Altena

[Author’s Notes: While princess Altena is the main character of the story adding additional characters and shifting the focus to them is perfectly fine, as long as they have some connection to her, such as a on a mission or an enemy looking to destroy her.
Also remember that Altena has survived for over a thousand years. She won’t go down easily.]

Vi’en is a world full of magic and wonders. It consists of several large continents, where most of the population lives, and many islands – some small and some large. On the islands there are many unusual, wonderful and dangerous creatures and objects. The fear of the unknown dangers is what keeps most people living on the continents, but there are always exceptions – brave (or foolish, depending on the view) adventurers occasionally dare to visit the islands in search of treasures… and most never come back…

One of the continents is called Zendar. On it there are many different countries, both large and small, and many more have been destroyed through the centuries. The kingdom of Netheron is one of the long gone and forgotten countries.

Netheron was ruled by the undead, and was without a doubt the largest undead kingdom on the continent of Zendar. Asterra, its capital, was one of the most magnificent cities in the entire world, and many amazing things could be seen there… until the war began. Several kingdoms of the living united and attacked Netheron, their forces destroying everything and everyone in their way, living and undead alike. Netheron’s military was powerful and took full advantage of the fact that all of Netheron’s soldiers were undead, thus they were unaffected by fatigue, hunger, sickness, or anything else that would weaken the living. But even so the living won the war and Netheron was completely destroyed, no one escaping the slaughter… or so it is believed, for that is not entirely true. When the capital Asterra was about to fall and it became obvious to all who will be the winner of the war Princess Altena of Netheron was called by Queen Syntea of Netheron, her mother (or in other words the one who had turned Altena into an undead).

“Listen well, Altena, my child, for we do not have much time,” the undead Queen said to her only child. “Listen and remember what I will now tell you. There is only one reason for this war, and that reason is you, my dear. You are an Unholy Maiden, and the only one in the entire world right now - Unholy Maidens are, and have always been, something extremely rare. The living fear you and wish to destroy you now, while you are still weak. But I will not allow them to do as they please. I will send you to the island of Mernerra – it is an isolated place where you’ll be safe for at least a century. Stay there for as long as you want. When you are ready come back to Zendar and show everyone they were wise to fear you.”

“Thank you, mother. I will definitely return one day and take for the destruction of our land. Even if I have to spend hundreds of years hiding and waiting I WILL survive, and WILL come back. And then the living shall know the wrath of the undead.”

“Now go. Time is running out.” With a brief nod to her mother Altena stepped through the portal prepared by the Queen and left her home. A few hours later Asterra fell, its inhabitants were slaughtered, and the kingdom of Netheron seized to exist…

A thousand years have passed since then. Altena spent them all gaining knowledge and power. Much has happened while the undead princess was studying, including the birth and consecutive destruction of two other Unholy Maidens. The kingdoms that waged war on Netheron are long gone as well, and new kingdoms have taken their place. The balance of power between the living and the undead in the lands of Vi’en has shifted in favor of the living, and the undead are feared far less than they once were.

After waiting for a thousand years Altena is finally ready to return to Zendar. Her power has grown significantly, as has her knowledge, and in addition she has learned what an Unholy Maiden is. But power and knowledge are not the only things she relies on. There is one other thing she has obtained, and could prove to be the ace that will help her bring and destruction to all who stand in her way…