The Doom of Murder
Ferothin was a warlord and tyrant of ancient Virosia. Ferothin would slaughter entire countries just for a shorter path to the ocean, without warning, without option. Ferothin, however, was also a lover to the right people, and would restlessly give gifts, letters, and his affection to whomever he had fallen in love with.
Ferothin found is home just south of what is now Aleryn, and discovered incredible sources of copper and iron at the very bottom of the Akathian Peninsula. He needed these things very badly, but before he could venture south with his armies, he was approached by the Spirit Akathia. She explained that his slaughter would not be tolerated, the people of the Peninsula are peaceful and undeserving, but moreover, she protects them. Akathia is the spirit of the natural order, and if she is stronger, she will not let him pass, though not by her own hand.
She explained that in her lands, so long as he is in love, any murder he does will progress a Curse of Flesh, turning him to stone.
He did not believe her at first, and began wading through villages on his conquest south. Indeed, nothing happened, and so he kept traveling. Months into his campaign, however, he met a young girl named Grezhia. She was everything he could ever need in a woman, and he quickly fell in love with her.
Over the next weeks, he began to notice his skin becoming tougher, more rocky, and explained this to Grezhia. She was appauled by this, and tried to find him medicine, but nothing could help. He was executing people himself, so she had him stop this, but it seemed that his skin was getting worse.
Ferothin was unsure of what to do, before she told him he would need to stop warring, for it seemed that his troops killing was doing this. Though he tried, he had already sent out his armies in many different paths of destruction, and nothing would stop his transformation. He became hidously disfigured, every moment agonizing, Grezhia became unable to love him. Every movement was agonizing for Ferothin, and he was too weak to hurt himself, as his skin was too rocky and tough. Thus, he threw himself off the cliffs at the fork of Akathia's Peninsula.
