Ruins of Tartarus

Lore

Spoiler warning! This section contains plot details about the game.

There was once a town frequently troubled by bandit raids.

Fortunately it had a formidable guardsman, who loved his plac of birth.

With his two fierce hunting dogs beside him, the guardsman would stand at the town gates, repelling any would-be-raiders. The trio became well known for their ferocity in battle.

His achievements led to the offer of more prestigious roles, but the guardsman rejected them all. 

Nothing could bring him more happiness or pride than protecting his hometown.

Little did he know that his happiness was not to last.

The town was struck by a terrible disease that spread rapidly, proving fatal to those infected.

Scared people left in droves and as the town emptied, its vitality sapped away.

The guardsman could not stand to watch his hometown wither away. He had devoted his life to protecting this town, and feared that he now had little reason to live.

Those attempting to leave, he deemed cowards, and as time went on, his feelings toward them hardened.

He would not see them leave. He could hardly guard a town with no people, after all.

Unthinkable, as it would once have seemed, he turned on his fellow townspeople, using fear and brute force to ensure they did not leave the town.

Even as the disease continued to spread, the guardsman stuck to his course of action. He was long lost in the depths of insanity. 

Once evening, bandits launced a raid on the town. The guardsman, however was ready for them. 

His face twisted with ecstasy. This was what he lived for, after all...

As the bandits tried to flee, the guardsman was struck by a spear. From a place where no bandit could have been. From behind him. From the town he had devoted his life to protecting...

The townspeople had resolved to stand up against the guardsman tyranny, and struck him from behind.

As the guardsman lay there, his consciousness dimming, a strange light lapped at his eyes.

A chalice floated before him, bathed in a cool white glow. 

"Make an offering. Give me what is most precious to you, and your wish shall be granted..."

Mesmerized by the chalice's words, this guardsman ordered his dogs to kill everyone in town, friend and foe alike. He turned on the very people he had spent his lifetime protecting. Those he held dearest were now his offering.

A giant mound of corpses was amassed.

Beside it, the guardsman stood weeping. The howls of a mad dog echoed, and then the area was shrouded in a black glow.

From the pools of blood that gathered, a monster rose. A monster that defied description...

Legend has it that the town still exists somewhere in the world.

Appearance-wise, unchanged in years, and still the same as during the guardsman's heyday.

They say he can be found there still standing guard the gate. He may let you enter, but he certainly won't let you leave...

Quests taking place

.....?^{[citation needed]}

Quotes

Heard during memory quests:

• What a sight...
• The epidemic continues to claim lives...
• But my child must be spared.
• I have to protect my child...
• We tried moving to a distant land.
• However...
• The guardsman stood in our way.
• He used to be such a good man...
• Now he's trying to keep us trapped in here.
• Something must have made him lose his mind...

Gallery