Quietly, in an average afternoon, some Fratian soldiers were patrolling the forest of the Steppes, as usual. It was unexpected for them to see an orc in ragged robes running towards them, as if she was fleeing from something. Soon, the orc explained to the soldiers that the infamous dungeon of Tenebrim was attacked, and it seemed she was the only survivor.

The patrollers, curious about the event, went to their leader, Tacitus Silanus, and brought the orc with them so he could listen to everything. After hearing what happened, Silanus saw this as an opportunity to either conquer Tenebrim, or atleast form a friendship with it's leader, so he ordered a "visit".

15 soldiers of the Fratian Royal Guard escorted Silanus to the place, with them, the orc. She seemed to be terrified, even if she was not even able to see the invaders. "I was just picking crops, when I returned I saw dead companions!" Was her only explanation. The soldiers were worried, thinking this was all a trap, but Silanus insisted to go.

When the Fratian troopers arrived to the entrance of Tenebrim, they only saw six orchish corpses scattered around, no wounds visible, only that their skin was damaged, thin and greyish, as if something drained their nutrients, or vitality. Of course, this didn't stop the Fratians to keep going further inside; Now a dark hall waited ahead.

Silanus looked around, obviously he recognised this place, since he and some of his soldiers had already been there. Here, they were attacked by orcs and… And a degenerate madman who had learned some unholy spells and played the spooky magician game, then vanished before Silanus could confront him. "I only see dead orcs here, hopefully we can either find a survivor or the barbarian who caused this." Said one of the soldiers. Everyone agreed.

Careless, Silanus kept walking ahead, until he stepped on a wire. This wire brought down a wooden log, or rather a battering ram, which would crash against him and crush him. "Run!" Yelled one of the guards, as he jumped and pushed the general to the floor, both avoiding the trap. However, the terrible and untested design of the trap caused the ram to crash against the wall, opening a huge hole in it. Curiously, the hole led to what seemed to be a cave or a tunnel. "Oof… Eh… Your help is most appreciated, soldier Titus." Said Silanus, before speaking again: "let us now proceed to this curiously placed cave. Might find something hidden, or atleast a place to rest and avoid further traps." When he finished talking, everyone walked towards the cavern, which had glowing orange mushrooms and some drops of water coming from ahead.  Other than the mushrooms and the torches they had, there was no light.

The farmer orc ran away unnoticed, which caused anxiety among the soldiers, even Silanus was nervous. Why would she run away? Was this a trap? "Prepare yourselves, just in case there is some degenerate savage expecting us." Said Silanus.

It had been months since the last time the creature that had come to dwell in the castle hidden away in a passage of Tenebrim dungeon had entertained outsiders.  The last vestiges of humanity had caused the beast to seal itself away and lock itself from the outside world.  It had feasted heartily upon the denizens deep beneath the surface, both the blind albino simians and a myriad display of vermin.  Despite all the effort, it could not sate itself, as the heap of lifeless corpses spread throughout the subterranean castle displayed.

Fresh air descended into the decrepit land of the dead, a light far off in the distance gleaming.  Cain, the beast's new name, could not identify the figures from so great a distance, but the sight of the living and the scent of even more dead pervaded its senses. I exist. I am a man, the dead man thought, transferring conscious thought to preserve the form of the corpse he dwelled within.  The demon inhabiting Icarus' body had gleefully taken it when he was at his weakest, trapped within dreams that wracked at his very soul.  Knowing full-well how the man known as the Black Swordsman had carved armies of demons in his time, the demon took the name of his mentor as a means of adding greater insult to his legend.

Cain proceeded from his lair within the great throne room of the forsaken castle beneath the earth.  Dwarven runes and designs dotted the landscape.  It was fitting that so low a damnable race as the Dwarves should live beneath the light of day, working in the dark to no avail.  Darkness claimed all, in due time, regardless of the beauty or might erected. For the moment, Cain chose to wait in the darkness, to claim the men and the other thing that had inhabited the main structure of the external dungeon.  It didn't know what lingered outside, only that it was what had claimed the Orcs, while staying relatively away from his new home.

This new place was fantastic, a sight to see. All the runes in an unknown language for the Fratians; still, even if it was an interesting place, the soldiers, including Tacitus Silanus, were somewhat anxious. The torches left a lot of places unlighted… Who knew if something was lurking in there, hidden beneath the shadows?

The 15 people Silanus brought with him were all men who he chose from the most skilled elite troopers of the army. 11 of them were men, while the rest consisted of 4 orcs. None of them were skilled in magic, but in melee they were expert. Most of the soldiers had a short sword and a shield, but a few of them had blunt weapons or a Claymore. They were truly a 15 men army.

The ground unexpectedly cracked, leaving a big fume of white smog from it. It was somewhat hot and fortunately not toxic. "It's nothing. Carry on." Said Silanus to his men, who were staring at the gases. In just a couple of minutes the Fratians arrived to a big room, with a larvt stone table and what seemed to be a throne. But it was empty… What was the use of such room if nobody used it? "We will stay here for a while, rest your legs, men." Ordered Silanus once more.

The possessed corpse, Cain, made himself scarce as the invaders came into what would have served as a mead hall in this decrepit dwarven castle beneath the surface.  Although he had been craving life for the past several months, his predatory instincts were far more involved in trying to figure exactly what the other creature of darkness was.  It had stalked above in all this time he had been underground and with the path to it now open, the thing he could not describe was following the soldiers, stalking them even as they went through the corridors.

Akin to a spirit of vengeance, Cain used the shadows to hunt the other creature.  The soldiers would pay for their trespasses, in due time.  For now, however, there was a more pressing matter.  Since he had made this his home, he was territorial, and far beyond that description when it came to evil and undead creatures.  To them, he was utterly predatory and would suffer no insult to his domain with their presence.

He lost its trail for a moment, the dark creature passing along the cavern ceiling in its scarcely tangible form.  When his eyes found it once more, the creature had already slipped into the castle, seeming to rush to the living men in the mead hall to devour them.  It was then that Cain realized what it was.  It was a wraith, a mostly intangible undead creature that passed through solid wall and solid blade with almost no effect.  The men had walked in to a slaughter, and Cain's home was now being desecrated by a truly loathsome undead revenant.

Before the soldiers could be alerted, a ghostly screech emanated from the wraith, as it rushed towards them. Nonetheless, before it could attack, one soldier turned back and, after he saw the spirit, he yelled: "What's that? Behind us!" Every soldier, including Tacitus, was able to take a look on it.

The wraith targeted one soldier, but before it could reach him, he barrell rolled to the right and was able to escape it's grasp. "Is that a phantom?" Asked another soldier, un-sheating his sword. The wraith remained idle for a second, long enough for an orc to hack his spiked mace and "hit" it's upper body. However, the weapon simply passed through it. The orc, amazed by that, backed off from it; unfortunately the ghost swiftly scratched it's chest before disappearing on a dark corner.

A dark energy emanated from the orc's chest, one energy that quickly expanded to the rest of his body. The unfortunate orc's veins became coal coloured, then his eyes too. As he dropped his weapon and shield, the orc gave one last breath before falling lifeless to the floor. "What happened to Turlak?" Exclaimed one soldier. "It doesn't matter, he's dead now. Our steel doesn't work against it, we'll need magic!" Shouted another one, before he continued to speak: "But among us, only you, General Tacitus, hold the knowledge to use spells!" Every trooper turned their gaze at Silanus, who quickly gave an order: "Someone throw a torch at that dark corner, I will deal with it..!"

The trooper who had a torch, Antonius, threw it to the corner, just as Silanus ordered. As the shadows disappeared, the wraith came out from it. "It's you and me, demon!" Shouted Silanus, as he dropped his long shield, which was useless against this foe. The wraith quickly rushed, ready to scratch the general just as he scratched the orc, although, before it could reach him, Silanus pointed his hand at the spirit, from which several white energy daggers came out, for he had casted the blade spirit spell. The daggers merely staggered the wraith, nevertheless, that was a perfect opening for another strike. The general consecrated his shortsword, then charged at the wraith and stabbed it. It screeched horribly before finally turning to nothing but ash. 

Victorious, Silanus walked towards his soldiers and picked up his shield. "It's a shame Turlak is dead, but atleast the phantom has been casted out of this world at once." Looking around, one trooper answered to him nervously: "I can't help but wonder if there are like that one in this god forsaken place. Perhaps it was that thing that murdered the inhabitants of this place?"