14 years earlier
A fog had fallen over the dead woods. Screeches and growls from creatures mankind had long since forgotten the names of prowled in the cover. The constant feeling of being watched would make any man lose his wits should he find himself alone.
In a small clearing an expedition of roughly one thousand men dug away at ancient forgotten ruins that had long been covered with growth from the forest. Veins and overgrowth made it clear that the wilds had long ago claimed this place from a long death civilization.
The ruins represented all that remained of humanities long forgotten empires that jad once spanned the world, before the great calamity.
Watching the men slave away on a majestic steed sat a much less majestic man. His belly desperately wanting to burst out of his tucked shirt. The man was called Baron Holmerd, the local ruler of the frontier town known as Holmstead.
Men were conscripted and hired from the locals of his small territory that was under the control of the Kingdom of Escalon. A small, but growing human nation to the far south of the wildlands continent. Escalon was the church of the tri-peoples church. A religion that was consistently growing in popularity among humans. It believed that all races besides humans, elves, and half-breeds were aberrations or mutations the spawn of unholy union between monsters and mankind. This naturally meant that they had to be purged...eventually.
This radical belief had obviously caused some problems with the other races of the wildlands, but this didn't seem to bother the tri-peoples churches leadership. They were known in certain nations to include Escalon to hunt down any mutations or non-human entities that came about with in reason for now as many races like the Draakin were powerful and still were highly desired trade partners with the various human nations.
Being a Baron of a frontier territory was normally unimpressive and lacked the prestige most nobles desired. This did not dissuade Baron Holmerd at all he had made close friends with the local tri-peoples church and planned on gaining as much territory as possible prior to the coming conflict he predicted was to come. Which often led men like himself into the frontier to search the ruins of long dead empires and cities of humanity.
While the Holmerd family could barely qualify as nobility in the grand cities of the inner kingdom. Here in the frontiers where mankind had not tread in thousands of years they were like Kings to the locals. With that kind of power most thought Baron Fredrik Holmerd would be satisfied with his lot, but that was not the peak to his ambition.
The ruins of the frontier land often contained much wealth and few had the gull to brave the dangers of the frontier be it any manner of dark creatures and monsters. Baron Holmerd was willing only because he forced the conscription of the locals and spent a large amount of silver to hire mercenaries.
To Valum Felmark it meant little to him. He had volunteered because the first one hundred people to do so would be given tjirtu silver coins which would last his daughter, wife, and himself many years. In fact it was enough for him to expand his land and hire some help. Which would go a long way in a frontier territory allowing them to save enough to move to the big cities of the inner kingdom.
Valum had dreams and they were bigger than being stuck in the frontier lands scraping by for food the rest of his existence.
Valum was a taller than average man with a large chest and broad shoulders. Years of farming and hunting had given him a rugged, but handsome look. He was young, only seeing twenty-one seasons so far. He had shoulder length hair that was black and light skin that was slightly darkened due to the constant work outside.
Besides his peasants clothing he was a very attractive man and if had been a mercenary or adventurer he would have been quite popular with the ladies, but he was a farmer and was not interested in being a ladies man moving from one woman to the next. He loved his wife and adored her.
The sound of moving rubble almost drowned out the eerie sounds that came from the surrounding forest. The Great Northern forest of Escalon was the northernmost boundary humanity had reestablished civilization.
The wildlands were once ruled by a single massive empire or so legends say. A calamity that unleashed monsters into the world caused the empire to collapse leaving only small coastal human nations along the continent. Not long after mutated human races established small kingdoms slightly further inland from the coastal human nations which was why it was suspected they were the offspring of monsters.
Valum could care less about that the only ones who seemed to have an obsession with their origins was the tri-peoples church.
Valum didn't care much for the reasons that humanity was pushed out of the center of the continents, but in his mind the answer was always simply because the various dark creatures that prowled it rose up and devoured it making it so dangerous the survivors retreated to the coastlines.
Thus the wildlands got their name.
Valum moved rock after rock he had no intention of letting any discoveries he made be claimed by others and had isolated himself alone in the ruins.
After hours of digging a small opening was revealed that seemed to be an entrance to the main building network of the ancient ruins.
The opening was just wide enough for a man of Valum's size to fit through. Which made him excited by the prospect of getting a bonus reward for this expedition due to his contributions to the dig.
Grabbing a small pebble he tossed it as hard as he could down the dark hole and listened as it echoed which meant it opened up to a room. The fall of the pebble was shallow so it wasn't too far of a jump either.
Looking around to be sure no one else saw he covered it up and ran over to his tent to grab his supplies and set up his camp over it to hide the entrance.
"No reason I can't take a peak first before telling the Baron." Valum said under his breath trying to slow down his rapidly beating heart. All he had to do was wait until the expedition stopped work for the night.
The Sun had begun to dip below the towering tree lines and in his heart knew once everyone was asleep he would have his chance.
Not long after the moon had risen above the tree line and the snores from several hundred men rung out in the ruins.
Valum opened his eyes and a small smile graced his lips. Having set up his tent at the entrance of the hole covering it up from prying eyes he crawled straight through the back of his tent into the hole.
Landing on his feet he had quickly scaled the small slope of rubble that led to a long corridor. Lighting the torch he had brought with he took in his surroundings. The ruins were made from a light gray almost white stone and gave the ruins a feeling of grandeur despite their condition.
His torch light flickered off the ancient tapestries that had lost all color with signs of rodents had taken chucks out of them. Leaving them frayed. While Valum had to admit he was impressed he was impatient to find something of value.
His cheap leather boots tapped lightly on the ground which echoed in both directions. The entire feeling of the ruins gave off an ominous feeling that Valum hadn't previously felt even in the trek through the forest.
As he continued to go through the abandoned ruins Valum couldn't help, but feel mounting anticipation.
Searching every corner not leaving a single place unsearched he had been lucky enough to find some old bronze coins and a small dagger that was chipped, but a chipped dagger was better than nothing for defense in case he came across giant rats or other dangerous pests.
No large monsters were likely to be roaming these abandoned ruins since to even get into them they had to dig.
"Well." He sighed looking at his measly pickings "Guess I better turn back soon." Valum thought to himself
Valum felt a bit of disappointment in his findings so far, but he was being paid to be here as it was anyways so he couldn't feel too much regret he would still get the reward bonus for finding an entrance and it was unrealistic to try for a second night of searching alone.
Just as the words left his mouth softly he looked to the side and saw a door half off its hinges the old wood was cracked and warped from the countless years it had remained unkept.
The air seemed denser than earlier as he took a deep breath which meant it went deeper under the ruins. In his heart he knew it was better to turn back, but a strange feeling beckoned him forward, something indescribable.
"Come in….child." a strange whisper entered his mind as if it came from someone whispering it right into his ear and quickly faded as they shut a door while doing so.
"Who…who's there!" He stuttered trying to keep his voice down. Valum was not a coward, but he also valued his life; he was quite young still after all.
His heart beat began to thump in his ears as he gulped down a mouth full of saliva and felt his tongue drying up quickly.
The strange beckoning continued as dark whispers made him begin to unconsciously move his feet towards the dark stairway.
Though he had seemed to have lost his ability to convince himself to turn around he held his dagger tightly, his knuckles turning white from squeezing so hard.
"Come….too….me….child." the voices whispers grew louder and more audible. Until he came to ancient doorway with unreadable characters on the outer stone frame.
"Good...come...to me." The voice seemed to split into multiple voices hypnotically telling him what to do. The fear in his heart seemed to not be able to stop him from looking into the room.
Grasping the cast iron door handle and pulling it towards him the door creaked open slowly as decades of rust on the door hinges rubbed against each other.
Slowly making his way inside his torch illuminated the chamber. Against the far wall was an ornate wardrobe with gold encrusted on the edges. The flat part was made of a pure black material that caused the light to bounce off it differently than normal stone would cause the light to refract.
After taking in the sight he approached the wardrobe the center had a strange circular orb that protruded half way out of the doors the orb was black with barely visible streaks of dark red. Even darker than blood.
Valum had noticed the voices were gone, but paid no heed to it. His instincts told him something valuable laid within the box and he would make this trip very much profitable if he could open it.
Setting his torch onto a nearby sconce with the shape of devilish looking winged creatures on the wall. Tucking his dagger into his belt he traced the edges of the wardrobe for a lever or handle. His hands made their way towards the center and laid firmly on the orb that lay in the center of the wardrobe.
As if his touch had continued a sort of power the orb suddenly roared to life a loud almost howling or scream along with a powerful wave of what seemed like demonic power ripped away at him sending him flying backwards.
The chamber door slammed shut and wisps of dark red energy scattered around frantically in every direction. The hellish sound stopped before the dark wisps of energy quickly reversed and seemingly pulled all the energy back in.
"What is this magic!" His mind still in disarray as he tried to catch his breath "this place will be the death of me I swear!" He let our a string of curses as he stood up.
"The gods be damned" he cussed under his breath.
The doors to the wardrobe opened and inside was a corpse so ancient it had lost all color to it's skin and the hairs on its head numbered just a few.
"Aye! So it twas a coffin!" He said approaching the corpse cautiously. Letting the torch illuminate the dried out husk.
Valum shook his head at his stupidity "that dark magic was not a good omen don't waste your damn time with curiosity you fool" he lectured to himself.
Taking a final look he saw a gold necklace with a large ruby like gem embedded in the center.
"Wooahh!" Valum exclaimed, nearly bursting out in joy the necklace was exactly what he desired. Something of this value could let him move his family to the more prosperous cities immediately. It was clearly valuable. The power that had filled the room had already receded and his greed overtook his initial unwillingness to approach the corpse.
Quickly running up to the corpse he snatched the necklace off putting it around his neck. He looked at it closely with a smile.
"You are going to bring my family to riches and prosperity." He whispered gleefully. Before tucking it underneath his white collared shirt.
With that he turned around and walked over to his torch determined to leave this odd place quickly. He had heard of the different magic crafting that existed in the world, but his small town had never seen it and all he knew was elders said to keep away from it if at all possible so better to leave and be done with this place.
After turning around his eyes looked at the ornate coffin once more and a frown immediately came to his face. What stared back at him was an empty coffin. The corpse was gone.
"Whose there! Show yourself!" He yelled his voice faking bravery. He was a large man so while no warrior he had some level of confidence in fighting.
Taking out his chipped dagger he slowly made his way to the chamber door and grasped the cool iron handle pulling on it. The door did not budge at all as if it was several hundred pounds suddenly.
"What is going on! Whose there!" Valum's heart began to sink to his feet. As he feared something was holding the door closed. His torch was growing dimmer as he set it on the ground to pull with both his hands. His heart beating faster and faster.
As he pulled on the handle harder with all his farming toned strength. A bit of air spread across the back of his neck sending a chill up his spine before his hair stood on their ends.
Valum's eye widened as he gripped his dagger. Turning his head slowly his eyes wide with fright he saw the corpse standing no more than a meter behind him it's eyes seemed to stare at him as if it deeply hungered.
Before he could shriek or slash at it with his dagger the clawed hands grasped his forehead and the other arm went up underneath his arm onto his shoulder pulling his head and shoulder opposite directions. His neck exposed he slashed at the creatures ribs but no matter how much he plunged the dagger in the decrepit corpse did not pet go.
As it held his neck exposed Valum tried to shout as he watched in horror as two sharp objects embedded themselves into his neck and he quickly felt his blood being drained from his body.
Collapsing to his knees he lost all strength to fight back. Valum's last thoughts were not of himself, but of his wife Marrum and five year old daughter Elise. His vision quickly faded to nothing, but pure darkness.
