Once upon a time in a world of magic where dreams could come true, and love was the most precious gift of all there lived a kind and brave man named Sebastian Kenmore. And this brave, and kind young man was gifted and blessed with a thousand joys in his life. He was tall, strong, fast, and handsome and it was often said that he carried himself with a grace and dignity that none but a fairy lord could match. His family lived in the shining kingdom of Syng, and being very wealthy it was seen that young Sebastian wanted for not.

His time was spent in the endeavors of sword play for which he had no equal, and when the time came, and he had come to the twenty first summer of his life he was accepted to become one of the Knights of the Ninth Circle of Saime; the guardians of the kingdom of Syng who held honor, kindness, and virtue to be the highest ideals that a mortal could ever aspire to.

Here amongst the Nine Knights of the House of Saime he proved his courage, his honor, and his virtue and despite many hardships that came to pass he was recognized as one of the greatest knights the kingdom had ever known. And this brave knight whose heart was as pure as the fallen snow had long since fallen in love. True love that would last until the end of time itself.

His heart belonged to his beloved Angelinya whom he had met in his early youth in the village of Dunkirst to the south of Langmore. His mind would often wander to her in his travels and in times of great sorrow and grief his love for her gave him the strength to continue on. Each summer he would travel to the village of Dunkirst to be with her and they would sit for long hours amidst the bellflowers

and henpoppies that grew in the dales not far from the town, and together would sit until the sun would set behind the Tyrn mountains in the west taking contentment in none but their love for one another. And when they were together it never rained, nor grew dark or cloudy, but it was perpetual spring that came with their happiness.

How regal and handsome her knight was she often thought to herself, with his dark hair and sea blue eyes. How his bravery and grace seemed like gold spun into his words and movements. And Angelinya who had captured the kind knight’s heart was the most beautiful maiden his eyes had ever beheld he often times thought to himself. Her golden hair like locks of morning sunlight, and skin as soft as the light of the stars by a clear summer’s night. Her warm green eyes were like pools of happiness from which he drank deeply with each passing glance. How he loved her.

It was on the twenty third summer of his life when the leaves on the trees began to fall for the winter and the bellflowers began to sleep that he could close his heart no longer and asked his beloved Angelinya to become his wife, that they might be together forever. That they would grow old together, and stay happy until their time in the world should end, and they would know love together into eternity itself.

With all her heart she said yes and could not stop her tears of happiness. So it was agreed that they would wed in the coming spring when the bellflowers had awoken again, and the unicorns in the forest were no longer touched by snow.

But a darkness had come forth spreading east from the land of Mortey, kingdom of the dead where held

thrall Magis; The Nightmare King. A black army of demons and the dead which swelled like a vile cancer swallowing kingdoms from as far as the Tembroe Mountains to the far off lands of King Kiros. Cities, lands, and people fell before the black armies given strength by the sorceries of Magis. A magic fouler and more corrupt than any before or since.

No one knew why or where the dark forces had come from, but it was whispered in fear by those blessed few that had escaped the burning cities that Magis sought for a treasure unlike any other. A treasure that could alter time itself. Within but a short time the blasphemous armies of the Nightmare King overtook the land of Pellis which bordered Syng to the east, and the Ninth Circle of Saime who were long ago given charge of the kingdom’s 10,000 soldiers gathered in the House of Saime, in the capital city of Syang under the leadership of Dragmire, the highest knight of the order. There they came together to plan how best to save their kingdom from the fate that had befallen Pellis.

It was decided that all of the kingdom’s soldiers would protect the walled capital city of Syang. But Sebastian pleaded that if the army of the dead swept instead through the south there would be no one to protect the people and villages. Yet the knights stayed their course, and as Sebastian had warned the dark army marched through the south leaving suffering and death in its wake. When the brave young Knight learned that the dark forces had taken the village of Dunkirst he took the fastest steed in all the land and rode without rest for three days. When at last he arrived the dark forces of the Nightmare King had moved on, and in their passing had taken the life of his beloved Angelinya, and no word, nor promise, nor dream would ever restore her to him.

Weeping from a broken heart the brave young Knight vowed to avenge his lost love and bring about the fall of the Nightmare King himself.

So the kind Knight, who that day had died from a broken heart donned the golden armor of his ancestors, emblazoned with the symbol of the white griffon; his family crest. And arming himself with a gleaming sword blessed by the white priest of Keth rode forth for three months sleeping on the cold ground, beneath rain and tears, through wind and sorrows, and beneath burning sun and hopelessness to the land of Mortey; the land of the dead. A land where the flowers wept poison and the songs of the sparrows would still a man’s beating heart. Here in this place of wretched despair the sad Knight fought against the dead, the dying, and death itself. With his gleaming sword he cast down witches, goblins, and a seven headed dragon with twelve horns which guarded the gates to the Palace Forlorn. Home of the Nightmare King.

At last in the highest room of the tallest tower he faced the Nightmare King himself. His blade sang through the chill air of the place as the battle was fought, and raged on for hours as the sad Knight sought to vanquish that most terrible of enemies. The vile Magis shrouded in magicks more terrible than any madman could imagine.

But it was no use for the power of the Nightmare King shielded him from all weapons and at last, his back broken and his body bleeding the sad Knight who had his one true love closed his tear filled eyes and laid his head down to die.

It was then that Magis in his cruelty, standing cowl-like above the fallen hero placed a powerful curse upon the once proud Knight. A curse

that he would never know the release of death. Never know happiness nor love again until, in the name of Magis, he had taken 10,000 lives. That he would kill in the name of the Nightmare King forever, and ever, and ever. And that the once proud Sebastian; A knight as pure and kind as any that ever was would be his bringer of dark light....his Ilumini. Elven for he who brings the darkened light. And before the dawn approached the brave Knight died from his wounds, and shortly thereafter awoke once more alive and well far, far away from the land of the Nightmare King.

Years passed. A decade, and then another. A century, and then three more. And despite the passing of the ages Sebastian did not grow old, nor did he die but remained forever young. And each day he would remember his love, and each day he longed for death that he might be joined with her once more in the hereafter. To remember her he had a beautiful statue of Angelinya carved from flawless stone taken from mount Vestermine. This he kept in the garden of his home and each day wept kneeling before it. But as the centuries passed the stone faded washed away by wind and rain until at last there was nothing. So he wrote a poem about his love, and in years the parchment crumbled to dust. At last he held only a faint memory of his true love’s name, and after many eons even this faded until he could only remember that once he loved.

The curse grew stronger as the ages of man passed and Ilumini as he had been named by Magis forgot who he once was. Forgot the name Sebastian. Forgot a life he once had, and hate and loathing for all living things began to fill his heart. He no longer smiled, nor laughed but instead sought to bring the suffering, misery, and loneliness he felt to all he encountered. 8,000 years have passed since the curse was cast and in time Ilumini was banished from his home world to ours. Or so the