Explorers, who came to be known as the Realmborne Researchers, spent a month cataloging and decoding strange sites buried in the forgotten corners of the land. They unearthed glyphs, long-lost documents, and stone mechanisms far older than any known civilization. And finally—when the signs converged—they came forward with what they found.
Before King Farhan and the Grand Council of Lumisgrave, the chief researcher stood in the Great Hall. A silence deeper than stone awaited his words.
"We have found," he said, "three types of monumental gateways—each unlike the other, and each pointing to forces that do not belong to our world."
He paused. The room listened, breathless.
"These structures are ancient. Not merely ancient—they predate our written history, perhaps even the birth of civilization itself. And we believe they were never meant to be opened by human hands."
The Messenger Gates
Seven of these were discovered, each one sealed, standing upright like silent sentinels. Unlike a portal or doorway, the Messenger Gate looked more like a giant monolith inscribed with symbols that shimmered faintly under the moonlight. At the center of each gate glowed a specific sigil: two swirling spirals wrapped around a central eye—believed to represent communication between realms.
"These gates," the researchers explained, "are completely closed. But when our devices neared them, we detected frequencies… almost like voices, whispering in pulses. We believe they were designed as points of communication. A bridge—not to travel through—but to speak across worlds."
A murmur swept through the court.
"These are not gates of entry," the researcher continued, "but channels for devils or outer beings to speak with the human world. Why they remain sealed… we do not yet know. But all seven share the exact same design. One stands in the mountains beyond Sereghast, another within the Duskmire caverns, one in the Dead Sand, and so on. All placed far apart, almost like watchpoints."
The Vaults of Sundusk
If the Messenger Gates whispered, the Vaults of Sundusk were utterly silent—but visually overwhelming. Three of these were found, all massive in size, nearly the height of ten men. Their form was not vertical like the Messenger Gates, but angled downward into the earth, like stairs leading to an unseen depth.
The outer frame of each Vault bore no recognizable script. Instead, glowing lines ran across its face like maps—maps of otherworldly realms. Researchers noted that no known cartographic system could identify them.
"These aren't paths of our world," said another scholar. "They show lands with floating landmasses, split skies, rivers of stars—things that defy our laws."
Most unsettling, however, was that the Vaults radiated no energy. Nothing magical, electrical, or measurable. Yet they seemed to hum in the back of the mind, like something trying to stir.
"These Vaults appear sealed from the inside," the report stated. "And something buried within them resists translation. We call them Vaults of Sundusk, because they seem to dim the light around them when observed too long, as if drawing the day into night."
The word Sundusk began to echo across the halls and rumors alike. Some said they were tombs. Others said they were storage chambers for forgotten gods.
The Bound Threshold
The third kind of gate was unlike the others entirely—and there was only one.
It was discovered by accident near the coast of Gravenrock, partially buried and surrounded by unnatural vegetation. What made it truly unique was that it was half-open.
The structure was massive, but its design was not architectural. It was more… organic. Like something grown rather than built. Chains of glowing metal ran across it, holding the gate back from opening entirely. Two massive carved eyes adorned its center—slanted, predatory, watching.
"It was not made to welcome," said the head researcher, "but to warn. Its very existence feels like a threat contained."
They named it the Bound Threshold, and many who stood near it reported strange experiences: hearing their name whispered, feeling an invisible pull, or dreaming of red skies and black flames.
"Something is on the other side," they warned. "And it is awake."
The Bound Threshold quickly became a focal point of fear. Unlike the sealed Messenger Gates or the silent Sundusk Vaults, this gate wanted to open. But the chains, glowing with an unknown energy, kept it in place.
"These bindings," the scholars noted, "do not seem manmade. They may have been placed by a higher force—possibly to protect us."
When all three gate types were presented to the court—accompanied by detailed sketches, runic diagrams, and vision scrolls—the hall fell into troubled silence. The leaders of the Three Councils—Julious of the Guardian Council, Parche of the People's Forum, and Rivers of the Council of Veins—were visibly disturbed.
"Devils, symbols, maps of unknown lands… whispers and chains," murmured Julious. "This is no longer myth. This is warning."
King Farhan stood, his long cloak trailing across the polished floor. His voice echoed with regal strength.
"If these gates are remnants of forgotten wars… if they are seals on something darker… then we must treat them with utmost caution. Not fear, but vigilance."
After intense deliberation, the Grand Council came to three decisions:
1. All areas surrounding the gates will be sealed off and declared restricted zones. – Elite guards will monitor them day and night, rotating shifts under the direct command of the King's Watch. – Magical detection tools and rune wards will be placed around each gate, especially the Bound Threshold.
2. A Special Division of the Council will monitor anomalies. – If energy spikes, weather changes, strange dreams, or disappearances occur near the gates, reports must be sent directly to the King and the Council of Surge. – A 'Gate Alert Protocol' will be established to prepare containment or evacuation.
3. The Bound Threshold will never be left unwatched. – "If something pushes from behind it," said King Farhan, "we must not be unprepared. If it speaks, we will listen. If it moves, we will stop it."
The meeting ends....