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| 1992 Omnibus, Art: Yoshitaka Amano |
Chapter One
John Daker (of the 20th century), also known as Erekosë (of the long ago past) hears the call of King Rigenos of Necranal and his daughter Iolinda. Rigenos asks for help against the “evil” Eldren. Erekosë materializes, and is given his strangely radioactive sword. He accompanies Rigenos, Iolinda and Rigenos’ Captain Katorn back to Necranal.
Chapter Two
At the Palace of Ten Thousand Windows, Erekosë and King Rigenos plan an attack on the Eldren continent of Mernadin, starting from Paphanaal, the port town. Erekosë promises to marry Iolinda on his return. After a month’s journey, Erekosë’s fleet engages the Eldren at sea near Mernadin. King Rigenos kills the Eldren captain during a truce and the Eldren fleet is destroyed.
Chapter Three
Moving inland, at Paphanaal they discover only women and children, as all of the Eldren males had already been killed at the earlier sea battle. Ermizhad, the Eldren princess, is captured and given to Erekosë’s care as a prisoner. Erekosë is fascinated by her inhuman beauty. He wonders if he may be in the far future of his original time. Ermizhad tells him that in the past the Earth was once known to hold only the Eldren, not men.
Chapter Four
King Rigenos becomes threatening towards Erekosë when he sees that Erekosë and Ermizhad have become friendly. Nonetheless, once back in Necranal Erekosë becomes engaged to Iolinda. Later, when an Eldren army appears at the coast, Erekosë rides out to meet them, although Rigenos provides him an insufficient number of soldiers. After a brief meeting with the Eldren Prince Arjavh, their troops engage. Erekosë duels with Arjavh, but their fight breaks off when the Necranal army begins to retreat.
Chapter Five
Arjavh’s forces are aided by teleporting “halflings” (allies from another dimension – the Ghost Worlds) and are victorious. Erekosë is captured by Arjavh, and suggests Arjavh trade himself for Ermizhad. Arjavh tells Erekosë that the Eldren are native to this planet and that Humanity are the invaders. After an apocalyptic war between the two races, the Eldren had decided to ban their most destructive weapons. Meanwhile, humanity had degenerated into a medieval state. Later, when Erekosë is returned to Necranal, he finds that Ermizhad has not been returned to her brother as per an agreement. Faced with hostility from Rigenos, Ermizhad conjures up halflings from the Ghost Worlds which teleport her away. Faced with accusations from Iolinda, Erekosë impulsively promises to kill all of the Eldren for her.
Chapter Six
Erekosë and his forces invade the Outer Islands at Worlds Edge in search of the gate to the Ghost Worlds, but find very few Eldren and no halflings. They continue on through the Eldren continent of Mernadin, destroying all that they encounter. He finally corners Prince Arjavh at Loos Ptokai and is invited inside the camp as a guest. Hopeful of a possible peaceful outcome, he returns to Necranal with a proposition but is attacked by Iolinda and Katorn. After slaying Katorn, he escapes Necranal and returns alone to Loos Ptokai. He convinces Arjavh to allow the possible use of the banned super weapons.
Chapter Seven
In an underground vault, Erekosë is shown an armory of energy weapons. He offers peace to the Necranal soldiers now besieging Loos Ptokai, but they resist and are massacred. Erekosë proceeds to take back all of the conquered Eldren land with the mobile energy weapons and heads across the sea for Necranal. Iolinda and the rest of humanity are exterminated. Erekosë reasons to Arjavh that the extermination of humanity was the only way to ensure peace, that even if the Eldren were killed off, humanity would have warred amongst themselves. He wonders if humans came to the Earth as exiles of another world. Erekosë proposes that it was fated that he come to this world and destroy mankind.
Epilogue
Erekosë returns to Loos Ptokai to wed Ermizhad, as Arjavh rules an Eldren Earth. He considers that time is cyclic, and fears that one day mankind will rise again on this planet.
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| 1992 Omnibus, Art: Tom Canty |
The Eternal Champion (novel, 1970)
Prologue
Erekosë relates that he had been summoned to this sphere by relentless Humanity’s call. He believes that time is cyclic and that he will someday find himself home in the 20th Century.
Chapter 1: A Call Across Time
In the dream-like interval between consciousness and sleep, John Daker (a man of 20th century Earth) often hears the names of various characters from his past (or future). Eventually he hears the beseeching voices of King Rigenos and his daughter Iolinda, calling to him from an alien world. Rigenos’ desperate ritual successfully draws Daker to their sphere, and Daker’s consciousness materializes in the form of their legendary warrior Erekosë (in whose tomb Rigenos and Iolinda have been summoning him from). Erekosë’s radioactive grey sword lies nearby.
Chapter 2: “The Champion Has Come!”
Erekosë accepts the sword and is invited to join Rigenos’ camel caravan. They depart across the desert to Necranal, Rigenos' capitol.
Chapter 3: The Eldren Threat
Erekosë arrives at the Palace of Ten Thousand Windows, the home of King Rigenos. Still conscious of his life in the 20th Century, Erekosë wonders if John Daker is actually in a mental hospital on Earth having a delusion. Rigenos and Katorn, Captain of the Imperial Guard, tell Erekosë that the Eldren have retaken the seaport of Paphanaal (on the Eldren continent of Mernadin) from Humanity. The humans’ goal is to eradicate every trace of the Eldren from the Earth. Erekosë is skeptical of this genocidal mania, but Iolinda’s beautiful eyes convince him to accept their extreme sentiments.
Chapter 4: Iolinda
During a morning meeting with Iolinda, Erekosë learns that his sword’s name is Kanajana. He also realizes that for some reason he has been chosen to fight innumerable battles across innumerable times and lands. Realizing that Rigenos and Iolinda's summons has interrupted one of the rare peaceful interludes in his eternal struggle, he begins to feel a sense of resentment towards them.
Chapter 5: Katorn
Erekosë and Lord Katorn plan to begin their attack on the Eldren by first retaking Paphanaal. Erekosë senses Katorn’s distrust of him and tries to clear the air.
Chapter 6: Preparing For War
As Erekosë and Rigenos’ forces prepare for invasion, Erekosë falls in love with Iolinda and asks for her hand in marriage. Iolinda gives him a ring and makes him promise to return, despite the Eldren's “witchery”.
Chapter 7: The Armour Of Erekosë
Erekosë is given his ancient original armor, preserved in the crypts of Necranal. He is surprised to learn that Rigenos will be joining them on the invasion, which is scheduled to begin the next day. That night, Erekosë dreams of his other incarnations (as Hawkmoon, Elric, Urlik Skarsol and possibly Renark).
Chapter 8: The Sailing
After a pointless sabre-rattling ceremony, Rigenos, Erekosë and Katorn depart Necranal with a flotilla of 50 ships down the river. They plan to rendezvous with an allied force downstream. Rigenos tells Erekosë that Katorn may have feelings for Iolinda as well.
Chapter 9: At Noonos
Erekosë’s dreams continue, and they include flashes from Vietnam, Jerry Cornelius’ world and the icy world of Urlik Skarsol. He wonders how he had become embroiled in this cycle of eternal warfare. At the riverside port of Noonos, Rigenos and Erekosë meet with the captains of their allied fleets to review their invasion plans of Mernadin. The next day they all head out to open sea.
Chapter 10: First Sight Of The Eldren
Erekosë debates the morality of eradicating the Eldren while meeting with a fellow captain named Count Roldero. Near the coast of Mernadin the Eldren fleet, half the size of Erekosë’s own, is sighted. The two fleets eye each other but keep their distance during the night.
Chapter 11: The Fleets Engage
When the Eldren ships finally begin to close with the human fleet, Erekosë has his forces arranged in a square formation, with a thin front line of ships facing the Eldren fleet. When the Eldren are lured in by the weak front into the center of the square, the rear and side groups spring their trap, taking many Eldren ships by surprise. Erekosë rams and destroys an Eldren ship in his flagship, which causes Rigenos to exult (to Erekosë’s disgust). Hand-to-hand battles soon ensue.
Chapter 12: The Broken Truce
During a flag of parley, Rigenos has Katorn treacherously shoot the Eldren flagship’s captain, despite Erekosë’s objections. In the ensuing battle, the sword Kanajana kills every Eldren it touches. Eventually every Eldren and every Eldren ship is destroyed. Erekosë criticizes Rigenos’ treachery, but Rigenos is unrepentant. The fleet of Humanity continues on to the port town of Paphanaal on the continent of Mernadin.
Chapter 13: Paphanaal
In the port city, the human army discover only Eldren women and children. The male Eldren had already been slain in the battle with the Eldren fleet.
Chapter 14: Ermizhad
Rigenos has all of the Eldren children executed. The soldiers loot and rape throughout the city. Ermizhad, sister to the Eldren’s leader Prince Arjavh is captured and given over to Erekosë for safekeeping, so that she can be later used as a bargaining chip with Arjavh. Erekosë asks Count Roldero about the Ghost Worlds. Roldero describes them as a kind of limbo in which supernatural allies can sometimes be found. He reports that Ermizhad has been known to work with such sorcerous allies. Later, when Erekosë tells Ermizhad his name, she laughs ironically.
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| 1990 Edition, Art: Mark Salwowski |
Erekosë decides that Katorn will maintain a force at Paphanaal in order to await the expected arrival of Prince Arjavh and his reinforcements. At the same time, Erekosë and Rigenos will return to Noonos and Necranal to pick up their own reinforcements, after which they will journey west to attack the Outer Islands (which are gateways to the feared Ghost Worlds). Feeling affection for Ermizhad’s inhuman beauty, Erekosë wonders if he is actually in the far future. Ermizhad tells him that in the past the Earth was once known to hold only the people of the Eldren, not men.
Chapter 16: Confrontation With The King
King Rigenos threatens Erekosë when he sees that Erekosë and Ermizhad have become friendly.
Chapter 17: Necranal Again
Back in Necranal, Erekosë becomes engaged to Iolinda. Iolinda is not disturbed by the brutal slaughter of the Eldren. News arrives that Arjavh is approaching Necranal with a large fleet (Erekosë had expected that Arjavh would waste his energies trying to retake Paphanaal). With his plans ruined, Erekosë decides to rally his troops at Noonos to engage Arjavh, and possibly bargain with him using Ermizhad’s life. He wonders if it may be because of Ermizhad that Arjavh has diverted to Necranal.
Chapter 18: Prince Arjavh
Erekosë rides with troops from Noonos to intercept Arjavh’s force, which is heading directly for Necranal. When Erekosë sees that his army outnumbers Arjavh’s, he visits Arjavh under a flag of truce and attempts to arrange a deciding duel. However, when Erekosë cannot promise that Ermizhad will be freed if Arjavh wins, the Eldren commander declines the duel, preferring a battlefield confrontation. The next day the armies engage. Erekosë sends his cavalry to both flanks of the enemy and leads a third force down the center. Erekosë duels with Arjavh, but Erekosë is forced to break off when the Necranal flank cavalry forces are repelled by the Eldren’s unexpected allies.
Chapter 19: The Battle Decided
Arjavh’s forces are aided by teleporting “halflings” (allies from the Ghost Worlds) and are victorious. Erekosë refuses to retreat and is eventually captured by Arjavh.
Chapter 20: A Bargain
Erekosë agrees to have Arjavh trade himself for Ermizhad’s freedom. Before he departs Arjavh’s camp, Erekosë learns that the Eldren are native to this planet and that Humanity are the colonizers. After an apocalyptic war, the Eldren had decided to lock away their most dangerous weapons of destruction to spare further harm to the planet. Meanwhile humanity had degenerated into a medieval state. When Erekosë eventually returns to Necranal, he finds that Ermizhad has not been returned to her brother as promised. He confronts Rigenos.
Chapter 21: An Oath
Rigenos scoffs at the idea of honoring the agreement and allowing Ermizhad’s freedom. When Ermizhad realizes the Eldren are nearby, she conjures up halflings from the Ghost Worlds which teleport her to her brother’s camp. Faced with accusations of betrayal from Iolinda, Erekosë impulsively vows to kill all of the Eldren in her name.
Chapter 22: The Reaving
Erekosë and his forces invade the Outer Islands at Worlds Edge in search of the gate to the Ghost Worlds, but find very few Eldren and no halflings. They continue on through Mernadin, destroying all that they encounter. Over the next year Erekosë leads a maddened campaign of merciless destruction against the Eldren in order to bury his own self-loathing. The Ghost Worlds go out of conjunction with this sphere and so the Eldren can no longer summon aid from them. Eventually, Erekosë leads the army of Humanity to Loos Ptokai, the last Eldren fortress. There, Erekosë rides to the gates and addresses Prince Arjavh. Arjavh invites Erekosë in for refreshment and Erekosë accepts.
Chapter 23: In Loos Ptokai
After a peaceful dinner with Arjavh and Ermizhad, Erekosë is forced to admit that he has more in common with the Eldren than Humanity. Staying overnight in Loos Ptokai, he dreams that mankind is destined to wage constant war. The next morning he comes up with an excuse to spare the Eldren: Mankind needs the Eldren to exist as a force for it to unite against. He has his troops head back to Necranal, sparing Loos Ptokai.
Chapter 24: The Parting
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| 1970 Edition, Art: Frank Frazetta |
Chapter 25: The Attack
The army of Humanity finally attacks, led by Erekosë's former comrade Roldero. After a week of fighting, Loos Ptokai is hours away from falling. Arjavh allows Erekosë access to the forbidden weapons. While the Eldren ready the ancient weapons, Erekosë regretfully fights and kills Roldero. Erekosë confronts Iolinda and demonstrates to her army the overwhelming power of the Eldren weapons. She refuses to spare the Eldren and orders her army to attack. Erekosë uses the weapons to easily destroy Iolinda and her army. A manic Erekosë next leads an Eldren army across the world and uses their super-weapons to eradicate all human life. Erekosë reasons to Arjavh that this is the only way to ensure peace, that even if the Eldren had been killed off, humanity would have destroyed themselves by warring amongst themselves.
Epilogue
For the sake of his own sanity, Erekosë refuses to confront the terrible crime he has done against his own race. He feels that, without the curse of Man, the universe is now in harmony. However, he also believes that time is cyclic and that Mankind will rise again, possibly through another of his incarnations as the Eternal Champion.
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