The Flames of Alde 🔥
The city of Kryxivia. A home for a few, a place to live for tens of thousands. Known for its hum, buzz, talks of traders, and the sound of metal forged by a local blacksmith. They were the ones who built the buildings dreaming of a better and more prosperous life. They constructed houses in the vicinity of massive wooden doors that led to the Mine. In its depths lay gems of great power and properties. These gems were named Kryxit. Over the years, various stories and legends have been heard related to the Mine. Most probable says about goddess Via who enchanted the Mine to protect the Kryxit, which seems to be the source of power used by three divinities: Kry, Xi, and Via. The goddess used powerful magic to create a defensive spell and awakened creatures whose sole purpose was to protect the Kryxits. Inhuman beings called by the local people “Bosses” defend the treasures of the Mine from the unworthy hands of warriors.
There is an old man in Kryxivia City whom the inhabitants call the Sage. It is unclear whether they say so because he is the most senior or because he has a collection of old books with testimonials about the Mine. These books contain testimonies of those who managed to return from the Mine after encountering monsters. Often distressed, they told in detail what they had seen and felt. Thanks to the detailed descriptions, we can learn what these creatures look like, how they fight, and where they can be found. One opus, covered with dust and cracked leather, has a record of a first encountered monster:
“…we were descending to the lower level of the Mine when we felt a heat wave coming from behind a large rock standing right in front of us. It was a massive rock twenty feet high and 15 feet wide. Until now, the walls surrounding us were dark like a cloudy night sky, but suddenly they turned bright red. First, we felt the ground shake beneath us and heard footsteps. One by one, getting louder and closer. The light grew brighter until we finally saw it. We saw a Monster made of rocks and hellishly hot lava. Nobody moved. The shock chained our feet to the ground as if we were stuck in a deep swamp. Then everyone seemed to regain their mind and the ability to move. We started running. Some of us were burnt by the lava gushing out of him, others he smashed with a blow from his stone hand. I did not see what happened later. I ran away. Out of a dozen people, only two of us returned to the city. Me and Caleb. Others have never been found….”
This passage was later called the day of The Flames of Alde’s rise.
A being that arose from the heart of the earth. Made to protect the most precious source of power. Alde walks the Mine corridors, searching for people who threaten the energy balance of Kryxit. Everyone who meets him is put to the test, not only for strength and dexterity but also for experience in combat. Alde takes advantage of the opponent’s weak points and his momentary lack of attention to attack and deliver the final blow. But there is a handful of those who have defeated him and have been greatly rewarded for it. Legend has it that Alde is reborn from rock and lava soon after he is defeated. So remember, if you do this glorious deed, take the reward and move on. Nobody wants to fight him twice!
