,' I pondered, surveying my surroundings. In stark contrast to the ruins of the castle, the library remained remarkably intact, as if untouched by the ravages of battle. There were no signs of conflict here.

I sighed as I closed the book and redirected my focus to the two others. Hours seemed to pass effortlessly as I immersed myself in their contents. Time felt peculiar in Sheogh—it neither raced nor crawled, yet my internal clock indicated that hours had indeed gone by.

The tome on fire magic contained only a limited array of spells, hinting at the closely guarded secrets of this ancient art. The Legion of Knowledge had dared to document these secrets under the command of Kha-Beleth.

Among the spells recorded, I focused on learning two: Fire Traps and Fire Mantle. The former concealed fiery mines on the battlefield, while the latter enveloped troops, including myself, in an invisible mantle of flames.

Utilizing the spells, albeit with a degree of novice mastery, came surprisingly easily, as if the very essence of Sheogh nurtured and amplified my magical abilities.

As I marveled at the flames dancing around my hand, a thought insinuated itself into my mind: 'Does this imply that demons are weaker outside of Sheogh?' The power I now wielded surpassed my wildest expectations, a testament to the latent potential unlocked within me.

Closing the last book, I gestured with my hands, and the volumes returned to their rightful places on the shelves.

"Arts of Combat and Books of Strategy," I commanded, prompting a dozen books to fly towards me.

With a determined resolve, I thought, 'Well, let's delve into these topics, and then the conquest shall begin,' as I eagerly opened the first book.
–
That'll be the last chapter today, this is just the beginning about Sheogh outdated political situation
See you soon