The Rise of Darkness

Once upon a time, there was a land called Theras. A prosperous land that was home to the elves, humans, dwarves and gnomes, the four races living in peace and prosperity with one another. At least that was how it was until their land was assaulted by a dark , a being of evil that would rain and destruction and darkness upon the land for a century before finally reaching a stalemate with the "heroic" forces that were defending Theras. The Dark Lord would throw up a barrier to protect himself and his forces as he worked upon a ritual to spawn a powerful minion to inherit his power and break the balance between the forces of darkness and the forces of light.

But...this is not that story.

The story that is to unfold now is not the story of the Dark Lord's invasion or his crafting of a magical minion. No, this story is of the time before the Dark Lord's rise. This story is that of the mortal being that would become the Dark Lord, the tale of his origins and his transformation from mortal to nigh immortal being of dark magic.

For there was a time when the Dark Lord was mortal. There was a time when he was able to bleed and feel pain and die. There was a time when he was no different from those that he now seeks to subjugate and destroy with all his power. There was a time before he embraced the darkness and became something more than mortal. There was a time when he was simply...you.

You are the mortal that the Dark Lord once was. A mortal being drawn by some destiny to the continent far to the south of Theras. The Shadow Continent, the Country of Darkness, a land mass where magic permeates the very air and earth and where all mystical creatures are said to be birthed. This continent, The Forbidden Continent, is at once reviled and revered by the people of Theras, looked upon as a place of great danger as well as a place of great potential. A mysterious place that could hold powerful artifacts, potent magic or even more, the Forbidden Continent draws adventurers of all races and callings to its shores.

You were one of those adventurers drawn to the Country of Darkness and it is that continent where you, a mere mortal, would become the Dark Lord you were destined to be.

But what were you exactly before you became the Dark Lord? What drew you to the Shadow Continent? Were you a treasure hunter, tempted by the potential for riches? A mage seeking to draw the magic of the Forbidden Continent into yourself to further your own power? Were you a warrior, wanting nothing more than to test your strength and skill against the monsters and other creatures of the continent to the south? Were you human? Elf? Dwarf? Gnome?

This is the beginning of your story and, of course, the story can only begin when one knows just who the main character is.