Lanber Catacombs

"Centuries ago, a mysterious cataclysm happened. Aeli's house disappeared into the ground. There have been attempts to explore the catacombs, but only recently has a small group of archeologists managed to get to the lower levels where they encountered aggressive Mantides."

Lanber Catacombs is an ancient underground complex originating from the time of Aeli. It disappeared beneath the earth following the cataclysm which shaped Aelion into how we know it today, it once was one of the Great God’s palaces that contained many of his powerful artifacts.

Current Situation
Very recently, in one of the lower tiers, the researchers came across an army of Mantides, who were moving towards the exit of the catacombs. The creatures that struck a deal with Nerion must have found another entrance to the catacombs somewhere far beyond the mountains and were planning to enter the blessed valley via the ruins of the former palace.

Almost all the researchers working in the catacombs were captured by the hostile race of aliens, including the head of the expedition, the famous archeologist Hespar. But a few members of the expedition managed to escape and send a distress signal to the expedition camp, located in the upper tiers.

There are many enemies around the entrance to the caverns, and it is from the Lanber Catacombs that the contagion engulfing the Lanber Forest and the neighboring town of Kyris began to spread.

It is difficult to say how many Mantides are down there, but Immortals should prepare for the worst and expect a fierce confrontation.

Geography
The underground temple sits right beneath Lanber Forest and the Lanber Valley which is, officially, under the control of Lanber’s former patron - Nerion. The valley has several entrances to the catacombs, but as of now only one has been cleared and a group of archeologists from Aelinar have managed to enter the cavern. Other entrances beyond the valley may exist but if they do, they remain undiscovered.

History
In ancient times, when Aeli still ruled Aelion, powerful immortals stood at his side and together they resisted invasions from other worlds. Aeli was nearly all-powerful, unlike his allies and subjects, so he made every effort to provide them with additional might and protection to make sure they had enough strength to fight the many enemies of Aelion. A great many artifacts were created for this purpose and then dispersed across the planet. The most powerful were kept in his impregnable abodes - magnificent palaces, in which he sometimes lived and conducted research. When Aeli disappeared, the artifacts began to gradually weaken and soon they were of no interest to the gods, who had once placed great faith in them.

Recently, notes were found showing that one of these palaces, built by Aeli himself, once stood in the Lanber Valley. Researchers have concluded that the mysterious sealed ruins on the outskirts of the valley’s mountains are actually an entrance leading underground to an ancient palace of the Great God. This occurred when tectonic plates collided with each other, forming new mountains and faults in Lanber Valley, swallowing the god’s palace in the process.

Historians and archeologists of Aelion know very little about these catacombs - they have hardly been studied at all over the past century. Initial expeditions did not lead to the discovery of an entrance to the lower levels and so it was only a month ago that a group of researchers, who had not lost their enthusiasm, were able to find a way deep into the sealed palace. They found many artifacts from the Aeli epoch inside, but their endeavor was dangerous and far from easy. The old vaults buried under the earth of the ancient temple could collapse at any moment. This palace of Aeli fell into a giant cave which itself was unstable: piles of rocks frequently fell and the structures were heavily deteriorating.

Despite all the challenges, the group of researchers kept moving towards their goal. They found artifacts that had never been seen before on Aelion and the deeper they went the more amazing their discoveries became.

However, the timing of the expedition was far from ideal. If only the researchers could have known that at this time, a fog of madness and a thirst for power had consumed the mind of the god Nerion of the Lanber Valley.