"Bloodline"
by Silverking

Many years ago, before the great disaster in Thalos, there lived a King named Theton. He was a great and powerful king, skilled in the ways of sorcery. His kingdom was thriving and soon he desired to expand his kingdom. He gathered the most skilled masters of the guilds of Thalos and set off east and soon found himself at a great sea. Using his potent magic he gave his party the ability to walk on water as one would walk on ground so they could search without need of a boat.

They searched the sea for several days before they happened upon a lush, green island full of various plants and animals they had never seen before. As they explored, Theton became separated from the party and found himself in a very large cavern that was completely empty save for a small silver spring in the center. Having walked all day, Theton filled his stomach with the sweet water, and drank until he could drink no more. Instantly a strange feeling overcame him and he began to feel sick. His skin grew hard and cold, while his stomach began to grow very warm.

Hearing of such things from the oldest and wisest of his order, he realized what was happening, and cast a powerful charm of his own making on himself so one day, he may be saved. Afterwards, one thought entered his mind, “I must warn the others!”

As he ran to the surface of the island, he found his parting nearby. Seeing him, they began to run, but when he called out to them; they stopped, and realized who it was. Knowing he didn’t have much time, he told them the following, “You must never come here again. For if you do, I will destroy you. Only one of my blood will be able to tame me, so please, protect my family at all costs. Now, RUN!”

The party did as they were told and returned to Thalos without further incident. Once the party was gone the transformation completed. A great and powerful dragon came of him, and due to the nature of the dragon, Theton himself began to change into something evil and crazed. Nearing the end of his sanity, he renamed himself Antitheton, because he was now the exact opposite of who he once was, and what he once stood for. Soon, memories of his former life passed from him and the true Theton was no more. He destroyed the island and the spring with fire from his mouth. The island, once green and lush, became dry and barren.

The remainder of the party told the story of Theton and guarded his bloodline until their deaths. Each master of the guild from then until now knows of the bloodline and helps to protect it to this very day in the hopes of one day reclaiming one of their own. The facts of the story nearly passed into legend until a man by the name of Celfivl Prantroc set off for an expedition to the island to find out why the island was so feared. He brought with him a young squire, Marcus Nonihlor who apart from very young, was also very brave and courageous.

His mother had always told Marcus that he came from an ancient royal bloodline, which is even older than the Sultan’s bloodline. So old, that it goes back to the likes of Old Thalos before the disaster and to Theton himself.

So, the guild masters of the guilds had done their jobs. They had protected the bloodline for thousands of years through the destruction of Thalos and the building of New Thalos. Now, Marcus stands on the brink of meeting an ancient ancestor face to face. Only the gods know what will happen next.