Long before the current kingdoms of Stridhgrad existed, there were the Old Kingdoms.

Where the Cliffs of Hollmund currently exist was the castle of King Rikar. His kingdom reached from the southeast coast to the Gulf of Forn, and to the Kaldbak Mountains, and west as far as the Cliffs of Greyma. It was the greatest kingdom in all the land. Rikar was born to wield magic. The greatest mage in all the land. Renowned in battle and wisdom. One day a traveler came, a certain merchant. Master Huxian Rena he called himself, a traveling merchant. It was winter and cold and so the chamberlain saw fit to let him stay in the stables. He asked for food but was told the King refused to give him any. 

Before he left the following day, he told the chamberlain he had a gift for the king to thank him for letting him stay. A polished chalice, that when filled with red wine would allow the bearer to drink and see in the cups reflection into the future. Whether whole or part he could not say. Burnished gold and chased with designs that seemed otherworldly, Rikar was happy to accept it and to drink from it.

 The king became obsessed, drinking from it every day, and then later with every meal. The chamberlain cursed the day he gave the king that damned chalice.

The king was beset by nightmares and eventually became angry all the time.

He had his wife and children killed and had barrows created for them in front of the castle grounds. He claimed he saw their future and death was better. Soon he had others killed. More mounds were made. Generals in his army, advisors, simple stable hands. The chalice also filled him with dark power and madness. Soon there were many mounds, more appeared each week until at last King Rikar had seen himself defeated in battle and his castle overran. He had a barrow made for himself, with a carved door of ornate stone, a vault with an effigy of himself he had also instructed the masons to make. Swords of splendor he insisted his blacksmiths to forge. These he had lined on the inside of the barrow. He left the castle the day after his barrow was complete with two personal attendants and had the guards lock the gate behind him.

And there on that fateful day, he cast the greatest spell of his life, rending the ground around the castle and sending it to the sea with all who were in it. The earth shook, and sheared, it all fell, creating great cliffs.

King Rikar turned to his attendants and bade them walk him to his barrow, he wished to die.

“Nay,” exclaimed a voice from behind the king. And there walked Huxian Rena. “You will not die but you will be hungry, you will thirst and not be sated, your flesh will rot but you will live on. For when I asked food of thee, O king, I was refused. A place to stay with the horses I was given. Lo, you shall have a place to stay and nothing more.”

He stood tall and straight and with hand on heart, he did bow before King Rikar. “Huxian Rena.”

He came upright with his arms outstretched and smiled. A wicked grin, skullish and dark. 

“Be gone,” he screamed and struck the attendants with great fear and they did flee. 

But the king still stood, though his face now filled with dread and his eyes weary. 

“Come, good Rikar, let us see to your rest.” He touched the king on the chest and Rikar cried out as black smoke rose from Huxian’s hand and arm. King Rikar was then subdued and had no mind to oppose Huxian and followed him into the barrow where Huxian laid him in the tomb and sealed the effigy over him whispering as he did. 

“Only with the souls of nine shall you be able to summon me, O king, but you cannot leave your barrow,” Huxian laughed, left the barrow and sealed the door. 

Minutes turned to hours, hours to days and days to weeks, weeks to months. 

King Rikar’s madness increased as he hungered and thirsted and was never sated. His flesh rotted slowly in the tomb. His madness turned to rage as he learned his spirit was confined to the barrow. His magic he kept and his malic grew and there was no one to receive his hate for Huxian never returned. His only physical form now is that of mist. The barrows are his kingdom. All that he loved is gone and it is his fault. 

To this day the area is called Cliffs of Hollmund. No one ventures to the Mounds of Nar where the barrows are. They are haunted.

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