Ashen Oath Pt. 1: The Shattering

Like a voiceless choir, a thousand unseen voices rang throughout the halls of Auraveth, bathing the Queen's throne in radiance like an eternal flame. Her people knelt below, faces calm, their souls silenced in peace.

Peace? So they thought.

For generations, the Queen of Auraveth ruled over her people who never aged, never starved, and never dreamed of rebellion. The emerald glow of the stone made it so. The radiant harmony of the stone lulled them into serenity, a scape that cost them their freedom.

One man, among the countless people praising the queen, grew heavy with a feeling of resentment. His name was Vaelor, a  scholar turned soldier, with a sharp mind that could sense the imperfection of the stones song. When he looked into the stone’s light, he did not see salvation, he saw invisible shackles clasping around his wrists.

With each prayer, he had more, and more feelings of doubt. This doubt led him to truth.

One night as Vaelor slept, the song faltered. One note, as if off pitch, that was barely imperceptible. Vaelor's eyes snapped open and he could hear his own thoughts once again.

Vaelor walked to the throne chamber and instead of being met with a soothing light, it was blinding and oppressive. The Queen turned to him with a soft expression as if she knew what Vaelor's intention was.

"Vaelor", she whispered. "Please, the stone keeps us whole, and keeps us safe."

As he looked at her, Vaelor noticed tears in her golden eyes.

"Whole?" he said, voice shaking with rage, "whole means nothing when it is a prison."

As he drew his sword, the stone's song grew louder, becoming a dark chant.

Arm outstretched, the Queen stepped forward "Please, you don't understand!"

He swung his sword, and struck the Stone of Radiance. A blinding light exploded from the stone and the song turned to shriek. The sound ripped through the throne room, across courtyards, and through every soul bound to the stones will. Cracks crawled up the marble pedestal, and met the relic, splitting it into many shards. Each shard fell to the ground, glowing with a faint mournful pulse.

When the radiance faded, all was silent.

The Queen lay dead. The light that once clutched the people, flickered away leaving them confused, grief stricken, and horrified.

They saw Vaelor standing beside the Queen's body, sword in hand among shards of dying light.

"Murderer!" someone whispered. As guards fled in, Vaelor grabbed a shard and disappeared.

It's said that the stone's death birthed something else that day, a darkness born from a shattered choir. This darkness followed and caught up with Vaelor. Whispers from beyond haunted him:

"You broke the song, now you must bear its silence."

And from the silence, the first Mortem rose.