Every story has a beginning, and this one began with pain. Bright, searing pain that blanketed the nerves, left the victim gasping for breath, his body in so much shock he couldn't even scream, though his mouth gaped open like a beached fish. Eyelids slammed back, though that made no difference to the darkness around him, arms spasming as he reached out desperately, vainly hoping to find some way to stop the agony that wracked his chest.<br/><br/>And then it stopped. Drenched in sweat, the man blinked, panting, taking deep breaths to steady himself as he tried to work out where he was. Somewhere small, from the feel of the air, the closeness of the walls felt rather than seen. He reached out with one hand, fingers running over the smooth stone that surrounded, up and across the roof only inches above his face. Some inscription lay directly above his head, and the man squinted in the darkness as his fingertips ran across it like a blind mans.<br/><br/>Unseen by anyone, his brow furrowed. This was a coffin. Why was he in a coffin? In that moment, it occurred to the man that, besides the pain of his awakening and the situation he was in, he knew nothing about where he was, or even who he was? All at once his chest started to rise and fall rapidly as the man rolled sideways in panic, bracing against the bottom of his prison, muscles tensing as the lid of the coffin grated slowly upwards. Grunting, the man pushed harder, spitting out a harsh "Move, damn you!" as the tablet topping the coffin slid another two inches, then froze. With one last feral roar, the man slammed his entire weight upwards, rewarded with a harsh crack, a heavy crash and a burst of blinding light that sent him falling back inside the coffin, eyes screwed shut. Lungs breathed air that no one had disturbed for years, the fetid aftertaste of the dust knocked up by the fallen tablet making him retch as he stared at the walls around him in the thin light coming from a hole in the roof of the room.<br/><br/>Coughing, trying to clear the dust from his throat, he climbed from the coffin, slowly. After the burst of energy, he felt stiff, as if he hadn't moved in a very long time. Stretching, he walked around the circular chamber he was in, searching the walls, until he found the door, a piece of carved stone, which wouldn't budge when pushed on but shifted and groaned when he pulled. Forcing his fingers into the edge and drawing a deep breath, he braced his feet and pulled with all his might. Grunting with the effort, as arms bulged and it felt like his sockets were about to pop, when the door swung open, crushing his hopes of an easily escape. Beyond the door, was a pile of rubble. There had been a cave in at some point and it had closed the central chamber, far better then any door ever could.<br/><br/>Defeated, the man slumped against the raised dais the coffin had rested upon and leaned his head back, as if to ask what was wanted of him. And thats when he got a good look at the hole in the ceiling. It was small but the earth and stone around it looked loose, if he could only widen it a little, he might be able to wiggle through, if he could get up there. Glancing around, his eyes fell upon the coffin lid. If he leaned that against the wall, he might be able to jump from the top and either miss and break his neck or he might be able to grab the edge. Forcing himself to stand again, he snatched a handful of rocks from the rubble pile before the door. With mighty heaves, he threw the rocks, smashing them into the earth around the hole and breathed in relief, as it widened.<br/><br/>Next came the muscle work. He had to drag the coffin lid over to the wall, closest to the hole he had widened and then lift it, so that he could climb up the thing and still be high enough to each his target.  By the time he was ready to try it, there was a light shine sweat about his brow. Scrambling up the coffin lid, he tried to balance on the edge against the wall, his booted feet barely keeping from slipping, as he turned around and gathered himself. Almost falling, he jumped with a grunt of effort. At first he didn't think he was going to make it but then his hands touched the jagged edge of the hole, which began to give way. Somewhat hanging them, slowly slipping down, he wildly clawed at he edge, until he knocked enough away in his frantic haste, to find a solid piece of earth. Panting, he clawed, pulled and wiggled his way out, the red and blue tunic he was wearing getting covered in dirt, until he lay upon the burial mount. Standing, he stumbled away from the hole, fearing that the ground might give way under him.<br/><br/>And came into sight of another newly awakened man, who had been wandering among the graves for roughly an hour. The two of them were nearly mirror images of each other, although one was bearded and the other mustached. As these heroes of a nearly forgotten age stared at one another, emotions were sparked by memories, locked away inside their minds. Anger, envy, jealousy flashed through them, replaced by deeper, older and stronger feelings of love and trust. The one with the mustaches took his hand away from the hilt of the dull dagger and raised his right hand, waving for the man standing atop the mound, to come down and join him. Without knowing or understanding why, the bearded m,an did, slowly climbing down from atop the place he woke up in.<br/><br/>"What's your name" asked the first man, his gray eyes staring into blue ones of the second.<br/><br/>"I..." said the second, suddenly looking confused and worried, "I don't know! Whats yours?"<br/><br/>"I don't know either" whispered the first, suddenly pulling out the ivory tablet, hoping for answers there but was disappointed. The only thing written upon the otherwise smooth piece of bone was, Hero's Tomb. What that was, where it was or why it was written there, was unknown but perhaps the answers where at this Hero's Tomb. They were in a grave yard, that much was plain, so maybe it was nearby? He looked back at his counterpart and couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the man and knew him well, like they had spent a lifetime together.<br/><br/>"So" said the bearded one, "What do we do?"<br/><br/>"We" said the mustached man, "Head for that and get a look around."<br/><br/>He had raised one tattooed arm and pointed towards a large hill in the distance, where they could see the land for miles around and where they would find a one Cecilia. As they set out, walking side by side, towards the first step of a new destiny, they also set themselves on a path to mingle, with gnolls.