The Southern Waste of Mortis was a place of death and decay, a land where the spirits of the dead roamed free and the living were few and far between. It was in this forsaken place that the ancient tower of the Cryptmancer stood, a place of dark magic and unspeakable horrors.
For many years, the tower had sat empty, abandoned by all who knew of its existence. But one day, a young orphan human stumbled upon the tower, drawn by a strange force that he could not explain. The boy was drawn to the staff of a long-dead sorcerer, and as he touched it, he felt a sudden surge of power coursing through his veins.
The spirit of the ancient Cryptmancer, which had been trapped within the staff for nearly two thousand years, was finally free. It possessed the body of the boy, revitalizing its ancient magic and giving the Cryptmancer a chance to once again walk the earth.
Over the years, the Cryptmancer grew in power, mastering the ghastly magic of the dead and using it to bend the spirits of the fallen to his will. He became a feared and respected figure in the Southern Waste, a being of immense power and darkness.
But the Cryptmancer's thirst for power was not satisfied. He had heard of the Burn, a catastrophic event that had struck the Splinterlands, a land far to the north. The Burn had destroyed much of the land, leaving behind a barren wasteland where only the strongest and most powerful could survive.
The Cryptmancer saw this as an opportunity to prove his worth, and he set out to the Splinterlands to participate in the tournament summoning. He knew that if he could defeat the other summoners and prove his superiority, he would cement his place as the greatest magician in all the land.
As the Cryptmancer arrived in the Splinterlands, he was met with fear and reverence. The other summoners knew of his reputation and were wary of his dark magic. But the Cryptmancer was undaunted. He knew that he was the most powerful summoner in the land, and he was determined to prove it.
The tournament began, and the Cryptmancer faced off against some of the most skilled summoners in the land. But he was more than a match for them, his dark magic tearing through their defenses and crushing them beneath his will.
As the tournament reached its climax, the Cryptmancer stood alone, the last summoner standing. He had defeated all of his opponents, and now he was ready to claim his prize.
But as he reached for the trophy, he was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning. The other summoners had joined forces against him, using their combined power to strike him down.
The Cryptmancer fell to the ground, his body writhing in pain. He knew that he was dying, his power and magic fading away. But even in his final moments, he refused to give up. He summoned all of the remaining strength he had, and with a final burst of dark energy, he destroyed his enemies and claimed the trophy as his own.
The Cryptmancer had won the tournament, and with his victory, he had cemented his place as the greatest summoner in all the land. And even though he lay dying, he knew that he had achieved the ultimate goal of any true Cryptmancer: to master the magic of the dead and bend it to his will.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE IMAGE USED IN THIS POST IS CREDITED TO SPLINTERLANDS.