Among the pages of history, it was said...
In the year 199 after the Great Eclipse, Krogal bin Ekstralov emerged as a symbol of strength and courage. He was hailed as a hero in the continent of Ogzalurg, earning the title "Knight of the Sun." This title was well-deserved due to his remarkable achievement, which won the hearts of the continent's people. Following a bitter five-year struggle against Claridis, Lord of Darkness, Krogal came to embody, in their eyes, the sun that dispelled the terrifying darkness. He emerged victorious after his confrontation with Claridis, but this triumph did not mark the end of his journey. Krogal, who had lived a life filled with battles and the relentless pursuit of absolute freedom, decided to dedicate the remainder of his days to building a legacy that would endure beyond him.
From the final words of the Lord of Darkness, Krogal realized that this battle might only be the beginning, and that his return could be near or distant. Thus, the idea of building a family capable of achieving what he might not be able to accomplish in the future and standing against the Lord of Darkness each time he returns was born.
As for Krogal's childhood, it was filled with rebellion and a relentless pursuit of freedom.
His mind was consumed only with things that might restrict his liberty. He was selfish, unconcerned with the consequences of his actions, and did whatever he found enjoyable, nothing more. However, upon reaching the age of twenty-five, his life took a profound turn when he faced the Lord of Darkness, Claridis, a being of extraordinary and unnatural power.
This confrontation had a profound impact on him, igniting a sense of responsibility he had never felt before. Krogal transformed from a young man seeking battles and the fulfillment of his desires into a mature individual committed to protecting the world and aiding the vulnerable. He transitioned from a reckless personality to one marked by wisdom and clear vision, becoming a true leader. History would remember his transformation as a model worthy of study and emulation.
In the year 200 after the Great Eclipse, the Kasterlok family was established as a manifestation of Krogal's vision for a future where the world would thrive thanks to this lineage. But before that, he spent two years governing the continent of Ogzalorg to restore order after years of conflict. With stability achieved, he returned to his homeland in the continent of "Forgaden," where he settled in the city of "Lor Sami," north of the capital "Vlarik." This city, surrounded by expansive plains like many other densely populated cities, was distinct from the villages that lay nestled in or near the mountains. Lor Sami, renowned for its trade activity via the Stellar Sea and the Calm Sea, became the launching point for Krogal's new vision.
There, Krogal married a girl he knew named "Miara Katoria," whom he first met at the age of seventeen in a small tavern on the outskirts of the city. At the time, she refused to serve him beer because he was underage, and as the years passed, their relationship became more harmonious. She was the only one Krogal couldn't free himself from—the bond she placed on his heart that she had stolen.
His marriage wasn't limited to her; he also married four other women. Two of them gave birth to three children (three boys, one of whom passed away, and three girls, two of whom passed away). The other two each gave birth to one girl. As for his first love (Krogal's first passion), she bore him one child—his eldest son "Orman," totaling nine children. Six of them lived, while three died—three boys and three girls. This is what Krogal gained from his multiple marriages. From here, Krogal's lineage began to thrive under the name "kasterlok."
After thirty years, Krogal bin Ekstralov, the founder of the kasterlok family, passed away in the year 232 after the Great Eclipse at the age of fifty-six. During this time, Krogal managed to establish control over areas formerly ruled by mercenaries and assassins. However, his most significant contribution was the creation of a special position held by one individual from the Casterloc family—"The Varadis." This title, chosen by Krogal, is reserved for the individual tasked with confronting the Dark Lord Claridis, and it remains exclusive to the descendants of kasterlok.
Krogal's death was caused by poison treacherously administered by one of the assassins, leaving him bedridden for five years before he passed away. Historical records state that Krogal held several titles during his life, but the most famous among them were {The Knight of the Sun, The Challenger, The Bold Voyager}.
After Krogal's death, leadership of the family was assumed by his oldest son from his first wife, "Orman kasterlok," who was thirty-one years old at the time and was nicknamed [Orman the Wise]. He led the family to glory and fame over twenty years, to the point where the kasterlok family became renowned and recognized by all rulers across the four continents. Having accomplished much, Orman then focused on the primary goal upon which the family was founded: opposing the threat of the Lord of darkness Claridis. Consequently, he set off on a journey, leaving the leadership of the kasterlok family to his nephew, "Ragar kasterlok." Orman then moved to the continent of Ogzalorg with his wife and only son, "Rawen kasterlok," who was just fifteen years old at the time. This occurred in the year 252 after the Great Eclipse, with the purpose of being closer to the location to prevent its spread.
He lived there for thirty years until he became an old, frail man, unable to support himself. His wife, "Royana Lorkiz," passed away due to an attack by a raging bear. For someone like Orman, such an event left him in shock, even though he regarded it as just an accident. Thus, he relied on his only remaining child, "Rawen Kasterlok," the first Varadis, who at that time was forty-five years old. The year then was 282 after the Great Eclipse, and in that year, the Lord of darkness Claridis returned again . The "Black Walkers," followers of the Lord of darkness were spotted in the northern continent, specifically in the "Screaming Valley." Rawen Kasterlok gathered as many soldiers and allies as he could and marched towards the northern continent. The distance was not too far, as he already lived close to the location.
When he arrived, the Lord of darkness appeared in a ghostly, featureless form, but his humanoid embodiment was the same. Before him stood a vast crowd of Black Walkers and the Marked.
[Black Walkers: These are creatures that slightly resemble humans but are completely deformed. They lack any definitive shape, yet their skin is incredibly tough, penetrable only by a sword made of high-quality metal. As the name implies, their color is black.]
[The Marked: In appearance, they are human, but they act under Claradis' will. They're akin to zombies, but far more interactive and intelligent. They are called "The Marked" due to the random black patches on their skin and their completely white eyes.]
Unlike his grandfather, Rawen required twice the effort Krogal exerted to defeat the Lord of darkness Claridis for the first time eighty-four years . It could be said that age played a role, as well as the exhaustion from fighting many of Claridis's hordes before facing Claridis himself. Rawen's side was already losing. Nevertheless, Rawen's will mirrored that of his grandfather, Krogal, and with it, he managed to defeat the Lord of darkness and bring him down once again, even when he thought he would lose. In any case, Rawen tried to hear what the Lord had to say, but this time, Claridis simply gave a broad smile, one that sent chills down to the core, before dissipating once again, as had happened in the past with Krogal.
Rawen lost all his allies in this battle, and he also received news of his father's passing due to illness. During the battle, after everything, Rawen fell to the ground like a soulless body, remaining without any will to persevere or hold onto life. Thus, another member of the Kasterlok family passed away, fulfilling his duty. Unlike the other descendants, Rawen did not receive a distinguished title or any recognition for what he had done. Consequently, history remembers him as "Rawen the Forgotten," known for nothing except defeating the Lord of Darkness, Claridis, as his grandfather Krogal had done before him.
Returning to the year 252 after the Great Eclipse, specifically after Orman Kasterlok relinquished his position as head of the family, leadership fell to "Ragar Kasterlok," nephew of "Orman Kasterlok." Ragar, son of "Roli Kasterlok," was already seventeen years old at the time, and there was no prominent figure to carry the family's name. This was because his father, Roli, had died under mysterious circumstances, and his uncle, Edar, had left the family as well. Thus, Ragar assumed leadership despite his young age. Ragar followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Krogal, marrying approximately nine women by the age of twenty alone. His intention was to ensure the birth of a significant number of male heirs to guarantee that succession would remain in the hands of a male.
Although Krogal, at the beginning of the family's establishment, did not object to a woman leading the family, it was on the condition that she would remain unmarried. If she married, her children would not inherit the leadership seat of the family. Ragar hated this concept, as he perceived women merely as tools for childbearing and service provision. Consequently, Ragar became infamous with the title of "The Failed Leader," as he contributed nothing to the family, spending his time drinking, using women for pleasure, and squandering money foolishly. In the year 286 after the Great Eclipse, Ragar was found lying dead on the floor of his room. According to accounts, one of his concubines had poisoned him before fleeing. This became the official story from that point onward, and Ragar was forty-nine years old at the time.
In the same year, 286 after the Great Eclipse, one of Ragar's sons, known as "Krogav Kasterlok," assumed leadership of the family. Krogav was the only male child that Ragar had. Thus, Ragar had assigned leadership to him ten years before his death. However, Krogav had a visibly weak physique, even weaker than his sisters. As a result, his demise came sooner than others; he was trampled by a group of horses while out hunting with the family's hunters. In historical records, Krogav was nicknamed "The Bud," highlighting his youth and fragility. He led the family for only four months following his father's death and passed away in the same year, 286 after the Great Eclipse.
Then, in the year 287 after the Great Eclipse, for the first time in the family's history, leadership was assumed by a woman—one of Ragar's daughters, known as "Soumia Kasterlok." At the age of twenty-six, Soumia was the eldest of Ragar's offspring. She was selected after a vote among the men affiliated with the family, both internal and external. Soumia lived as a hunter, often venturing out with the hunters and frequently returning with a rabbit or, on occasion, deer from the forests. She knew little about managing family affairs, but she eventually decided to act by earning the favor and support of other families.
She married off her sisters to well-known families to establish strong and beneficial long-term relationships. Even though her actions with her sisters were irrational, resembling those of her father, she was entirely different. She was somewhat naive and believed that these actions would elevate the family's status and grant her sisters new experiences.
Soumia led the family for only two years before feeling exhausted with everything—reading, paperwork, and administrative tasks. She longed for action and enthusiasm. Thus, she began searching for any family member, whether male or female, to take over the leadership so she could return to her active and energetic life. At that point, her younger sister from the same father, one year her junior, "Chloya Kasterlok," who was twenty-seven years old, was appointed. After passing leadership on to someone else, Soumia returned to the life she had always loved, full of hunting and wandering without restrictions.
Soumia passed away seven years later at the hands of mercenaries who ambushed her during a routine hunting trip. This occurred in the year 296 after the Great Eclipse. Soumia was mentioned in historical records by the title "The Reckless," as she was known for decisions that always caused her problems. Yet, everyone agreed on one thing—she was incredibly kind.
In the year 289 after the Great Eclipse, leadership of the family was transferred from "Soumia Kasterlok" to "Chloya Kasterlok," based on Soumia's decision. Chloya, unlike her sister, worked with great diligence and relentless effort to elevate the family's name, and she succeeded. The Kasterlok family became the fourth richest family on the continent. Furthermore, she contributed to the restoration and support of villages under the jurisdiction of the Kasterlok family and corrected her father's mistakes by paying debts and fulfilling promises that had been mere empty words to Ragar, who had accomplished nothing. She even considered herself to have descended from someone who was a disgrace to the family.
Chloya never married, choosing to serve the family instead of pursuing personal desires. Despite her sternness, she possessed a soft and kind side. For this reason, she was referred to in historical records as [The Jewel].
Chloya passed away ten years after her sister Soumia, due to severe exhaustion. She did not live beyond the age of forty-four. However, two years before her death, she began searching the family records, hoping to find anyone with original family blood to entrust with leadership.
Indeed… "Geris Kasterlok," a young man of twenty years old, was found. He descended from the lineage of her uncle, "Edar Kasterlok," who had left the family, just as his elder brother "Orman the Wise" had done. After many attempts to convince him, Geris agreed to lead the family on the condition that all its possessions would be under his control. Thus ended the era of Chloya, the only woman who led the family in the best possible way. This was in the year 306 after the Great Eclipse.
Geris Kasterlok, born in the year 286 after the Great Eclipse, lived his life in a village far from the horrors of the city and the responsibilities of the family.
This goes back to the day when "Edar Kasterlok" left the family palace in search of peace, away from family troubles. For this reason, he is remembered in historical records with the title "The Peaceful." Edar married a girl from the same village where he chose to settle and lived with her until his death in the year 288 after the Great Eclipse.
Edar had only one son, named "Leo Kasterlok." Leo married at a very young age—at just fifteen years old—to a girl two years older than him. Leo fathered a son and a daughter, "Geris Kasterlok" and "Emma Kasterlok."
Unlike the rest of the family, Geris is the only one for whom the age gap with his father was merely fifteen years. This was something that happened frequently outside the family but occurred for the first time within it, as the Kasterlok family traditionally required its male members to marry at the age of eighteen or nineteen and to have children by the age of twenty, a rule established by the family's founder, "Krogal."
Geris agreed to Chloya's offer, becoming the leader of the family. The most prominent thing he contributed during his tenure was stability—neither did the family lose anything or gain anything. It remained as it was for fifty years, focusing solely on trade, reconstruction, and aid, nothing more.
Geris passed away due to an illness in his stomach, in the year 356 after the Great Eclipse.
The seventy-four years that had elapsed since the last appearance of the Lord of darkness Claridis were unsettlingly peaceful, until he re-emerged in the continent of Ogzalorg. However, the Kasterlok family, which had succumbed to inactivity and extreme negligence during that period, was utterly unprepared for any confrontation. No new "Varadis" was chosen for this mission, as the last Varadis had been "Rawen Kasterlok." This prolonged state of dormancy had severely affected the family members, not to mention the temptations that had misled them away from the family's primary purpose. As a result, signs of a major crisis began to threaten the family's fate, and the destiny of the continent and The world is under threat again.