At first, the unexplored realm drove away travelers, as they knew that it was uncivilized and dangerous. Any who might come across it would immediately turn back, either from fear or caution. It stayed this way for many years, until a few brave travelers came across the unclaimed land.

The leader of this small group was known as Alunulus, and he proceeded to set up a small farming area for his weary group. He was a strong leader, and the others respected his judgement and always obeyed his orders without complaint. A practical man, the task of keeping the group alive with food and shelter fell to him.

Amongst the travelers was the Flipster, a somewhat secretive character, who, using lumber and cobblestone from the small mine, built a large mansion for himself. Inside the building, it was rumored, lay a portal to the Nether, the desolate region of fire and death. This along with the Flipster's prominent magic skills, lead the others to be suspicious of his actions.

Among the other settlers was Aelux, who was completely focused on learning magic as the Flipster had. He was by far the most wealthy of the group, and many of the others wondered where he had recieved this fortune of iron, gold, and diamond.

Arcion was the foremost military leader of the group, trained as an assassin, he was constantly on the lookout for monsters or other travelers that might threaten the settlers. Much of the time, he was suspicious of Aelux' wealth, and believed that he might be using special magic to create the fortune.

Finally, there was the Noresman, who was a tough warrior and able survivor in the wilderness. The small group of settlers was well rounded, and after setting up camp on the edge of a small river, they elected to name their newfound civilization the River Nation.

Fate would have it that the settlers were not alone in the new territory, to the west lay a small hidden shelter, where two men by the names of Lancelot and Demeros lived. Brothers, they made their living as thieves; preying on weary travelers ill-equipped for a fight. When they heard about the new civilization, they made designs to raid it at night, so that they could obtain the wealth of the village without a fight. They new they were outnumbered.

After a few days of planning, the thieves were ready to attack the village. They waited for the shroud of darkness to set in and cover them before moving in. When they had arrived at the River Nation, they were surprised to find it abandoned. Apparently, Alunulus had discovered Demeros and Lancelot's plan, and lead his people on an expedition away from the village. Even though most of the valuables were gone, the thieves were still able to find a sizable treasure in the village. Once they had taken everything of value, they destroyed the buildings, leaving what was left open to monster attack.

As the thieves returned to their hidden shelter, the River Nation settlers moved on, leaving thoughts of their first village behind in exchange for new plans for their civilization.

Chapter 2 coming soon!