Journal Entry 2 - 19th of Ehrub's Grace, 127ALD

It has been two days since I have last written in this journal.

Two days, and yet much has happened in those two days.

Because yesterday, two unexpected events has made me think of the past. A past that is of happiness and joy - and full of regrets and sorrow.

And yet, even now my past mocks me, because of these two events. One event worthy of celebration, and another event that made my past mistakes haunt me worse.

The cause for celebration? My great-nephew, Randall has advanced to Knight. Only 16 years old and already a fully-fledged Knight, reaching Level 21 in the Knight Class in four years. He had even surpassed me. I was 17 when I become a fully-fledged Warblade. I held the title for the youngest person to ever achieve a full-fledged Class rank, a title I held for a hundred and ten years. And now I lost that title to my great-nephew. An achievement that is very hard to surpass, especially in these dark times.

It was well into the second hour of the celebration when I received news that caused deep sorrow - and regret.

Aisnol, 8th Rank Lord of the Glade, has passed away. His help was instrumental in in the creation of the safe havens. A druidic ritual of his creation allowed us to tie the mana founts to the havens, powering the shields that protect them. He devised rituals that enriched the lands. It allowed us to feed four times than what the fields could truly provide. It allowed us breathe clean air, even in this miasma-riddled world. His druidic magic allowed supply caravans to travel between safe havens. It also allowed our scouts to scour the miasma-filled wastes, seeking for what remaining magical things that can be found.

And now he's dead. One of the very few friends I have left. One of the very few people who had never judged me. One of the very few people that I can count on. One of the few remaining people that have seen the destruction of the last dungeon.

If only I had listened to him. If I only had heeded his warnings. Then Lizzet would have lived to see her son become a formal Knight. Merrem should have become a Tenth-Circle Magus. Randall would made a fine prince. Or he may not have existed at all.

And maybe we won't be living in this cruel, condemned world of my own making.

But how many times I regret it, the past is past. It can never be changed. Even the Gods cannot change the past.

Ah yes, where was I? You, dear reader might be thinking, "What is the connection between dungeons and the dooming the world to its end?" Before I answer that question, allow me to explain a few things to you. So may learn and understand, that everything has purpose.

First, you must learn what Nether is.

Nether. A simple word. Yet, this word bring fear, dread and despair to anyone who hears it. Especially now that the entire world - except for a few shielded havens and remaining mana springs - is covered, nay, saturated with it.

Nether is corrupted mana, a simple but terrifying concept. Nether corrodes and corrupts everything it touches. Nether only brings death and destruction to anyone.

When concentrated in an area, it brings forth corrupted beasts, monsters and Nether Beings - creatures made entirely of Nether. Rampaging creatures that only seek to devour and corrupt everything.

And when used by anyone, even for something simple such as casting a spell, it corrupts the user. The more Nether used, the more corrupted the user become. And use it more they will; the power granted by Nether is highly addictive. It also corrodes the user's self-identity, luring the user to use the Nether more and more. Enslaving them to the power granted by the Nether, turning them into nothing more than monsters, their only thoughts focused in consuming more and more Nether. Turning them into highly destructive Nether Bombs or worse... evolve into a Dark One.

And how does Nether comes into being? As I have written earlier, Nether is corrupted mana. But how can mana be corrupted and turn into Nether? Simple - cast a spell, drink a potion, use a skill, enchant an object - any action or activity that uses mana will corrupt it. It's a very process slow, but it builds up over time. And more than a hundred years of wanton, indiscriminate use of mana has corrupted almost all of the mana in the world. Even several mana founts have been corrupted, turning into Nether founts, releasing even more Nether to the world.

And what do dungeons have to do with all of this? Dungeons absorbs the Nether around them, absorbing the corruption into itself, and release the pure mana back to the world. Or turn the pure mana into ores both mundane and rare, materials, ingredients and reagents for alchemy, enchantments and other types of crafting. Magical items and artifacts that even the most powerful beings covet. Even rare skill books and stat crystals that can permanently increase a person's attributes. All of them and more can be found in dungeons.

And monsters? Monsters are believed to be made of condensed corruption, with little bit of mana to give it form. By slaying them, scholars believe this allows the corruption to dissipate into nothingness, reducing the amount of corruption that exists in the world. If there is less corruption, there is less Nether.

And this is why dungeons are so important to the world, especially for those that live in it. Without dungeons, nothing will absorb Nether and turn it back to pure mana. Without mana, there is no more magic. No more ores, materials, ingredients and reagents. No more magical items and artifacts. No more rare skill books and stat crystals.

We have almost used up all magical resources in the world. Without the dungeons to purify and release mana, more and more Nether accumulates. Only a few mana founts remain, powering the shields that protect the few remaining safe havens from the encroaching Nether miasma, powerful Nether storms, corrupted beasts and Nether Beings that lurk within the raging currents of the Nether miasma.

Slowly but surely we are losing to the Nether. Lives are lost to supplies caravans sent out to and from other havens. Some are lost to scout parties sent out to find any remaining untouched magical resources, especially mana founts or even a dungeon itself. Very few children are born, the number of birth decreasing even more every year. And many more lives are lost when a haven is destroyed. Carnia Overlook. Ellistrem Barrows. Havesh Citadel. We lost almost 20 thousand people when their shields gave out, allowing monsters to rampage in the havens, killing almost everyone. More are lost when the survivors have to go to the closest safe haven, losing them to the Nether miasma and the monsters and beings that lurk in its currents.

So I can only that hope we find a dungeon. Because it will be the only way that we can save the world. Or at least we can save what remains of the living.

And it has been 126 years since a dungeon existed in Ehritrinia.