Monument of Arvilan

"After a long journey and getting attacked by god knows how many monsters, i finally arrived at the monument. At once i felt a rush of serenity inside my veins by just looking at that majestic statue. It was gigantic and seemed to emanate an aura of serenity from it. Whoever made it, i thank them for their noble cause"
Taken from the Journals of Captain Valrakus Elrinar, a captain in the Imperial legions.

by Jaffa5

The Monument of Arvilan is a gigantic statue located on top of Mount Arvilan, a hill in the Arval Valley region in Northern Erinia. A gigantic monument that towers any other artificial structure on Elladia, the monument has been the source of many legends and myths, and is frequently visited by people due to the strangely calming effect it has in its vicinity. Farmers, businessmen, doctors, normal workers and even priests and soldiers visit this monument whenever they can for its calming effects.
In recent times however, things have been changing. The landscape around the monument itself has been corrupted and turned purple. More and more monsters plague the road leading to the monument. Long distance observance as well as repeated excursions have confirmed that the corruption grows in intensity as one gets closer to the monument itself, which means that the monument itself is the cause of the corruption. Many dead bodies have been found at its site, and people who go close to it are driven mad by strange nightmarish visions and whispers.
It is only a matter of time until all hell breaks loose on Elladia, and this monument will be affected too. The residents of the valley have to be careful and ready , for their source of serenity becomes a nightmare for them

Purpose / Function

Not much is known about the purpose of this monument. Imperial scholars however suggest that this monument was created to glorify and earn the honour of a long forgotten god by the early tribes of mankind. This notion is challenged however, because some scholars are also skeptical about the architectural expertise and resources possessed by the tribes in order to create this monument.

Architecture

Arvilan Monument by DomilleWW

The monument is a gigantic one, silver in colour and measuring over a hundred metres tall when measured from foot to head. It bears the likeness of a young, slender but strong man with wings holding a gigantic greatsword , which is probably one of the gods that the old pre Imperium humsn tribes used to worship. It stands on a gigantic platform made of an unknown but very strong material, considering how it shows no signs of wear or breaking when taking into account the gigantic weight of the statue.

History

The history of this monument dates back to at least before the Imperium was formed as records of it existing as early as fourty thousand years ago have been found. It is also known that this statue has served as a centre for pilgrimage for the inhabitants of the nearby settlements, and that they have always found the statue to be a welcome sight. Over time, it became a symbol of security and hope for the inhabitants of the village. Until only a few years ago...

The corruption spreads

"What used to be a beacon of hope and security for us has now become a nightmare for us. Where it once used to give us serenity and security, it now gives us nightmares. Not only is the path leading to it mutated, corrupted and strewn by hideous beasts whom i have never seen before, just getting closer to the monument increases the intensity and frequency of the nightmarish hallucinations and whispers you hear. Gods help us. We never wanted a symbol of peace to turn into a symbol of nightmare for us"
Captain Valrakus Elrinar, writing in his journal about the corruption of the statue"

Full Moon by Ruksutakarn studio

In recent years, things have been changing for the worst. The path leading to the statue has been found to be corrupted, sprouting hideous rock formations and plants, as well as being strewn with many myriad monsters. The intensity of the corruption and monsters as well as their frequency increases as one gets closer to the statue. The site of the statue itself has been corrupted, with strange dark purple crystals surrounding the statue and the statue itself sporting a hideous smile.
Besides the many dead bodies, the people who go there are subject to intense and violent hallucinations as well as voices inside their heads about a strange and nightmarish being called "Arkanos". The citizens of the nearby settlements have also been subject to such consequences, although far milder than the ones experienced by those nearby to the statue. This has created an atmosphere of terror, and the inhabitants of the valley are horrified at how a symbol of serenity, hope and security has turned into the very antithesis of what it used to be"
For the inhabitants of Elladia, lie a bad news. As the dark god Arkanos prepares his long lusted return from banishment by the gods, all of Elladia will have to fight. The citizens of this valley have to be prepared, for they might soon have to battle their very own corrupted symbol of hope and serenity as well as all the horrors it may bring

Signs of the Corruption

"Never have i felt so much at peace"

"I keep feeling the tranquility but something keeps tugging at my mind. As if a distant presence is approaching"'

"Gods, the voices keep getting louder and the visions more vivid. I can"t take it anymore. It is time to submit to the lord and ASCEND TO HEAVEN"
A series of entries found in a journal besides a corpse in the monuments area, showing the gradual decline of the person and him eventually succumbing to the corruption

The corruption around the monument has manifested in the form of three main things mostly.

The Corruption of the landscape

Around a gigantic radius, the corruption has gradually altered the landscape, growing in intensity as one gets closer to the monument. The ground has turned a sickening dark purple, with pools of parasitic beings and other vermin forming at every place in order to deny tresspassers any advance. These pools are filled to the brim with poisonous creatures like centipedes , corrosive worms etc which can easily kill a man if they can get their venom into them. Areas closer to the monument have been reported to be filled with smaller replicas of the statue which enhance the corruption and carry on the mind corruption signal to farther distances.
For the inhabitants of the Arval valley, this is bad news. For if they do not act quickly, their fates will be the same as those of the corpses found at the monument.

Corruption of the life

The flora and fauna in the radius of the corruptions reach has been even more twisted. Some larger trees have started mutating claws, fangs, suckers and even eyes from their trunks. These trees are attacking any tresspassers with all their might and don"t stop till they are dead. If one manages to advance deep enough, one may be set upon by a number of mysterious riders clad in dark purple armor and riding dark purple horses, with both of their eyes glowing purple. Not only are these riders incredibly dangerous and skilled, their horses too can put up a gigantic fight and due to their sharp fangs, can easily rip out the throat of a human being. Besides these, numerous other strange creatures that have never been seen before are scattered across the path to the monument.

Corruption of the mind

The last, and deadliest form of corruption so far might be the corruption of the mind. Whilst the monsters can be fought and eventually killed, there remains very few cures to this and village doctors and psychologists can do little to help the people in their fight against this corruption. Not only do people keep witnessing nightmarish visions and hallucinations as well as hearing dark whispers inside their head, they are compelled to do the bidding of "Arkanos" unless they risk their minds going insane. The corruption has been slowly growing in its reach as well, and the legions of the Imperial army stationed in the valley are on high alert, though some of their members themselves have been suffering from this corruption.
A decision must be taken, and quickly now. The inhabitants of this valley must brace themselves and ready for the upcoming tribulations and battles that will befall on them. Their peaceful life will soon become the most nightmarish in the entire world and the very beacon of hope and security they had beheld for so long will soon turn against them and become their worst nightmares

Alternative Names

The Serene monument

Type

Monument / Statue, Large

Parent Location

Inaria

Owner

Hans Christian Danielsen

Owning Organization

The Sanguine Imperium