The year that Zaphrael turned 12,the harvests were ruined by a spell of abnormal weather, bringing famine to the region. The aristocratic Lord's seized the chance to buy up a great deal of the land with very little rationing. The elderly, women and children, either starved to death or were reduced to seeking refuge elsewhere. The youthful and able-bodied were forced into servitude for their new aristocratic landlords in exchange for minimal rations to support their families. The peculiar local weather occurring at that time attracted the attention of the Lightbearer temple. Following an investigation, they discovered secret trade between the Lord and the Hypogean-the Lord would provide fresh human flesh for the Hypogean, and the Hypogean would grant the Lord the power to bend others to his will. To destroy the Hypogean, the temple sent out four clerics, including Zaphrael's parents, and a small unit of hand-picked knights. They all had a wealth of experience in the expulsion of Hypogeans, yet when they arrived at the Lord's domain, the ruthless and deceitful Hypogean had already begun to turn people's hearts.
