Among the world of men, the looming specter of death hangs over each person. Be they farmers, soldiers, beggers or kings they all face their own mortality. Many accept it while others go out of their way to cheat it, fearful of it, seeking immortality to avoid death. Yet often the price of such is high, if it even works at all. For as many seach for a means, very few succeed.

 

The Kingdom of Nayara stands as the largest city upon the continent of Noctilum. Beyond the plowed farmlands sit dense forests with large trees that shade most everything beneath them. The city docks sit upon the massive Andor Lake which connects directly to the Sunless Sea. Noctilum is considered a dreary place; frequent rain and fog blanket much of the continent with sunlight coming just often enough to allow crops to be grown. Its people are somber and serious, likely a result of the environment they live in.

 

While other human civilizations bury or burn their dead, Nayaran people are different. At the center of the city stands a grand temple made from obsidian and dense stone, the Grand Necropolis. Sitting upon a nexus of dark magic and extensive catacombs that spiderweb beneath the city and through the temple above ground, it is the ominous symbol of the fate of the Nayaran people. Upon a persons death, the Clerics take the deceased to the Necropolis where is it preserved in a secret ritual before being placed into the next available space in the catacombs.

 

The Grand Necropolis has been overseen by the Morden family for centuries, likely since the founding of the Kingdom long ago. The position of Caretaker, who oversees the rituals and commands the Clerics, is passed from Father to eldest son.

 

At a young age, many could tell there was something off about her. Other children claimed she was scary while adults avoided her. Much of her time was spent in the Necropolis, exploring the passageways and speaking to the bodies that sat tucked away in its depths. She managed to find a hidden passage that was barely big enough for a child to fit through and within was an unused room with a book seated upon a stone pedestal. Upon the old pages were rituals and incantations long forgotten; dark magic considered taboo at best and illegal at worst. Her curiosity got the best of her.

 

She spent nearly each night she could hidden away in the secret room, studying the tome by the flickers of candle light. The old tome contained the secrets of mastery over life and death; everything from spells that ripped the life force from a living being, to rituals that turned the dead into obedient servants. As she grew older, her passion and dedication was noticed by the Raven Queen, Goddess of Life and Death. In need of a new Black Priestess, the Raven Queen appeared to Katrina and offered her the position, sharing with her the spell that would be required to extend her life; a ritual that would extract her own soul and would require a sacrifice.

 

Katrina decided on a subject rather quickly. The King was currently reaching the end of his life. Since the Morden family had always worked closely with the King, it wasn't difficult to gain access to the castle. She befriended and eventually seduced the King's only heir, Princess Camilla, convincing her to let Katrina see to his passing. Taking him to a specially prepared room in the Necropolis in secret, she performed the ritual as instructed and sealed her soul away in a special container, hiding it away in the depths of the catacombs.

 

With the King declared deceased, Camilla was crowned Queen. However not long after, a plague swept through the country claiming dozens, if not hundreds. Queen Camilla was among them. With no true heir, the by-laws of the land stated that, in such an event, the task of rule would fall onto the Consort. In this case, that was Katrina, and she was crowed Queen.

 

However, as the years dragged on and Katrina appeared not to age, many became suspicious. It didn't take much longer for the people or foreign powers to realize what was going on. The Nayaran people were less concerned over it as Katrina proved to be a strong and influential leader. Outsiders, however, treated her with mistrust at best and outright hostility at worst. Some even attempted to depose her through military action.

 

They quickly found out though that it is difficult to attack a ruler who's army refuses to stay dead.