Almost 200 years ago, when the land that was to become Nirmathas was still a vassal of the empire of Cheliax, the northern reaches of the Fangwood were a wild and untamed place. The crusades that laid low the Whispering Tyrant to the north were a distant memory, and those who remained were intent upon keeping the orcs of Belkzen and the remaining undead from Ustalav in check. As a result, the great forest was full of danger, from marauding orcs to deadly predators, making it unsafe for merchants hoping to trade with the growing community of Skelt in the foothills of the Mindspin Mountains to the west. But there were some keen on wrestling with this danger.
Ekat Kassen was once such person: a crusader and fortune seeker who came to serve Lastwall in the year 4515 AR . While he fought with distinction, he soon realized that he wanted more from life and left the Lastwall military to find his fortune elsewhere. His travels took him all over the region around Lake Encarthan, and he decided to settle down in 4522 (after a very profitable adventure). Using a sizable portion of his fortune, he set out to tame a small area of the Fangwood on the banks of the Tourondel River. The location made it a natural stopover for those traveling up and down the river to Skelt. For the next 10 years, the town, which was then known as Kassen’s Hold, grew and prospered.
But that all changed when a group of ruthless mercenaries began attacking the town. After 2 months of relentless raids, the townsfolk managed to locate the mercenary camp in an ancient crypt deep in the forest. Ekat himself led the expedition to end the mercenary threat once and for all. The battle was terribly bloody, with only a few townsfolk coming back to tell the tale. In the end, Ekat suffered a mortal wound. He died 2 days later, on the 11th day of Neth, 4535. In honor of their beloved founder, the townsfolk buried Kassen in the ancient crypt, interring his bones in a place of honor, along with the townsfolk that lost their lives in the bitter struggle. They placed an eternal flame above Kassen’s final resting place, so that all who visited might find warmth in the wilderness.
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This is the story that you have heard growing up. Every year, the mayor tells it with solemn pomp and circumstance. And most years, the mayor leads an honor guard of important townspeople to the crypt to light a lantern from the Everflame and bring it back to town. It is preserved all winter, a symbol of the town's resilience.
It has been four years since the mayor last decided to send a group of young heroes to the crypt. You may have even known one or two of them. Last year, the mayor's dignitaries included Colbin Vetnar (the woodcutter guildmaster), Holgast (an old sage who lives in a tower at the edge of town), Arnama Lastrid (a skilled ranger with experience fighting Molthune), and Olmira Treesong (an eccentric druid even by druidic standards).
Today is the 3rd of Neth in the year 4709 AR, one day before the 174th anniversary of the day that Ekat Kassen and his men set out from town to protect their brethren from the dread mercenary threat. The winter winds are beginning to blow. This is your year--you know it is. You're just waiting for the official invitation.