Sammy was an explorer who found a cursed Stele. His soul bonded with a warrior necroking, and together they have begun building an army to recover stolen artifacts from the necroking's barrow.

Samhain Friedwald was born into a peasant family in Erathia. His mother was a huntmaster for Lord Haart, and his father ran one of the largest farms. He grew up learning secondhand history in the noble’s house, accompanying his mother on her duties, and learning to manage others. These teachings were swiftly cast aside when a massive horde of Bestigors swept in on a Walpurgisnacht, torching the farms and buildings, and slaying most of the population. Samhain traveled with the family to the grounds of their distant relatives, until they could retake their lands. By the time he reached adulthood, Samhain was leading a crew of his own. He traveled to new lands, sought out ancient ruins, and would bring back whatever artifacts he could to his rich benefactors. It was these adventures that brought him on Expedition to Lake Bykaal.

 

Within the Bykaal Stormvault, he found an ancient spear laying atop a Cartouche. On touching it, he found himself in confrontation with the aeons dead warlord Antarhak of the lost kingdom of Zandri. The warlord’s specter rushed from the cartouche, plunging its hand through Samhain’s heart. Samhain’s body collapsed to the ground, his flesh burning off while his soul drifted, dumbfounded, above it. Antarhak swore to restore Samhain to life, if Samhain restored the warlord’s lost property. On agreeing, Samhain’s soul bounded with the warlord, and the ancient skeleton similarly fused with Samhain’s.

 

The centuries had not been kind to Zandri, and little was left of what had once been the jewel of an ancient civilization. Samhain traveled the lands, slowly building a sizeable force on his path to glory. With each artifact recovered he came closer to regaining life, but at the same time grew to treasure the power he had obtained so far. He has gained mastery over soul magic, and can bind souls into bodies of bone. Samhain’s path to glory has been brutal, and the influence of that forgotten warlord shows itself ever more. He occasionally slips into archaic speech patterns, will refer to events he had never lived, and shows a mastery of tactics which he had never learned.

 

Eventually, Samhain learned that the remaining artifacts he sought to find had been scattered across the lost archipelago. Marshaling those willing to come with him, he set forth into the new lands to finish his quest.

 

Homland

 

Zandri was a coastal city at the end of a massive river. It was built in a long-past age, and it is said that writing was (re)invented here. The City itself is built amidst a delta, and great canals go through the city. Growing wealthy off of trade, the city was known for its shipwrights and boats, and it was said that all waters flow to Zandri. From this wealth was born a great culture, but from that culture was born a great arrogance. The ruler of Zandri eventually became known as the Divine Ruler, who was said to bear their sacred charge at the will of the Gods.

 

These Gods were all based on natural phenomena and often were opposed pairs, each a consort to the other. The Sun and Moon were a divine pair, the goddess of the Sun bringing light and warmth, the God of the Moon bringing the ability to travel at night, and inspiring the people. The goddess of the Sea was linked with the god of the Sky, and so on. However, the high pair was the Goddess of Life and the God of Death. Of the two, the God of Death was considered the more powerful, for no matter the Life, Death waited eternal. The names of these deities were lost with the fall of Zandri, but the God of Death was thought to be an incarnation of Nagash, though others claimed it to be an independent deity consumed by Nagash.

 

The Zandrian lifestyle was largely reliant on trade, the people themselves fishing extensively, and using advanced infrastructures for the creation of woven fabrics and more. The people were largely unconcerned with the attack, for by the peak of Zandri’s power it had been many generations since the folks had known war on their doorsteps. Instead, the army pushed the borders ever further.

 

In the final generation, Zandri began to use undead warriors as their army’s frontline forces. This led to a unified force attacking the Zandrians, and sacking the city while the army was away. The city was eventually lost to the sea.

 

Organization

 
The Hallowed Legion