The One

The One, also known as Eternity among many other aliases, is a mysterious outlander who achieved immortality thanks to the Well of Life. The One lived many lives before coming to the Land of Mists but was eventually drawn in due to his time as a villain and tyrant. Since that time, the One has shifted away from Evil to become more a bored and lonely lost soul. To this end, the One created the Game to find candidates capable and responsible enough to achieve immortality.

History

Prior to his transcendence of mortality, the One was an adventurer seeking immortality, along with his companions Terri, Cawthor, and Kimber. Together they ventured into the murky realm known as the Heart of Darkness to find the Well of Life. Of the four, only the One succeeded- the other three met messy endings.

Despite the One's success, immortality was not as pleasureful as he thought it would be. As the years rolled on, so did his grief and regret of the lives he failed to save and the time he had not spent wisely. The One made efforts to bring good to the world or at least the people he made friends with. These efforts often ended in tragedy, persecution, or betrayal as his former friends turned on him with suspicion. At one time, the One tried to share his immortal light with another person named Lytos, who had died in the One's arms. But instead of true life, Lytos rose again in terrible agony as a rotting husk of his former self. Once given, the One's gift could not be removed- only immersion in fire put Lytos to rest once again.

The One's efforts to make Lytos an immortal earned him the label of a necromancer and the eternal enmity of Lytos' kin. Facing persecution and reward seeking bountyhunters, the One went on the run, though Lytos' would-be avengers remained ever at his heels.

Eventually the One became embittered by years of evasion, and he decided that the achievement of social and economic dominance was more doable than friendship. Over the decades, he built power from warlord to emperor, though always a tyrant. His name commanded terror in the hearts of the masses before his empire was taken apart. Though he thought himself invulnerable, Lytos' heirs gathered their strength and organized into a secret society known as the Cult of Light. They eventually sealed him inside an inescapable tomb and believed him to become defeated.

Thanks to a greedy grave robber's tomb break in, the One escaped his confinement and went on to wreak horrible vengeance upon the descendants of his transgressors. The Cult, taken by surprise, failed to capture him before he entered the Mists. This evasion was not a total escape, for the Cult found its way to the Land of Mists and spread word of his misdeeds and gained new followers native to the demiplane.

Generations came and went, as the One assumed many mortal guises and integrated into mortal society. Yet the repeated cycle of tragic losses led the One to seek the company of other immortals, whom might better understand his situation. Thus, he created the Game, to bring out individuals worthy of immortality- to whom he would help achieve. Yet none of his candidates ever made it through the slew of missions he would nudge them to even after the passage of two centuries.

Over a century ago, the One assumed the guise of Eoywn Theone, noble and lord of Eldron Manor. Theone was a powerful and influential ruler of many peasants. However, he was also a remarkabley distant ruler that eschewed public appearances in favor of delegating estate oversight to his underlings. For the past three decades, Lord Theone has not been seen by the general public at all.

Twenty years ago, "Lord Theone" went off on a quest, leaving his steward, Señor Hector Elissar Ramirez, in charge of the manor and his estate. Theone left Señor Ramirez with instruction to privately auction off Theone's treasures should Theone fail to come back after a long enough time. With his health failing and wishes to achieve immortality of his own, Señor Ramirez called a group of people of Theone's friends and rivals to Eldron Manor for the auction.