Gates of Abyssion

**Gates of Abyssion** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Tasya and follows the perspective of elvish hunter Nienor.

## Main Arc

### To the Dark Gates

Nienor, an exceptionnal hunter, is shunned by her night elf tribe and tricked into opening a Pandoran Temple containing the Devil's Arm Nibelung, a sharp chakram said to be the masterpiece of the ancient tyrant-king Nebilim. The chakram overpowers her senses and turns her against her former tribe, making her slay those who used her and absorb their Souls in order to gain more power.

Running away from the ruins of her tribe, Nienor is drawn to the dark ruins of the castle where Nebilim once ruled, **Abyssion**. There, she is greeted by Melpomene, one of Nebilim's elite guard of Draugr, superior Undead warriors. Melpomene explains that Nebilim is long since dead but his spirit lingers, allowing the Draugr to survive.

Melpomene, an expert in corruption magic, allows Nienor to survive Nibelung's influence and tells her to defeat Nebilim's legions of undead in order to reach the palace's core where Nebilim is trapped. Doing so, she says, will allow the Draugr to be freed from the cursed chains that bind them there. Nienor, indebted to Melpomene and charmed by her, accepts.

### Breaking the Western Barrier

Nienor explores the palace's garden, filled with wraith-like abominations and several undead warriors. She manages to find another Draugr, Iridia, in the center of the garden. Impressed by Nienor's abilities as well as her courage to survive Nibelung's overpowering Curse, she entrusts her with part of her power and guides her towards a sinister tower.

Slowly draining the undead souls and gain power, Nienor begins to hear Nebilim's voice inside her head, and is surprised to notice that Nibelung and Nebilim hold contrary views : Nebilim is deeply attached to Nienor and his Draugr - although he considers them as masterpieces and not as living beings - while Nibelung only seeks to consume everything. Inside the tower, Nienor begins to understand part of Nebilim's backstory - once a powerful necromancer-king, he was captured and tortured within the tower, and forced to sacrifice his body in order to escape, creating Nibelung in the process. She vows to free him and marches on.

In the palace's chambers, Nienor is ambushed by Draugr Rhuniel who sadistically plays with her, playing a game of hunter and hunted while preventing her from using Nibelung. Nienor ends up confronting Rhuniel in a bare-handed fight and kills Rhuniel, but refuses to absorb her. Due to Rhuniel's undead nature, she resurrects and, impressed by Nienor's willpower and strength, gives her her power as well.

### Breaking the Eastern Barrier

Nienor keeps exploring the palace and finds the throne room where Nebilim's first wife - as well as the first Draugr - Eugenia waits. Eugenia playfully battles Nienor while feeding her with hordes of monsters and undead creatures, before admitting defeat and giving her power to Nienor. She then guides her towards the chapel.

Inside the chapel, Nienor meets the last Draugr : Celestine. A Paladin specialized in undead-hunting who helped capture Nebilim, she was turned inside a Draugr as a reward from Nebilim for her purity and integrity. However, she remains hostile to the dark king and is reluctant at first to help the one who turned her into an undead herself. Nienor manages to talk to her and convince her to give her powers as well.

Finally, in a library, Melpomene herself blesses Nienor with her powers after the two learn of Nebilim's complete story ; once a powerful Titan, he tried to improve on the mortal races only to be rejected as a monster, and in his descent into darkness, waged war on those races, crafting his undead army, Devil's Arms and Draugrs as a display of his power ; but he was eventually defeated and forced to sacrifice his body, hoping for Nibelung to unseal him one day.

### Cursed Ring

Nibelung, however, is infused with Nebilim's hatred for all creation - including himself - and attempts to force Nienor to kill Nebilim himself. The elf, however, manages to break free from the ring's influence long enough to attempt to retrieve Nebilim's body on the top of the tower where he was imprisoned. However, the ring responds by animating the body and taking control of it, fighting a disarmed Nienor.

The five Draugrs then offer their blessings to Nienor, allowing her to survive the assault long enough to deal a finishing blow and shatter the demonic Artifact, then absorbs the soul contained within. Barely surviving, a shard of the Titan's will imbued in her body, she uses her last strength to finally reach the bottom of the castle where the five Draugrs' blessings open the way.

Nebilim is finally resurrected and uses his powers to free the five Draugrs, but chooses to keep them by his side, as well as Nienor. They remain with him as he slowly heals from millenia of imprisonment, preparing himself for a great return.

## Characters

* Nienor
* Melpomene
* Iridia
* Rhuniel
* Eugenia
* Celestine
* Nebilim

## Trivia

* This storyline contains numerous references to **Dark Souls**, **Lord of the Rings**, **Tales of Symphonia** and **Castlevania**.