Prologue: Arrival
The lands beneath the uncompromising tree canopies of Doomwood were encroaching, as one would normally expect of the cursed forest. The moon was determined to break through the nigh-impregnable, clustered pine treetops with surprising success, but one location remained in absolute, ethereal darkness that had a likeness to a wildfire in its invasive spread. It had found its origins within Blackwyn Tomb, which was known to be hexed but not to this degree. Amid this artificial nightfall, there was a lone, radiant lantern that bore an unnatural livelihood to its light. In comparison to the surrounding region, the area around the crypt entrance was unorthodox in its freezing temperature and continued only turn to more frigid. A light outline of five humanoid figures could be seen within the lamp's illumination, and each of them looked as though they were unknown to the region or hadn't seen it in ages.
One of them had pointed with a sharp, crystalline finger towards a wooden sign that had Deep Root written upon its boards, which were attached to a thick rod of bark burrowed into the dark soil. It stated with a tranquil tone, "Hmm, was this not the village from which Kyrei Veldrin hailed? It feels so familiar, not in the nostalgic sense however. I would say that the feeling is quite the opposite, for it is a burning hatred, actually a sense of searing malice, for the sufferings that we have had to endure due to residents of this village."
"Well, it is just the easiest thing in the planes to recall locations that we haven't seen in at least five hundred years, Myodei," A levitating figure responded with heavy sarcasm in his voice, and a few embers shot off from his tongue.
"I suppose that you are right, if only we were never banished to begin with..." The original voice responded, "...accursed Veldrin. At least we were fortunate enough to have a sensible warden, however, who had been open-minded enough to hear our side out without bias. I mean, if our supposed crime was more blatant like Izotz's then I would've called our guard a fool to listen to us. We are not Izotz however, yet Izotz remained free while we were imprisoned. It'd be best that we never meet him again, lest we kill him and garner the attention of the Lords again."
"Quite, quite," A new voice emerged, or perhaps a multitude of voices as the words seemed displaced and without a common origin, "If not for Izotz and later Kyrei, we might have already attained our goal or simply escaped this plane to one kinder to our own." His tone felt apathetic, as though he was unknown to the actual sensation of emotion.
"I do not recall Izotz," What appeared to be a rock blurted the words from the tiniest crevices within itself, "But it is of no matter, I suppose, for if I had stayed them, we wouldn't have had to suffer either of those delays."
"Oh, well, we should just admit defeat now and be done with it," A crackling noise, like that of a raging inferno, to be noted behind the words, "For clearly we are no match for the relentless power of a lone, greedy ice demon and a few conniving humans, who don't even know exactly what they're dealing with. Yes, I'm shaking in my nonexistent boots. I think that I'll throw in the towel over there now, if you don't mind."
"Zynaer, don't you know how much more clever the beauty of nature is?" A small breeze seemed to ask rhetorically, but the voice had some shreds of a longing for happiness. It was quite depressing, as he otherwise sounded much like a playful child. "Oh, I miss the days whenever all the birds in the trees would be singing so joyfully, now I've seen only pain and hate." The elemental seemed to have sniffled once he finished.
"Ariyzi, we'll let you appreciate the intricate appeal of Lore, but we will do so on the return to our old study," Myodei stated clearly, "There will eventually be the business of getting our stolen work back, as you all know. Zolkt, I would like if you trailed behind, so we won't have any unwanted pests."