Darkness Falls Upon the Holy Land

Long ago—long before the incident—the city of Greece bustled with life. There wasn’t a corner you could turn to that didn’t have a friendly face waiting to greet you. We were a very devoted city. We did all we could to appease our gods. For a long time, our offerings and sacrifices were met with great blessings. Our crop was fruitful, our people were happy as could be. The tavern was always packed and lively with the music of the many bards who had called this place home. The people from the nearby town of Eden—a place that wasn’t very favored by locals of Greece—came to hear these musicians play despite our differences. Even the tavern’s founder—the town’s most beloved—Lady Salvatore, could be found dancing on tables with guests and singing at the top of her lungs.   One night…the music stopped. The streets went desolate as many townsfolk took shelter in their homes. Unfortunately…they were the first to go. “Cowards,” could be heard whistling through the streets as, one by one, the townsfolk were laid to rest. Their homes and businesses were torn apart by a strong force unknown to me. Screams of agony and pleads to the gods echoed through the emptying walls of each and every building in this town. The few townsfolk that were spared turned into these…maniacs. They had no memory of the life they led before their cult-like urges took over. They gather at one of the only buildings that were hardly destroyed by the onslaught that night. If you wait long enough, you can hear the words, “praise be the goddess of many faces,” “salvations lies in the god of ecstasy,” and many chants in a strange language, seeping out of the walls of that strange white building. Disgusting monsters began to take form all around Greece and in the nearby forest. Powerful beings whose only motive is to kill. I was lucky to have been spared from the attack of the goddess…the attacks of those monsters…and the former townsfolk turned cultists.   Out of all that were spared and plagued by this strange parasite of the mind…our dearest Lady Salvatore managed to dodge this incident. Together, Lady Salvatore and I rebuilt the tavern in hopes of providing some sort of solace to the loss we had just endured. After it was rebuilt, Lady Salvatore wouldn’t leave that small room she had rebuilt, for days. The loss was hard on her. It had gotten so bad that she had cast me aside and vowed to never become close with another creature ever again. That was the last I saw of the beloved Lady. After she had banished me, I took to the valley just beside town and created a small cabin for myself. I constructed it to bring myself some sort of hope that perhaps the Lady would find me again and could call this place home.   I now know that she has made her choice. I will never see her again. I will never see that lovely city again. I will never hear that comforting music again.   To whomever you are…if she is still there…be kind. Send her my regards and my final goodbye. I will not go on in a world that is becoming overrun with vile creatures…I will not go on in a world without my dearest friend.