The rising sun cast long shadows over the jagged hills as Gorak and Drask pressed deeper into the eastern wilds. Their destination: a ruin marked on an ancient blood-stained map—an Orcish temple lost to time. Carved into the foothills of a dying mountain, it was said to house secrets of the Flamehide Warlords, the great ancestors of Gorak's lineage.
The way was treacherous. Twisted trees loomed like petrified sentinels, and the air grew thick with age-old dread. Feral beasts howled in the distance, sensing a disturbance in their domain. Still, Gorak pressed on, his eyes glowing faintly with purpose. Each step felt like walking into the echo of a forgotten era.
"According to the map, the temple should be just beyond this ridge," Gorak said, his voice low.
They crested a rise and found it—partially buried under vines and soil, a ruined temple of obsidian stone. Pillars lay shattered, and the entrance yawned like a beast's maw.
Inside, the air grew cold. Dust thick as cobwebs danced in the flickering light of torches. Ancient murals lined the walls, depicting orcish warlords battling dragons and titans. The further they went, the more the silence grew oppressive. Finally, they entered the main sanctum, where a stone altar stood untouched by time.
As Gorak stepped forward, a strange heat pulsed through him.
[System Alert: Orc-Blood Detected. Lineage Match: Distant Flamehide]
Initiating Trial of the Ancients...
A red glow erupted from the altar. The walls trembled. Symbols lit up across the chamber, and Gorak was pulled into a vision.
He stood amidst a burning battlefield. Before him was Grothmar Flamehide—an ancient orc warlord, his armor made of molten stone, and his axe a burning crescent of flame.
Grothmar fought against overwhelming odds—dragons above, traitorous orc clans below. He roared defiance, flames cascading from his weapon. But treachery won out. A spear from behind ended him. His last breath became prophecy.
"Flame forgotten is flame reborn. Let the true heir awaken the fang."
The vision faded. Gorak gasped, falling to one knee. The altar's weapon—once rusted—now pulsed with ember light. He reached out.
[Artifact Acquired: Flamefang, Axe of Grothmar]
Effects: Ember Slash (Lv. 1), Ancestor's Roar (Lv. 1)Legacy Quest Unlocked: Reforge the Flamehide Lineage
Drask stepped forward, stunned. "That axe... it lives."
Gorak stood, the weapon crackling in his grip. "No. It remembers."
They left the temple changed. A legacy awakened, and a kingdom's foundation forged in flame.