Alastor & Ziltresa Garathien (1)

[Velovictus]

Fingers of flames flickered and reached out like grapnels, desperate in their attempts to cling to anything that could sustain their hunger.  The air was too cold.  The Great Storm, now past, had in the climax of it's fury; smote the mountains of Shiverpeak as if guided by the will of a wrathful God.  Yet the fire burned on.  Stubborn as the village it now struggled to consume.  The occupants, long past caring about hollow shells of burning flesh, lay strewn across the once proud Norn encampent of the Tribe of the Seeing Eye.  One familiar with Norn culture, would hope that their spirits had found the way to the halls of their ancestors, guided by the strength and wisdom of their spirit animals.  This Norn tribe however, was unlike any.  Led by a shamanistic tribe of human necromancers, who played the role of spirit guides, the Norn of the Seeing Eye had drew the ire of the other tribes.  Straying from their heritage had caused them to be shunned, forcing them to rebuild their village in the furthest remote region of the Shiverpeaks.  

A soiltary figure stood at the edge of the macabre scene, a visage of cruel pleasure splayed across his hooded face.  Skalg Vryloka, chief necromancer, took one last glance as he turned away, placing the slightly glowing object he had been clutching into an inner pocket within his cowled robes.  His master would be pleased.  

Skalg had returned to the Norn tribe from his spirit quest many moons ago, as a changed man.  With wild claims of new power, he began shifting many of their rituals to serve a new purpose.  Revenge.  Swiftly elevating himself to the highest rank, he unveiled to the tribe the instrument of their retribution.  A sentient orb, encased within a formation of glowing crytals, the all seeing eye, as he had proclaimed it.  It was as if all their prayers had been answered and the time had come, to destroy there persecutors and reclaim their rightful tribal lands.  But it was not to be.  

During his travels, Skalg had come across a nameless powerful Lich, forgotten by time.  For the tribe of the Seeing Eye, the bargain struck within those shadowy halls, had sealed their fate.  For their souls had been promised to the Lich, servant of Zhaitan,  a mighty elder dragon and creator of the Risen.  Using the souls of the mighty Norn to empower his dark army, the Lich conspired to resurrect his fallen master to once again plunge the land of Tyria into abyssal darkness.

Besides, Skalg, and unbeknownst to him, were two other survivors of the tragic clan.  Husband and wife, Alastor and Ziltresa Garathien.  Tall of height and strong of limb, owing to the Norn blood mingled within their ancestral bloodlines, the two human necromancers  could almost pass as Norn themselves.  They had served as spirit healers, and were well recieved by the community as a valuable asset.  Before the treachery of Skalg, the pair had traveled to Hoelbrak in disguise to trade with travelling merchants for rare herbs and reagents that were unable to grow in the harsh climes of the Shiverpeaks.  Returning to find their village in ruin, they discerned what had taken place through necromantic rituals.  The few souls not captured by the orb, spoke to them of ill tidings; a fel omen ruminating from the southlands...

Thus begins the tale...