Editing Setting:Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Gate (section)

=Life after Death=
Long after the last screams likely echoed through the Gate's halls, the Drakonids found the rugged, notched exterior of the facility, as well as its usually pleasant climate to make it an excellent breeding ground. It also seemed to be an area which was plentiful in Mana, something in which the Drakonids value greatly when seeking to rear their young. Every autumn, as the winds are shifting to become more northerly, they flock to the Gate to partake in their mating rituals. Afterwards, they would retreat into the warmer caverns to spend the winter. Once spring came around and the snows were beginning to melt forth from the peaks, the new parents and their hatchlings would emerge and head back to the Gate to hunt for game and for the hatchlings to absorb the copious Mana around the construct. Though the timing tends to be somewhat regular, there have been instances in which the Drakonids were present at the gate earlier or later than usual, causing some conflict with potential explorers.

One such case was the expedition of Assistant Explorer '''Elanor Tagren''', sent to the Gate to investigate into its function. Usually, it is best to go to the Gate during the summer, as to avoid the seasonal Drakonid broods. However, she was assigned to investigate in secret, which meant that she would have to go there when no one else dared - during the mating season, as the Drakonids are too busy fighting each other for mates' attention to bother with possible prey such as Tagren and her crew. Sneaking past the groups of Drakonids there, the crew managed to get to the Gate's door, somehow able to find an alternate entrance into the facility through the slowly decaying exterior (the Gate was only meant to be a temporary place for people to evacuate to, despite how well fortified it was). Once inside, Tagren made two astounding discoveries. It was a sea of skeletons as far as the eye could see, many of which curled up in place showing signs of a slow, painful death of malnutrition. Others showed evidence of slash marks, broken bones, and bullet holes in their beings. Among the dead was the other discovery - suits of Aethergear armor. Though damaged, the armors would still make for an incredible find to be studied by eager Benalor experts back home at Tabula Gloria.

A tragic end which ironically breathes forth new life into the world, in more ways than one.

[[Category: Tabula Gloria]]