Three-hundred sixteen years after all evil creatures were "banished" from the over and netherworlds

In the village of New Spree, there was an orphanage that had obviously seen much better days; the walls of the building let in terrible drafts in the winter, while the building's roof and floors offered no reprieve from the summer heat. All this while meeting the bare minimum with the building inspectors who appeared from time to time. Within this orphanage is a sixteen-year-old orphan boy who was sitting in a dark room and leaning against a stone wall.

The boy was about average height, build, and looks. His skin even though it was covered in a thick layer of black dust was as pale as they came. Yet he had pure, silver eyes and long, hip-length white hair that was just flat and had no life to it. The boy wore only brown colored loosely fitting, flaying rags that did very little to keep him warm with only cloth wraps as shoes, a worn, ratty cloth belt tied around his waist, and a dirty scarf that probably did more to keep him warm than his actual clothes.

The orphan was entertaining himself by bouncing a ball against the other wall just to catch it repeatedly. Then a door slammed open and a woman calls to the orphan, "alright convict now that your sixteen I'm kick'in your trouble make'in your ass out'ta here." The orphan got up leaving behind the toy ball and proceeded to exit the darkroom. When the orphan left the room that was his cell; the orphan saw that it was night-time. The orphan looked at the woman who was fat and just downright ugly responded before a question could be spoken, "it's midnight and this is the very night that whoever birthed your trouble make'in ass dumped you here; where you caused noth'in but trouble." The woman then pointed her right thumb to the side in the direction of the front door and said to the orphan, "now get the fuck out'ta here before I call the guard, you shit."

The orphan being aware of what the guard would do to him quickly made his way out of the orphanage. When the boy got outside, he heard a clicking noise come from behind him from the door. The boy looked to the door and decided that it was locked and that trying to open it wasn't worth the effort or time. The now homeless, orphan boy moved behind the orphanage and searched for a small group of loose boards. Upon finding the loose boards and removing them the boy reached in and started retrieving several small bags that were filled with seventy-eight coins each that he had earned from doing some "jobs" for the local mayor.

Once the last bag of coins was extracted from the hidey-hole the boy then reached in again but even further and pulled out a satchel and a rusted knife. The boy placed the sixteen bags of coin into his satchel then placed the knife in his ratty belt before be proceeded to replace the boards. Once the boards were back in place the boy grabbed his satchel and loaded it with all of his bags of coin then he hid his knife between himself and the satchel. With his money now safe and armed the boy set off from the orphanage.

The boy dotted from alley to alley and the back streets. While also doing his best to avoid being detected by the town guard; who most likely had orders to take him to the mayor who would turn him into a whore for both her own pleasure and for profit. The boy moving through one of the alleys saw a door open and after a bit of yelling on the doors owner's part saw someone throw out a gauntlet then slam shut the door.

The boy waited a few minutes and slowly, quietly approached to where the gauntlet had been thrown. When he saw the gauntlet, it was a badly beaten and abused scrap heap of metal. The thing was missing its fingers and appeared to be rusted beyond use. However, the gem that was set into it appeared to be in excellent condition. So, the boy taking out his rusted knife worked on the area around the gem until the gem popped out of the gauntlet with a silent pop. The boy then placed the gem in his satchel and returned to his stealthy search for one of the town gates.

After a night-long search, the boy found one of the town gates. It was the one that faced the south away from the forested elven hamlet of New Evernight. The boy looking at the fate saw only three guards; one was on the ramparts while the other two were stationed at the gates wrench. The boy looking around some more found cover with a large number of merchant carts and wagons that were present. The boy wanting to escape the town stealthily moved from cart to cart and the wagons until he got to the last wagon that was closest to the gate.

The boy peered around the corner saw that the two wrench guards were talking to each other while the one on the ramparts showed only its back. The boy not wanting to be caught when he was so close to leaving looked for something to throw. When he found something, he grabbed it and threw it into the bushes near the guards who got spooked and went to investigate. With the guards now distracted he made a run to the gate and left the town.

Now outside the town, the boy kept on running down the road then he leaped into the forest and search for a place to rest. As the boy searched for a place to rest, he eventually found a tree with a hollow in it. The hollow was just big enough for him to fit in; and so, the boy crawled into the hollow and began to sleep.

When the boy awoke, he saw that he was still inside the trees' hollow, and all his stuff was still present. Getting up he began to search for a way back to the road when he found a particularly interesting stone circle. The boy approached the circle and saw that it had carvings of all kinds of creatures on each of the megalith's exterior. As the boy approached the stone circle, he saw that it had a doorway to its interior and upon entering the interior of the stone circle the boy saw in the center of the stone circle a large carved stone statue.

The carved stone statue depicted two men one on each side both were fully armored, were one carried a sword the other had an ax; and both sides of the carved statue depicted each wearing a helmet that has three spikes on it. The boy looking to the interior walls of the circle he saw that the walls were all black with signs that fire was used. The boy going around the carved statue saw what appeared to be two shrines to the men who made up the statue. The boy went to both shrines and found that neither had been used with no signs of offers being left or a single prayer placed at either of the shrines.

The boy after leaving the shrines felt pulled to the area between the shrines. In the area between the shrines was only an elevated stone plate; that upon moving closer had intricate lines and runes carved into its surface. The boy unable or unwilling to stop himself stepped onto the stone plate and in a burst of unholy, blue lighting, and a sinister crack of thunder the boy was gone from the world.

When the boy awoke, he found himself laying face-first on a solid stone floor. Getting up the boy found that he was in the main hall of some ruined castle. Looking around abit the boy saw an exit and walking towards it he felt the air heat up…alot. When the boy reached the exit and saw where he was. It was then that the boy found out that he was in the netherworld.

Now panicking the boy closed his eyes and took several deep breaths and calmed down. Once he was calm he checked himself over for any wounds but found he had none, then he checked to make sure nothing of his was stolen by the locals. When the boy found that he still has everything to had with him he let out a sigh of relief. Then the boy who was now confused returned by the fact that he wasn't robbed, hurt, or dead returned to the main hall to do a more thorough investigation of the area.

Returning to the main hall and taking a more careful look around he found several skeletal remains of minotaur-like creatures alongside, goblins and elves. The boy now slightly scared upon seeing the minotaur-like skeleton decided to immediately go back to searching for a way back to the overworld. The boy searched the main hall and found two barricades that were projecting a dim, yet holy light; moving further down the main hallway it led to a throne room that had burned barricades and was covered all over with the skeletal remains of several races and animals. The dead were either hanging off the walls as if they were strange, mounted trophies or were laying on the ground; and in the middle of the back was a throne that sat empty amongst the skeletons.

The throne room had hanging from the walls and ceiling several thick, yet heavily tattered cloth banners. While on the ground was a tattered rug that led to a ruined, crumbling throne that was carved from a solid, midnight black-stone that sat atop a short three-step plinth amongst other damages to the thrones general area. The boy searched the throne room and eventuality the boy found a stairway that went up towards the surface. The boy went up the staircase and found that it was collapsed at the top. The boy unable to bear the sight of the collapsed stairway went back down to the throne room. When the boy returned to the throne room, he went over to and sat down on the crumbling throne, and taking a deep breath let out a scream of pure frustration.

After screaming the boy just sat in the throne and closing his eyes wished for a way out of the netherworld and back to the surface while also saying in a quiet, dejected tone, "I would do anything if it means escaping from this damnable, cursed place."

Elsewhere in the Netherkeep

In a room with a stone scribes desk that was recently written in, a small form stirred. The form slowly got up from its bed of rags with its bones and joints popping; once it was up it spoke in an expecting tone, "aw, a young, new overlord has arrived… and it only took three hundred sixteen years…" the creature then proceeded to get out of its bed of dirty rags; this caused more bones and joints to pop into place, then the creature proceeded to move toward the doorless doorway and exit the room, then the creature looked to and move to its left, "…best see what this new overlord might be made of." The creature then started moving and this caused the muscles to pop in ways muscles shouldn't pop as it headed towards the throne room.

Back in the throne room

The boy who just finished screaming hung his head in his hands as he sat on the ruined, crumbling throne. The boy not wanting to accept where he is hung his head and with his face buried in his hands began to quietly sob. Then the sound of soft footsteps with the clicking of talons on the stone floor is heard as the boy sobs. The boy choosing to ignore the footsteps as he sobs only stopped once he hears a voice speak, "so you're the new overlord…" the boy upon hearing this looks to the speaker to see a short creature with a stick with a glowing light tied to it in tattered rags for robes, "…evil truly has fallen far if this is the best it can muster up to become the next overlord."

The boy unsure of who and what this is asked with a questioning look, "who and what are you."

The creature looking unamused replies with a straight face, "my name is Gnarl, advisor to the overlord and devoted servant of darkness. As for the what; I am the last minion and creature of darkness in existence, but now that there is now a new future overlord darkness shall rise once more." says Gnarl who is giving the boy a toothy smile; while muttering under his breath, "hopefully."

The boy then speaks, "how could I be the next overlord? I'm an orphan and sure I've done some bad stuff but nothing that would actually be considered evil just stuff that got me a verbal scolding."

Gnarl looked at the boy quizzically and spoke, "there are times that the greatest of evil overlords came from humble beginnings. The fourth overlord is a prime example of humble beginnings becoming the greatest of evil overlords."

As Gnarl is speaking the boy looks around and listens for anything that sounds like it didn't come from or belongs to either Gnarl or himself, but doesn't hear anything. The boy looks Gnarl in its eyes and said, "so, where is my evil horde if I am the new overlord."

Gnarl looks nervously at the boy and replies with a disappointed look on its face, "well your evilness the Netherkeep at the moment has no other denizens other than you and me."

The boy who is now the potentially future overlord was now looking at Gnarl with a frown and says, "well, do you know a way or spell to get a workforce as well as an evil horde that will loot, plunder, and kill in my name?"

Gnarl looked down saddened and spoke, "yes, it is a ritual spell and a fairly simple one though it doesn't like being used more than once per caster, it will provide you with ten laborers of the caster's desire…" the potential future overlord smiled at that is until Gnarl added the other half of its statement, "…however, it requires the sacrifice of another, unfortunately."

The future overlord looked over to Gnarl with a plan in his mind then he spoke, "Gnarl…" this caused the goblinoid to look to its potential master with curiosity as the potential future overlord spoke, "…what does this ritual entail and require to be casts-ed?"

Gnarl looked to its new master just knowing what was going to happen, but it didn't care so long as its death was in service to evil. Gnarl then spoke with an undertone of acceptance of what was going to happen to it, "well you will need: a knife of any condition and/or make, a still-living sacrifice, and the chant…" the future overlord then leaned-in closer to hear better while also reaching for his knife, "…where one dies, a loyal servitude to its master from the ashes ten more shall take its place, and serve their master of the loyal servant."

With those last words spoken by Gnarl; the future overlord jumped Gnarl pinning it to the ground, then taking out his knife he plunged it into the last known minion's heart then spoke the chant he was told, "where one dies, a loyal servitude to its master from the ashes ten more shall take its place, and serve their master of the loyal servant." When nothing happened, the future overlord reaches for his knife and before he could grab it and use it to mutilate the minion's corpse he was suddenly transported to a place where he was surrounded by only darkness; except for in-front of him where there were ten beams of pure white light. The future overlord touched the beam of pure white light to his far-left and caused it to become a bright, blinding light. Then when he couldn't see anymore the new overlord blacks out.