After facing near-extinction due to rapidly changing environments along with the monstrous evolution of many once-beloved animals, humans also started to gain strange abilities unlike they thought ever be possible for them. They also started to question where they first started as this information was long lost to the ever-flowing river of time. If they could at least find what was believed to be the first "safe-spot", they would be happy for now. And so, they put together multiple groups of able-bodied people willing to risk their life for a new adventure that may lead to great discoveries. Unfortunately due to their lack of understanding of the things around them as well as their own ability, many failed to return home. The plan for expansion was put onto a shelf to collect dust as it was still too dangerous of an operation. They left it to wait until they would be able to explore with the least amount of mishaps.

Years went by until society believed it possible to explore with little to no injury. Once more they set up groups and sent them on their way. Many did in fact find many new and fascinating species of both plants and animals but never any structure that seemed to have belonged to humans previously settled there. That is until one group exploring the coastlines saw a tower peaking above a mountain. The fastest way to access the area was to sail around. They managed to make it over safely and were amazed to see old buildings standing high and proud even though it must have been ages since human eyes have once seen its grace. Being nestled in between a mountain range made it both very protected yet a sitting duck if ever the water was not a safe place to go.

Inside lay many artifacts and books of old. The pages were worn and the ink smudged, what could be made out were simply strange symbols or nonsense words. The group decided to spread out, a few returned with valuables, the others nothing of worth. They decided to explore the biggest structure, placed delicately in between great works of art and what used to be a garden, now overgrown and wild.

Stepping in they were greeted with a skeleton of what was believed to be a great serpent laying scattered in front of a grand staircase. Strange spikes jutted out of the floor. Was this what caused the people that lived here to leave? Doubt spread through the room, whatever it was was definitely killed so it could no longer pose a threat. What else could've caused these people to leave such a place and so much behind?

#h-fn