It had been several years since the Emperor of Death had ordered me to defend and conquer the estuary leading to the land of the living. To the north of our territory lies the Kingdom of Perceval, and our only land entry point onto the continent. Being one of the most powerful generals of the Emperor of Death, perhaps even more so than he, I knew that we could not defeat the living's defense line. I had returned to the Emperor many times to share my observations, but each time he did nothing. Despite his lack of help, I managed to gain ground over the centuries, and my greatest victory had come a few days ago. I finally managed to create a breach in the human defense and built a fortified outpost there.
Upon hearing of my success, the jealous and suspicious Emperor decided to get rid of me by giving me a dangerous and difficult, possibly impossible, mission. He ordered me to explore Crypta Island, a mysterious and fortified island.
During my thousands of years of service as a general, we never received any news from the teams sent to this island. Therefore, receiving the order to explore and conquer it is akin to a death sentence...
Since we are far from being a nation suited for the sea, with no knowledge of shipbuilding, we are forced to take the remains of shipwrecks when we need to seatravel.
Fortunately for me, this time we have access to an old frigate, towering over the waves, its torn sails floating in the wind. The wood of the ship is dark and worn, showing obvious signs of time and neglect. The cannons that point from the gunports are rusty and unusable, while the rigging creaks and groans in the wind.
The Emperor has not been shy when it comes to the crew; a hundred Skeletal Warriors, accompanied by three Death Knights and ten Skeletal Mages. In my opinion, he should have sent this powerful battalion to the fortified camp and thus strengthened our position against the humans, allowing us to maintain a point of entry on the continent…
Finally, after several days of travel, I can see an island proudly standing in the ocean. But as we approach, I realize that something is not right. The landscapes are gloomy and inhospitable, with rocky mountains and steep cliffs that drop into the rough waters below. Dark and threatening clouds hang low in the sky, reinforcing the sinister impression of the island.
As we approach the fortified ramparts, I can see that the walls are blackened by the wear of time, covered in moss and lichen. Watchtowers along the walls are dilapidated, with pieces of stone dangerously hanging from the top of the battlements.
The island's harbor is surrounded by high cliffs and protected by cannons. The surrounding waters are rough and dangerous, with reefs rising on all sides, making navigation difficult. There is no lush greenery or white sand on the island's beaches, just sharp rocks and black pebbles.
Overall, the island looks dark and inhospitable, with a constant impression of danger and threat hanging in the air. I feel like the island has been abandoned for a long time and probably for a good reason.
After struggling to dock, the crew regroups to prepare for exploration. Having no need for food, drink, or rest, we were all ready to start right away.
The Death Knights, prepared for any eventuality, take the only path leading to what seems to be the center of an ancient city while I float behind them, observing the situation with icy indifference.
The path leads us to the center of an empty and abandoned public square. All the buildings around are in poor condition, almost dilapidated due to the effects of time. Only a giant statue of a man wearing a crown of bones seems intact.
Upon arriving at the foot of the statue, I order the Death Knights to scrutinize the environment with great attention since the place where we are currently located is the ideal location for an ambush, and they prepare for an imminent assault.
Suddenly, one of the Death Knights approaches the statue to examine it more closely. His red eyes transform into a strange purple light, as if he were being possessed.
Without a word, he orders his soldiers to turn against their former allies. The skeletal warriors, mages, and other Death Knights quickly react and counterattack.
The battles are fierce and intense, with each Knight now sporting purple eyes, controlling their own group and attacking their neighbors to obtain victory at all costs. The spells of the skeletal Mages fly in all directions, blades clash in sparks of fire. Remaining in the background, I observe with a sneering smile, relishing in seeing them kill each other, after all, they would have betrayed me in one way or another under the orders of the deceased Emperor.
Finally, after a long battle, only one of the Death Knights, accompanied by his last skeletal warriors and Mages, is victorious. Still hovering in the air, satisfied with what I have seen, I raise my hand and cast a spell. Skeletal hands emerge from the ground and grab the survivors. The ground opens up and they are engulfed. I am now the only survivor, but a feeling of terror suddenly grips my old bones. It must have been thousands of years since I felt such a thing. Looking in the direction from which this feeling arises, I realize that the giant statue of the deity is looking at me with an impenetrable gaze, seeming to have observed everything but saying nothing. The feeling of terror intensifies and the desire to flee takes hold of me, but before I can even act, the head of the man turns toward me and smiles. This simple action fractures my phylactery, the object that contains my soul and power, hidden in my skull.
I had little time left before my body completely disintegrated. Without giving in to panic, I noticed a large arch housing an unparalleled darkness that had appeared. The statue, which had lost its smile, seemed to be indicating to me to go there. With nothing to lose, I headed there with suspicions. After a brief feeling of emptiness, I reappeared in a mysterious place.
"Welcome to the Void Mall," a dark and malevolent voice whispered softly.
Looking at the source of this greeting, I saw the same man represented by the statue at a desk. For a moment, his eyes turned purple and a spine crown appeared on his head. The fracture of my phylactery grew larger.
The image of the man returned to normal, and he indicated that I should come see him…