Ten thousand years ago, the world was torn asunder by the Celestial War, a conflict so vast it lasted for multiple millennia. It was a war between light and darkness itself, where gods walked the land and demons sought dominion over all creation.
The battlefield was the land of Aetherfall, a realm that was carved by magic and blood.
Mountains were shattered, rivers were extinguished, and the skies themselves were torn between day and night, as if the world itself could not bear the weight of the conflict.
The Divine Legion, led by the First Light, fought not alone; six other races, the humans, elves, fairies, dwarves, giants, and beastmen, joined their cause to protect their home world, Aetherfall. And so, they lent courage, wisdom, and strength to a struggle that could have consumed the entire world.
For thousands of years, the war killed billions as the Kingdoms of mortals became fortresses of hope and despair.
Heroes rose and fell and many were forgotten by time, and yet, their deeds shaped the very foundation of Aetherfall itself, marking a new era.
An era of hope, peace, and tranquility.
An era known as the Everdawn Age.
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In the midst of a town, there were roads built for travelers and wagons, Market stands on the sides of every street, warehouses, and large Inns for visitors, and most of the time, adventurers.
The smell of ale filled the air, tickling the noses of travelers who wandered across this town. Streets were made of stone, and the buildings were built of brick and wood.
This place is renowned for brewing the famous Dalvan Ale made from a magical river that flows through the town—it was known for having pixie dust; an addictive ingredient along with rich minerals that were gathered from the mystical stones in the river, and the fragrance of apples and berries found across Aetherfall, although rare.
Adventurers claim to come here for the jobs, but in truth, they come for Davlvan Ale, one of the best drinks in the world, according to King Eratos Valerune, himself.
"Damn, looks like they're out of Goblin Hunting quests, huh?" A large, bald man, wearing heavy iron armor, without a helmet, spoke out loud, sighing to himself as he faced the Request Board. "I should've come sooner. I knew those bastards were gonna take the easy quests, just to make easy gold. I bet all of this is to get some Dalvan Ale." The adventurer continued to search the Request Board, looking for any simple quests. Brushing his beard in thought, he managed to find one out of the hundreds. "Oh, this should be good!"
Pulling a quest labeled as 'Novice' from the board, he read it, excited as ever.
"Slay a horde of undead south of Dalvan village?!" His expression turned grim, crushing the paper in his hand. "What the hell?"
He turned around, scowling at the other adventurers. "For the love of Gaia, who in their right mind is gonna take on a quest like this?! This isn't a novice quest, this is meant for Adept Adventurers!"
His outburst gained the attention of other adventurers as he walked towards the Front Desk of the Guild, slamming the quest on the counter. "Hey, Guild girl, explain this?! Why in the name of Gaia is this quest labeled as 'novice'? You think killing a bunch of undead is some easy task to do?" He leaned forward, frowning. "Huh?!"
The Guild Girl tensed up momentarily before sighing.
"May I see your Adventurer Card, please?"
"My Adventurer Card? Why in the hell do you need that?! Don't change the subject, answer my question!"
"Sir, I am not obligated to answer any questions until I have proof that you're in the Adventurer's Guild."
"Why don't you think I am?!" Asked the shouting baldy.
"I know the Adventurers here, and yet, I have never seen you once step foot inside this Guild. Either you show your card, or I will call for the Dalvan Guards to apprehend you."
"Tch. You lousy bitch!" He scowled at the woman, slamming his fist against the table. "Go ahead and let some poor Adventurer die on that quest, it's not my problem." Turning around, he walked past someone with short white hair and an eyepatch engraved with a rune. Their attire was that of a long-sleeved tunic dress, a leather harness that fit them like a corset, and a brown adventurer's belt with a satchel and sword at their hip.
Their appearance caught his attention at first, but he ignored it and continued onwards, until they spoke.
"I have his card right here."
They spoke to the Guild Lady, handing them a card with his face and Adventurer Rank on it.
Turning around, he was baffled, unable to muster a single word.
"Oh, are you a companion of his?" Asked the receptionist.
"Yes. We go on adventures together."
"Oh, I see, very well then." She looked at the card, reading his name out loud. "Hermfry Agadel, you may return to me and file your complaint. It seems your friend here has found your Adventurer Card."
"My... friend?"
Hermfry looked at the mysterious person, completely lost in his mind.
"My friend... huh?" He continued to stare—and stare—unable to figure out who they were.
"Uhm... Mr. Hermfry?"
But the call of his name brought him back.
"Oh! R-Right." He nodded before approaching the Guild Lady, placing both hands on the desk. "The Quest that was on the Request Board was labeled novice, and it deals with the undead. Why is that?!"
The woman closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts.
"The Undead as of late have been running rampant across Aetherfall. They're showing up more than usual in the realm of Gaia, spreading unwarranted chaos, and raiding villages near the town of Dalvan. As of now, we've lost a good portion of adventurers who fled from these parts and moved to other areas of Aetherfall to get away from the chaos. Our population is steadily declining each day, so it is hard to find any Adept Adventurers who can take on these quests... that is why... we've resorted to these actions."
Balling up his fists, the bald warrior slammed them against the desk once more.
"You're resorting to getting people killed?! Where the hell are the Adept Adventurers!? Surely they can deal with quests like this!"
Shaken up by his words, she looked at him with disheartened eyes.
"They're fighting as we speak. The Adept Adventurers are doing all that they can to keep the undead away from Dalvan, just so we can live in peace."
"Tsk. Damnit, so we don't even have enough Adept Adventurers to clean up this mess?!"
"Yes, indeed. As you can see, we're in desperate times, and desperate times call for desperate measures."
He closed his eyes at her words, huffing a sigh.
"At this rate, Aetherfall is gonna fall to those Bonemen."
"I say we take the quest."
Hermfry side-eyed the person beside him, lifting his brow in question.
"Take the quest? Are you mad? The undead labeled on that quest can slaughter an army of men by themselves."
"What's the matter, Hermfry? Are you scared?"
"..." Brushing his beard in thought, he turned fully to face the smaller person. "Alright then, tell me, what rank are you in the Adventurer Guild?"
"You should already know that. After all, we've been working together for quite some time, with your beloved, Auren Frostwind."
('So that's it, huh? It looks like they're the ones who magically created that Adventurer Card and gave it to the Guild Lady. Just what the hell are they planning? Looks like I have to play along with their games.')
Snickering, Hermfry responded.
"Auren... eh? Yeah, sorry bout that, my mind is just all over the place. Alright then, let's take the quest, I ain't afraid of a bunch of undead."
"Hmph." Auren closed his one eye, smiling. "That's more like it."
"A-Are you sure you're willing to take this quest, knowing the possible consequences?!" Asked the Guild Lady.
"Eh, why the hell not?" Hermfry lifted up his forearms, shrugging. "I got no choice. Aetherfall is my home, after all, and King Eratos is one of the best rulers in this realm. I'll be risking my life for a good cause."
"Ufufu, how noble of you." Said the laughing, and snarky Auren.
"Mmm... right." Hermfry faced the door and proceeded forward. "Anyways, we've got no time to be wasting. Let's travel South of Dalvan quickly, I'm not trying to deal with any Fiends."
"This adventure would take a few days, so it's inevitable to deal with fiends."
Auren and Hermfry left the Guild, walking into the streets of Dalvan Town.
They walked side by side, quiet as a church mouse, until Dalvan spoke up.
"Just who the hell are you?" His expression was stern as he continued to look ahead of him.
"Didn't I already tell you? My name is Auren. Do you have cotton in your ears?"
He snickered at their comment.
"You're real funny."
"Am I?"
"You're hiding answers. I want them. Now. Enough games."
"Games?" Auren stopped in their tracks as Hermfry continued walking, though once he noticed them rooted in place, he glanced behind them.
He gazed upon the mysterious adventurer who stood there, confused. Her lost expression made him widen his eyes, baffled.
"I'm serious, my name is just Auren."
"Wha-?" He looked at her, twisting his face in confusion.
"What? Did you think I was some type of bounty hunter?!"
Sweat trailed down his cheek, crossing his arms. "N-No... not at all!" He looked to the side, embarrassed.
('She's not some mercenary? Then who the hell is she? And why did she choose to follow me? Something's not right. Even though she seems carefree, I have to keep my eyes on her.')
"Anyways, are we going or not?" Asked Auren.
"Of course... let's get a move on."
"Right behind you."