Vale of Shadows

''Long before the Fracture, the area where the Vale of Shadows now lies was inhabited by demons and humans devoted to Babilis, the Goddess of Chaos. Within their city, they erected a great temple to the evil goddess, where they performed unholy rituals – including sacrifices, or so is whispered in the old tales – to further develop their necromantic powers and please their patron.

''Over the years the once small community grew in numbers and power, until Babilis decided to reveal to her twisted followers the secrets of the Dark Ascension, an ancient and forbidden ritual that could turn everyone deemed worthy into an immortal being with enhanced magical abilities and affinity for necromantic powers.

''The aim of Babilis was to create her own invincible army to spread her cult over Elysium, but she was not to follow her plans unchallenged. Tyros, the God of Light and Justice, knew about his sister’s machinations by virtue of the prophecies of Oxos contained in his Book of Knowledge, and immediately made his move to stop her.

''As quickly as mortal times allowed, Tyros assembled his own army of humans, beastmen and sky dragons – rare and powerful creatures which strive to cleanse the world from any trace of evil, and sent them to eradicate all the followers of Babilis within the Vale. What Tyros didn’t know was that the ritual was fueled by the blood of the living, and he was but a piece of her sister’s scheme.

''The battle raged for days, with every death in the army of Tyros contributing to the completion of the Dark Ascension. The effects of the ritual started to show on the third day, as a dark wave of shadow and blood started to raise and spread all over the Vale. Dead bodies began twitching, showing the signs of an imminent return to life as undeads.

''Once Tyros understood the trap he had fallen for, he knew he had to stop the ritual right away. Thus, he bestowed to his followers the Righteous Flame, a powerful blessing that allowed the recipient to exceed its limits, becoming a true champion of Light for a limited amount of time – fearless, resolute, and enveloped by a bright white flame that banishes all evil.

''Now feeling invincible, a good portion of the army charged through the enemy lines, right to the entrance of the temple of Babilis. Many fell in the effort, but enough of them reached the site of the ritual. In a matter of minutes every every dark priest was covered in blood and flames, sealing the victory of Tyros over Babilis.

''While the plan of the dark goddess was averted at large, the end of this story is not a pleasant one. Silencing everyone in shock and terror, a feminine lough echoed through the Vale, releasing the remainder of the dark energy accumulated by the ritual, spreading death and decay for miles. The lives of all creatures, Good and Evil, were taken that night, their spirits trapped in a never-ending war in the now-cursed region know as the Vale of Shadows.