The Frostfall Barrows

The Catacombs of Voltarion Island by Alexander Alexandrov

"Never have i seen an artificial place as large and gigantic as this. The Cavernous tunnels go on for eternities, with no end in sight and we have discovered thousands of bodies already, despite us having barely explored a tenth of this place. It is truly a testament to the wonders the Ancients were able to create"
Researcher Christian Lundgren, writing about the Frostfall Barrows in his diary.

The Frostfall Barrows are perhaps the most fascinating landmark in the entirety of Voltarion Island. Being a gigantic burial complex created by the ancient race that used to inhabit the island eons ago, it has attracted archaeologists and researchers from all over Elladia due to the many wonders it contains.
The Barrows contain numerous wonders of the Ancients. From ancient sacrophagi to technologically advanced mechanisms and runic scriptures, there is indeed a lot to learn about this ancient race, and researchers are to this day studying them, baffled by how beautiful and majestic the structures and architecture are. This place is something that every Elladian must visit in their lifetimes if they truly want to know more about the ancient race that dominated this world once.
The recent times have not been good for the people involved in the barrow exploration and research teams however. Besides hearing mysterious and sinister voices inside their head as well as having nightmares, some expeditioners report seeing strange and terrifying creatures in the dark. Most of the others had dismissed their concenrs as bogus until they too began experiencing the symptoms of the corruption.
Worst of all, some expedition members have been discovered brutally murdered in the most nightmarish of ways, perhaps as a sacrifice to the twisted deity that may be whispering into their minds. And some even have started to hear massive, tremor like rumbles coming from deep withing the caves, as if something is awakening.
The members of the expedition must keep their unity together and fight through the nightmares that befall on them. They will be fighting an enemy that is completely alien, and which does not tire even the slightest bit. They shall have to uncover the secrets hidden deep inside the barrows, which may be crucial to defeating the beast that is about to rise.
For it is something that will rival even the Gods themselves in power.

Life for an expeditioner in the barrows

For an expeditioner, life in the barrows is often a hard but also a very interesting and amazing experience. They are at the forefront of something historic, one which is unearthing the remains of a civilization that would make the rest of Elladia look like humanoids who had just discovered fire. The soldiers mostly enjoy their time too, and often play games and pranks whilst on duty, which serves as a great way to relieve stress. The day for everyone begins later than most expedition members who often awake before dawn. The barrow expeditioner members are expected to assemble at a certain place where they have a roll call and everyones grouo is assigned specific tasks to do and note down any events or things of importance in their journals. The soldiers usually have tasks of guarding the science division members whilst they carry out their duties. They are also expected to help in some light scale infrastructure development here and there, so as to make the exploration of the barrows safer and more efficient.
At their lunch break, the members of the expedition often discuss their findings and some take a short nap before the next part of their shift. At the end of the day, most soldiers report to their superiors about the days events and anything of note, whilst science division members conduct further experiments and research on what they have already discovered, including those for that day. Afterwards, people of all walks from the expedition gather for dinner before going to bed, except for those on the night shift duty.

The Shrines of the Gods

"Today, we discovered what seemed to be like a shrine dedicated to the gods of the ancients and to our surprise, it seemed it was a shrine of Thanatos! This is really strange considering that they were most probably not native to Elladia. What was truly interesting however was that there were a few pressure plates strewn around the shrine and when i stepped on them, the shrine itself lit up in a beautiful display of gold and red! I will have to consult more with some of our vampiric friends. Maybe they would be better suited to understand this than us"
A human researcher, talking about the shrine of Thanatos he had discovered in the Barrows

Occasionally, when one is taking a stroll through the barrows, they may come across what seems like a shrine. The shrine has numerous inscriptions on it, and some of the larger ones have drawings too. These shrines are actually ones of Thanatos, the god of death and the supreme deity of the vampires and Nocturna, the goddess of the night and the consort of Thanatos. A very peculiar thing about these shrines is that they are surrounded by a number of pressure plates. When they are stepped upon, the shrine lights up in a beautiful display of golden and black lights.
This has fascinated the researchers very much, and theories abound on the purpose of these lights. The most accepted theory however is that they are part of a funeral ritual of the ancients, as parts of the last rites of their dead. This has found general acceptance amongst most researchers but to this day, debates continue to challenge this theory.

The Barrow Voice

"Its getting stronger now. And more and more sinister. Something tells me that there is something very sinister lurking in these halls"
A human soldier, warning his comrades of the barrow voice taking a toll on his mind.

The barrow voice phenomenon is not just limited to the frostfall barrows. Even when one is not on the island proper, one can still faintly here voices coming from the direction of the barrows. This phenomenon however gets much more amplified the closer one gets to the barrows. These voices are of a much more detailed kind, and talk about the history of the ancients and numerous other topics concerning them. Scientists are keen to note the information provided by them, for they contain much useful information.

Type

Barrow / Burial ground

Parent Location

Voltarion Island