In the vast lands of Argentum, where the winds blow with the force of
ancient secrets and the shadows of the past spread over the towns and mountains,
there is a place forgotten by most, but feared by all: the Dragon Dungeon.
This dungeon, which lies a few miles east of Nix and a few miles north of Arkhein,
opens in the bowels of the earth, beyond the cold and desolate plains. Surrounded by a rugged landscape,
where the echo of the beasts it houses resonates with every step, few dare to approach its entrance.
Those who have attempted to explore its depths tell stories of majestic but corrupted creatures,
of an unleashed fury that burns in the heart of the earth itself.
Red dragons now dwell within them, powerful and destructive beings that
once roamed free in the skies, but the power of an ancient evil took hold of them,
transforming their nature. The wrath and evil of the corrupted fire consumed their hearts,
turning them into beings of unstoppable destruction. Those who faced them fell before their power,
and the lands around them became barren, scorched by the eternal flames that spewed from their throats.
The kingdom of Banderbill, prosperous and strong, saw how this influenced the continent,
and the sun that once shone upon its fields darkened with each breath of the red dragons.
The warriors of King Tancred's court fell one after another, and the hope of the people faded.
The king, in desperation, sent messengers to all regions of the kingdom,
calling for those who possessed the courage to challenge the dragons and the evil that dwelled within the Dragon Dungeon.
"Whoever can traverse the depths of the Dungeon and defeat the red dragons," he proclaimed,
"will be rewarded with a gift greater than anything in Banderbill... a red dragon mount,
an eternal link to the very essence of the burning heavens."
Many answered the call, but few crossed the gates of the abyss.
Within, adventurers found themselves trapped in a labyrinth of darkness, fire, and enemies,
where flames burned endlessly, and the roar of beasts could be heard in every corner.
The red dragons, imposing and terrible, awaited those who dared to challenge their dominion.
But the bravest, those whose hearts burned with the desire to save their own lands or simply for power,
fought fiercely, facing the infernal creatures
and collecting the most precious fragments left in their wake: the burning hearts of the dragons.
Each heart, as it fell, released an ancient and powerful magic,
so pure and dangerous that only those with great mettle could approach it.
A heat so intense that it burned to the touch, but at the same time offered the promise of unimaginable power.
Those who managed to hold these hearts in their hands felt the energy of the creatures within them,
as if the very fire of the heavens had ignited in their chest.
In time, the most outstanding adventurers, those who bravely and sacrificially
collected the hearts of the fallen dragons, went to the ancient forges of the kingdom,
where ancient magic fused with the eternal flames of the Dungeon Dragon. There, in the crucible of the forge,
the hearts were transformed into something even greater: red dragon mounts.
Creatures forged from the very essence of primordial fire, whose wings burned with blinding intensity,
capable of soaring through the skies like no other.
Five notable heroes accomplished this feat,
riding the backs of red dragons.
However, their loyalty was not uniform.
Some of them did not share the interests of the kingdom of Banderbill or its ambitions.
These knights flew free, some seeking personal power,
others desiring adventure beyond the kingdom's borders.
Though their red dragon mounts made them imposing figures,
their destinies were not written; their own paths, and the echoes of their actions still resonate throughout Argentum.
The Dungeon Dragon is calmer, and its power, though weakened, remains latent.
Legends speak of a darkness that will never be completely extinguished,
that waits patiently in the shadows, waiting for its chance.
- The whisper of darkness in the depths never dies -
Credits: Acid Snow