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Background
It has been just over a hundred years since the Heroes of Volturnus defeated the Melted God and reclaimed the wasteland. The heroes have passed into legend and now a new threat has reared its ugly head in what was the Wastes and is now vast rolling grassland dotted by forests and lying in the center of rolling grasslands is a large shallow lake called the Lake of Heroes.
Every fifth year for the last 104 years the Monks of Kumatai have traveled to the island in the middle of the lake on a pilgrimage to remember the Heroes on the longest day of the year. They would hold competitions for advancement in their order and return with new wisdom to share with the world. This year however the celebration was marred by the slaughter of all who attended the gathering. People say this bodes ill for the coming 5 years. In the months since this slaughter several of the small towns bordering the lake have reported attacks in the night and strange disappearances. Now the people look for new heroes.
What became of the Heroes of Volturnus in the aftermath of the Melted God
Braack served his god in the field for several years helping return a once great temple to service and building a strong nation to support the needs of the people in the area. He eventually returned to Brightstone keep and declared open war on the Beastlands for some of their actions, which included attempting to imprison him and force him back to the arena. He and his army eventually met defeat on the field of DyrKral where archers and wizards decimated his army. Eventually Braack met his death standing back to back with his General the hobgoblin Gorm. They died and their bodies were never found, but that battle broke the back of the Beastlands kingdoms and now the Beastlords exist only as wondering nomads.
Balent tracked Braack and a great evil eastward and he spent much time in the wilderness tracking rumors of undead which finally led him back to the sunken city and powerful lich necromancer. The battle was fierce and unleashed great magic. Eventually the ground swallowed the city once more in a massive cave in from which Balent never returned. The vast valley that exists there now is known as the Earth Scar, occasionally adventurers will go there hoping to find lost treasure or Balent's body. Many never return but the few that have claim the spirit of Balent saved them from some horrible fate.
Cedric and Kalid helped quell the uprising and chaos in the Shield Lands and part of the Jewel Kingdoms after the Devourer went through. A large portion of the area became part of the Kingdom of Volturnus. He and his wife and children eventually returned to the Prelacy of Hothior after a volcanic eruption destroyed the castle there, killing all within thereby leaving Melinda the rightful heir to the throne. Cedric was last seen standing in a pass fighting a strange horde of fire creatures as his family and the people of his city fled to the large island.
Hod did great works in the wastes as they slowly returned to life. Although he eventually went far North in the Unknown Lands searching for the Riddle of Stone which is rumored to have allowed the Wizard/Priest Rosteau to create his underground roads that stood for centuries and parts of which still stand today. He eventually disappeared into the mists, although some say they have seen him on pilgrimage to the Three Sisters and even in Mishrak’s Playground
Kalid served Volturnus for many years, eventually becoming King of Volturnus, although he let the ruling council deal with most of the day to day duties. One day after hearing of another disturbance on Hod’s Mountain he entered the tunnels and has not been seen since. Some say he wanders the great tunnels lost and searching for Hod. Others believe he went there to find his death in combat with the Troglodytes which were once a problem but who had since retreated far below the ground.
Kumitai, after meeting and speaking with the shade of Vance’s father spent many years with Vance and eventually saved him from an assassin who had already slain some of Vance’s friends such as Naimless, Shakra and even Aran. After the assassin was defeated he turned out to be none other than Jaigger who had eventually lost his battle with lycanthropy and driven to revenge was wholly evil and probably insane. After performing this service Kumitai built a monastery and began training students. Every 5 years he took those students ready for advancement to the Island of 13 to remember great deeds past and celebrate the future. He claimed it was a place of balance and eventually after his death he was enshrined there.
Vance continued scouring the world for strange and interesting artifacts, both those of lost empires and those of magical nature. One such journey led him to Lands End in the kingdom of Rombune. Shortly after that Astarte left Volturnus with Vance’s henchmen and headed there. It was on this journey that Aran fell victim to Jaigger. After Astarte arrived in Lands End trailed by Jaigger who tried to slay Vance and was killed by Kumatai. The group boarded ship searching for some cliff caves and were caught in some sort of magical storm according to the stories and the ship disappeared fro the sea. Only Kumatai returned from that expedition and he went into retirement and never spoke of it. Some say the painful loss of his friend was too much for him. Some say Astarte took all of them to a different plane of existence to serve her chaotic ways and because of Kumatai’s lawfulness he was forcibly expelled from the ship.
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