Our tale begins during a prosperous and bountiful time for the continent of Tibia, and it's neighbors. A time of discovery, adventure, and heroism.

However, as with all times of peace, which only serve to fill the space between times of struggle, this one was soon to be doused by an event that loomed dark over the heads of the Tibian people.

Let us turn our eyes now to Lucius, a man who sends his prayers to Fafnar in the Temple of Light.

--------

Lucius looked from the tower window, his eyes focusing in the distance, he could feel it in his bones. Something ominous and perilous was moving closer. He turned back to the small library. Certainly a warning would come if something was going to happen. As he turned to the window once more, only seeing the empty blue sky, he shrugged and turned his back to the outside world.

He returned to his book, which rested upon a small desk, suddenly a wind blew through the room, each candle dyeing as it passed, until only a faint glow sourced from a statue of Fafnar and a glowing basin.

He looked into the embers and quickly strode into the library. "What does it mean?" he muttered to himself. He quickly dug through book after book looking for signs or prophecies. He searched until he came across a somewhat large book Darkened Times. He quickly read through it. His eyes glazed over each page. When he found what he was looking for, he dropped the book.

He looked out the window and quickly began writing letters, times were about to get bad. And he needed anyone who was willing to help.

He wrote the first letter, thought of a famous name he had heard, and finished it. He looked down at the letter.

Dear recipient,

I request that you spread the news to all that times are to grow dark, I wish that you contact all those related to you in any way, all those you pass on the street, all those you see. I wish you to tell them of a great peril, I wish for you to bring them, along with yourself, to Yalahar.

Gravely,
Lucius

Lucius looked down on the writing and quickly closed the envelope. Hoping that after a few more letters the news would spread far and wide.

Nepharus moved through the streets, eying those he passed as he went. His only reason for walking through the crowds was to find a good specimen. As he walked through the crowds of cities like this one he always seemed to pick up bits of conversations, and through these bits he got his news. Most of it lacked interest, and the majority of it was about Orcs and unexplored lands. Those things mattered not. All that mattered to him was the interesting news about the Brotherhood and the Nightmare Knights.

However, as he walked passed a group of guards, instead of eying him suspiciously as they usually did, they chattered on excitedly. Although he couldn't hear what they were saying, he decided to continue on through the city. Still as he continued through the city his curiosity continued to perk as he passed group after group of chatting warriors, mercenaries, soldiers, guards, and adventurers. For so many to be this excited, certainly something must be happening that was very important.

Nepharus moved closer to one of the groups to listen to them talking.

"I hear it's supposed to be a great challenge, not every one is going to live," said a first.

"I don't care about that, a challenge is just another thing for me to defeat, what I am worried about is pay," said the second.

"Look at you, our world could be in peril but you wouldn't care unless you got money out of it," the first criticized.

"Doesn't matter, I'm going to Yalahar to meet this Lucius whether or not I participate," said a third, "Might as well find out what exactly is going on."

Nepharus strode away. He remembered when Yalahar had been discovered. That had been a year ago. Everyone had been in absolute amazement, there had been much rushing from everywhere for the adventurers and explorers, all dying to get to this new island.

He himself had never been to the island. It hadn't interested him, except two particular areas. However, if the rumors were correct, now was his chance to go, he could collect corpses and monitor the undead in the northern region. He turned down an alleyway and checked to see how much gold was with him. Enough for the trip, he decided.

He reached the ship and was off from Carlin in an instant, he looked back at the city as it faded into the distance, here was something he hadn't done since his days in the living. An adventure.

The hot breeze blowing from the shores of Darashia that scattered sand all over Morpheus's undead skin didn't bother him. The long line of people who wanted to leave that dammed place was bigger than usual, many of them were warriors, or at least they wielded swords, that is. Morpheus grinned at that sight, the rumours he heard in the local Treasure Hunter guild must be correct. Someone is hiring men. It seems he got work to do.

Before Morpheus lined up with the others, a slender man with a captain hat debarked from the ship and yelling as loud as he could spoke to the crowd.

"It seems everybody here wants to travel to Yalahar, and I own the only ship in this harbour. The prices have risen, mateys. Whoever has two thousand gold pieces, come aboard! We'll depart in twenty minutes!"

Many hisses, insults, stones and all short of objects were thrown at the captain as his crewmen tried to counter the mass of warriors. "We're not gonna pay!", a youngster yelled before throwing a piece of wood that almost hit the captain's head.

"Stop with this ya bastard! If you want to threaten me, maybe you should swim all the way to the island, what ya think? It will be good for you, your arms seem too frail for a warrior, don't they?", said him after unstucking an arrow from his wooden leg.
"Now, if you lads aren't good enough bounty hunters and don't have that gold, there's a caravan of nomads heading for Ankrahmun, there ya'll find plenty of ships, but none with a better price! Again, who wants to travel, come aboard."

The crowd silenced. After all, there was no ship in the harbour and the only option was to pay. Morpheus and a few warriors stepped up the ramp to board the ship, where two men charged the adimissions. "Here goes the profit of my last hunt", he thought resigned.

The captain smiled triumphant at a bag full of gold. After a quick glance at the crowd to asure himself nobody else could pay, he shout orders to the crew as he rushed to the cabin.

"Untie the ropes and count the gold! We have an ocean to cross, old sea slugs!"

Nepharus looked out across what seemed to be an endless sea, already they had been sailing for half a day, and all the night, and he couldn't see stone nor hill of Yalahar. His limbs, even the ones that had yet to recover their skin and muscle, were stiff and aching from the constant motion of the ship. His head swam like the day he had awakened from the cold grip of death, and his mind raced on what to do once he reached land.

He had to investigate the Alchemist Quarter, his contact in Edron had informed him of powerful necromagic in the Cemetery Quarter as well. But what interested him was that he may soon have a pile of corpses to use for his experiments, and with the chemicals and powders from the Alchemist Quarter, he would be able to create things he had yet imagined.

He let out a slight chuckle as he looked out over the churning waves that lapped at the boat, as if fingers attempting to claw it down into the depths of the blue green fluid. He turned his eyes once more to the advancing horizon and watched as a tiny speck appeared there, and smaller specks around it. He watched as the island grew in size, and some long forgotten feeling from his time as a human, and not a lich, touched him.

He shook off the feeling. He hated it, as he became more and more human, his flesh regrowing over the skeletal half of his body, he became more and more susceptible to the feelings he had long since abandoned. It drove him mad to have his thoughts straying away from his goals. He watched as the gold and white structures rose out of the ocean, ships from all directions moving toward the amazing island.

Yet another impulse touched Nepharus' mind as he watched the island grow nearer, some memory of a time back before he had even stumbled across the Brotherhood. This infuriated him extensively. How could he be so weak as to let such pointless memories trot about his mind?

But as he watched the ship dock, the ramp fall, and the other passengers around him clamber off the ship, the feeling re-awoke once more, before dying coldly in his mind, he looked out from under his ragged hood, one glowing green sphere absorbing in the sights, and then he stepped out onto the dock and continued forward toward the city.

The sound of wood being struck and the seventh line joining the others indicatted that was the last day of sail. There was no problem during the trip, no storms, no pirates. It was boring. In fact, everything looked too calm to be right. Morpheus stared at the sea through a window, praying he don't have that view for long.

"Hey pal, join our discussion. what do you think is waiting for us in that city?", said a knight sitting on the improvised bar with a big mug of rum.

"Hopefully, tons of gold." Morpheus answered with a dead cold voice, between sips from a bottle of some short of drink he brought by himself.
Actually, he expected to find something else in that place. Rumours are many cults are living there, making experiences with summoning and dark magic. Maybe it was his chance to get the final prize, what he seeked for so long.

Shortly after that, an angry paladin answered harshly.
"You're just here for the gold, aren't ya? They say the whole world is in danger! You don't care for other's lives?"

"Keep your heroism for yourself! I've gainned nothing by fighting for others, and in the end I have lost everything! I trully hope you have better luck, but take my word, and watch your back."

Morpheus replied with his blood boiling in anger. He threw the bottle in the wall, shatering it in one hundred pieces of green glass. After a stare at an astonished paladin, he turned around and headed for his room. The payment is higher for mercenaries who seem to be in one piece, although he was an undead. But the memories of his past days didn't let him shut is eye.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dong! Dong!"

The loud sound of the bell announced their arrival at Yalahar. Morpheus watched many ships arriving almost at the same time through his window. "That guy must have a lot of gold to hire so many men!", he thought.

After some maneuvers around the ships on the harbour, the adventurers landed safely. Morpheus stood in awe the harbour for a while, his thoughts already far from the big golden buildings and the riches of that city.

Edorn had been waiting for hours to get onto a ship. He had received his letter, but was surprised to see hundreds of people crowding the harbor of Thais. He looked over the horde of moving bodies and watched, hoping, that some more ships were due to arrive soon. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to go to Yalahar.

He decided he had had enough waiting. Forcing his way through the mob of young adventurers, experienced warriors, and famous treasure hunters, he made it toward the front of the line. Instead of being able to board, however, he heard a voice call out over the crowd.

"'Fraid to say there isn't much room left, any more passengers will need to pay a bonus fee of 5000 gold in addition to standard ferry prices," a captain shouted out over the crowd.

Edorn was annoyed, but not surprised. Chances were only a few more people could fit on the few ships that remained. Edorn walked towards the ramp, counting out the tiny platinum coins in his hands. Fifty, fifty two, that should pay for the trip. He dodged a few stones flung toward the ship and dashed up the ramp. An arrow deflected off his shoulder armor.

The captain stopped him when he reached the top. "Here," Edorn said, pressing the coins into the captain's hand and then moving away from the edge of the ship before someone could hit him with something else.

After a few moments it became apparent no one else was able to, or going to, pay. The captain turned his back to the crowd after dodging a large tomato and signaled his men to get underway. As he did, Edorn slipped into the under decks and sat down against the wall. He wasn't sure how far away Yalahar was, but he was sure it would be at least another day. As the ship set sale, rocking back and forth, Edorn began to doze, dreaming of what might lay in wait for him. Treasure, Glory, Fame, adventure... before he knew it he was dreaming about these things.

A band of orcs ran through the plains of havoc, reveling in the destruction they had caused at the nearby city of Thais. One imitated a fallen citizen that they had butchered.

"Gahaz maerik malak!" The orc said, as the others laughed. Their leader approached them with a map and some letters he had taken from a corpse of an adventurer. He also handed them a backpack. An orc took what seemed to be a journal of sorts out of the backpack. The orc turned to a random page;

"I'm leaving home today. Today, I leave for the distant city of Yalahar. I've never left home, so I'm excited. I got a letter in the mail yesterday, asking for the presence of warriors. I'm no warrior, but I want to document what happens. I'm leaving home today.

The first stop is going to be in Thais. Thais, the city of kings. I'm so far away and I miss my family, but I know this is a greater cause. It needs me more than my family does. I'll go back to them after this is done."

The orc, looked at the foreign writing and turned a page.

"We've finally arrived in Thais, but there's some kind of commotion. An alarm seems to be going off and someone's yelling something about orcs-" The rest of the journal was blank. The orc looked at it and threw it away. As soon as the journal left the orcs' hands, his head was cut off.

The clouds were blocking the sun, darkening the plains of havoc. In a flash, four of the orcs were beheaded, leaving the leader and another orc dressed in red, holding a large halberd. The orcs saw a man, picking up the journal and tucking it into his shirt. He moved towards them, a sword in hand.

The leader forced the orc to charge towards him, but he was cut down in one stroke. In fear, the leader turned around to run, but the man picked up three throwing knives off the ground and threw them with deadly precision, hitting the orc in the back of its head, killing it.

The man approached the corpse and knelt down, beheading it. Four other soldiers rushed towards the man, asking him if he was wounded. The man simply shook his head and stood up.

"Ares, I distinctly remember ordering you to stand by. You're lucky you weren't killed." Someone said, as the clouds began to pass. Sunlight filled the area and there were more then twelve dead orcs splayed around.

"I apologize Captain Jester, but I assessed the situation and I had the element of surprise. Orcs can't see as well in dying light, sir." Ares said, saluting Jester.

"Regardless, you disobeyed a direct order. You'll be fined once I file my report. Now, for your next assignment, you will accompany me to Yalahar. There is a meeting of sorts happening soon and we've been ordered to go. Pack up and be at the Thais docks within seven hours. Dismissed." Jester said, as the soldiers got in formation and began to march away.

Edorn sat up blinking as sunlight filtered in from where the stairs to the upper deck stood. He heard talking and moved closer to find out what was going on.

"-just hit Thais when we left," a first voice said.

"Well then we got out just in time, didn't we?" a second replied.

"Tell me about it, I am an adventurer, but Orc raids are no joke," the first one said.

Edorn stood up and stretched out his legs. Sleep still lingered in his head but he couldn't bring himself to lie back down and close his eyes. He was a Mercenary, but he had always been loyal to Thais. He couldn't help wondering about all the young men and women lined up at the docks. Maybe they had fought hard to stop the oncoming Orcs or maybe it had been a slaughter. Until this Yalahar business was over, he could never know for certain.

He climbed up to the top deck and looked out over the ocean. The moon was still visible in the sky and the sun was just beginning to rise up in the East. He looked out over the ocean from under his helmet. He felt stiff from sleeping in his armor, but it didn't matter, Yalahar had to be no more than a day's travel, if he was lucky, he could be in and out with the job done as quick as possible. But whatever was going on seemed to be a bit more than what he was used to.

Most of his jobs were war jobs, protecting caravans, attacking caravans, fighting in border skirmishes, assaulting, defending. This was bigger, if so many people had been alerted, then something was happening, and Edorn didn't like it a bit. He took in one more sweeping glance at the approaching horizon and turned, his cape flying out behind him. As he ducked back into the lower decks, the sun had just sent a splitting, ray of light across the water, golden orange sweeping over the swirling torrent before it vanished from view.

Morpheus watched the crowd as he looked for a place to gather information. Most of the men there discussed excited about what wait for them in that quest, while bragging about how many of these creatures they have killed before. For Morpheus, such things didn't matter at all.

The pub door was open, the room full of warriors. Icy bevehage and heated conversations gave the wooden hall a warm feeling. The barkeeper was running frenetically to attend all orders, and it took him some time to notice the customer that just arrived. Either that or he was scared at Morpheus clothing. The mercenary used this time to pick up any conversations and useful information he could overhear.

"What's... your order... mate?", asked the barkeeper while trying to catch a breath.
"A mug of beer." replied the undead.

The man grabbed a mug and a bottle so fast they seemed to materialize from thin air in the counter, like if the guy was conjuring beer. "Now that would be a impressive spell", thought the mercenary.
"Here's your gold, and leave the bottle."

Morpheus looked around, searching for any warriors worthy a direct approach, or as one called back in Darashia Bounty Hunter's Guild, a talk.

As he was waiting a new victim, the cold dusk of the desert showed two young warriors with a thirst of a new adventure in the forgoten city of Drefia. Usually he would not risk himself and he would kill them both without mercy, but something they said was enough to call his attention.
"I don't think we could get there... I mean, the ships are now too expensive, and we will spend this night hunting in this place..." the first said.
"You coward, you just invited me to this party to forget the letter you recieved."
One of them heard a sound arround the ruins, it was not strange to see undeads walking arround the city, thefore he took his sword. But before realize of the real danger, he felt an enery strike hitting his back, his heart was not beating anymore. The fear was bigger when the strange warrior appeared to finish his partner.
"What is that about?" Brith said with a dry voice. The warrior just left his backpack in the floor as he started to run away. From a great distance, he yelled:
"Read the letter!"
Brith opened the backpack, looking for the letter. "A rope, gold coins, runes... why they always carrie those things if they will lose them...". When he found the letter he read it.
"Times are to grow dark." he said reading again the letter and seeing the place they were called, Yalahar. "This is what they talked about, a chance to cross the line." A lot of memories flooded his mind, he was once a inhabitant of the dark. Quickly he left Drefia and crossing the mountains, he reached one of the desertic cities, Darashia. Even at night there was a lot of people in the harbor, that was surely something important.
"The letter says they need our help, and you raise the price! You swine!" said a woman who was wearing an armor.
But the gold was not important for Brith, he always slayed his victims after hunting, thefore getting a very nice profit.
"I'm sorry, but I can't even sleep working for you, this is actually my last travel this day, the price is perfect. So, is there somebody else who wants to go to Yalahar?" the captain said.
"I will."

Jester led the soldiers towards the gate of Thais, with Ares following close behind.

"What exactly is this about, Captain?" Ares asked. Jester reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter, handing it over to Ares. Ares quickly read the letter in one glance and gave it back.

"That's it? 'Times grow dark, come to Yalahar'? Does the King feel that capable warriors are being drawn to Yalahar to be killed or something? Are we going to be invaded?" Ares asked, walking up besides Jester.

"The King is sending us to investigate. The king is afraid that an invasion may be coming and if so, we will do all in our power to stop it, regardless of the cost." Jester answered, signaling the troops to move faster. There were a total of six soldiers, besides Ares and Jester. They were all handpicked by Jester as a special team meant to protect Thais.

"What about the rest of the squad? They aren't going?"

"No. They will stay in Thais and act as royal guards. They will personally protect the King." Jester said, as they reached the northern gates of Thais. There were both human and orc corpses spread around the gates. As they ventured inwards, the scenery changed and there were very few dead bodies.

"Get everything you need. We leave at daybreak."

"What are you gonna do with this now? You better accept my proposals." a man said to the group of warriors. He was grazing a dagger near a lady's neck.
"No reasons to think it twice." the leader of the men said. "Take aim and finish this criminal. We won't negotiate with people like this."
"As you command." the warriors said as the archers aimed their bows at him. The man used the lady as shield, scared, afraid of the coldness of his executioners without even realize that another warrior was behind him, now grazing a sword near the man's neck.
"You coward." said the warrior, finishing another day of job for a legion of the Archangels commanded by Julien. The lady was grateful, and she left the port of Liberty Bay with a warrior.
"Sir." a warrior reported. "The headquarters sent us a letter asking us to go to Yalahar, some kind of event is being held there... they want us there."
"What is this about?" Julien asked. "We can't leave Liberty Bay, there are many reports we must solve here first."
"It is a massive event, many warriors from everywhere will meet there." the warrior answered.
"I see... they want us to oversee this "event", and collect information about this. Isn't it?"
"Yes sir."
The legion were preparing the boat to set sail for Yalahar. But an old man stoped them.
"What 'u doing?! If you plan to go to Yalahar you should not use your boat." Julien stared at him without truly know what to say. "Why not?".
"The Yalaharies don't like the foreigners... 'u know. They are too great to be harbour for boats like yours." the pirate said, as he approached to Julien. "I can sail there, and arrive in the Trade Quarter... not free, though, 'u know."
Julien thought it twice, but he accepted. By the way, it was better to avoid problems with other cities, specially if Yalahar had no representatives of the Archangels.
"Listen to me, we will use the boat of this gentleman, please, let's leave the food crates and supplies in that boat. Now!" Julien commanded.

Nepharus' robes swept out behind him as his steps carried him down the cobbled streets. The place was overcrowded with warriors and citizens of all shapes and sizes. He had already been passed by a group of dwarves and a pair of elves chattering among themselves. His eyes wandered from the streets that were surprisinly clean to the white and gold buildings that seemed to be of a very peculiar and elaborate architectural design.

Nepharus peered about him. Directly ahead was a great colossal building, and a pub lay to his right. He might as well have a look to see what kinds of people had arrived, and how useful they could be. As he slipped into the bar he was greeted by a sight similar to the street. Armor of all types glinting at him, weapons sheathed and drunken warriors laughing and cheering.

Nepharus felt a twinge of memory that he cast out of his mind the instant it arose. Reminding himself that this was the world he had left behind. He strode to the bar and sat down tapping his bony fingers against the surface as if irritated.

After a very long journey with the pirates, Julien and his men finally arrived to Yalahar, it was the biggest harbour seen by them.
The boat was ready, and many people approached to it.
"Okay, men. We are gonna look for a good place to build our settlement, take the crates, and follow me."
The pirate leader looked at him, and without even hesitate, he unsheathed a curved sword, the other pirates did the same.
"My jobs are not for free, sir." the pirate said. Julien, angry, looked at his men.
Quickly, they at the same time attacked, and a great party begun, a party where everyone would dance the dance of swords, at the old and big pirate ship. The battle was clean, the pirates used their rapiers with elegance, and the archangels, with discipline. Many pirates fled, many others, with mortal wounds just collapsed. Many other Archangels marked their white armors with blood. After a long battle, just the pirate leader was fighting, pretty well.
"Your men has been defeated, drop your weapon!" an Archangel said, far from obey, the pirate took a rapier from a fallen pirate.
"Come, fight me!" he said as he left the boat, from the dock he yelled: "You will pay with blood your trip!"
The archangels ran to catch the pirate, but when they approached enough to see the new scene, they thought it twice.
Many people, not only pirates, but ninja-like warriors, bandits, and much other men. At the docks of the Trade Quarter.
"Prepare to battle, men, this is gonna be a long day." Julien said.

"Still reading that old thing? Why not throw it away?" Jester asked Ares who was slumped against the wall rereading the journal he had picked up from the orcs.

"I don't know. I feel strangely drawn to it. You know I never knew my family. They died a long time ago when my village was attacked by an evil sorcerer. This family will never get their son back. So I'm going to fulfill his wishes and document everything, at least in my mind. I'm not the greatest of scribes." Ares and Jester laughed, as Ares tucked the journal away.

"Come, get ready. We have arrived in the grand city of Yalahar."