"It was a land of rugged and untamed beauty. A land whose people held fast to the old ways. ... As the times changed, the people slowly embraced the mandate of a new world. ... The old way and the new way became one. ... It was here in this land that a son was born to ... a mother who many considered a sorceress. The child grew up near the river learning the ways of manhood and the spells of witchcraft. At age 17 he became a soldier. He excelled in sports and in battle. He became a leader of men... As his power grew, so did his lust for political supremacy, for absolute rule. The country watched, the country waited and the people blindly followed a man who would become a tyrant."