Short Synopsis
In a ruined northland called the Dreadlands, the monk Nathanial has abandoned his faith and purpose—until a hooded messenger leaves him a Soulstone built from a fragment of the shattered Worldstone. Searching for answers, he seeks out his old ally, the dark magician Sergei Rumkow. Their reunion curdles into jealousy, violence, and a catastrophic choice: the Soulstone’s evil is unleashed and Nathanial submits to the Devil—reborn as Lord Venatis, “Hunter of Angels.”
Principal Characters
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Nathanial
A former wandering monk, hollowed by regret and nightmares. Fixated on the Soulstone as a path to purpose, he bullies his way to Rumkow for guidance, murders him in a rage, and accepts the Devil’s bargain—falling into darkness as Lord Venatis.
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Sergei Rumkow
Once a master of the Dark Arts, now a family man by a lake near Nathanial’s birthplace. He knows the Soulstone houses a soul corrupt enough to doom the world and insists it be destroyed or perfectly sealed. He tries to save Nathanial—and dies for it.
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The Devil
The malignant presence bound in the Soulstone. When the casing breaks and black smoke pours forth, it offers immeasurable power. Nathanial vows obedience; the demon claims him.
Major Settings
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The Dreadlands (North)
Ash-choked ruins under star-cold skies, far from the “Sea of Light.” Nathanial broods in a collapsing cabin until the Soulstone arrives—a spark in a dead land.
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The Jaded Eye (Tavern)
A den for the world’s worst instincts; dimmer than night inside, all stale breath and unsheathed steel. Questions about Rumkow ignite a brutal brawl.
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The Shivering Treetops (Forest)
A wind-tormented wood that trembles like a living thing; cradle of Nathanial’s darkest hunts as he meditates, ambushes, and tortures to pry out the name Ivgorod.
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Ivgorod & the Sharval Wilds (South)
On the edge of Nathanial’s homeland, where time seems untouched. Rumkow’s modest house by a small lake offers domestic warmth that needles Nathanial’s envy.
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Rumkow’s Cellar/Laboratory
A lamp-lit undercroft of books and instruments where truths are spoken plainly: the Soulstone’s seal, the risk of anchoring Evil, and the fatal choice that births Lord Venatis.