Ekat Kassen was a crusader and fortune seeker who came
to serve Lastwall in the year 4515 ar. While he fought
with distinction, he soon realized that he wanted more
from life and left the Lastwall military to find his fortune
elsewhere. His travels took him all over the region around
Lake Encarthan, and he decided to settle down in 4522
after a very profitable adventure. Using a sizable portion
of his fortune, he set out to tame a small area of the
Fangwood on the banks of the Tourondel River, making
it a natural stopover for those traveling up and down the
river to Skelt. For the next 10 years, the town, which was
then known as Kassen’s Hold, grew and prospered.
All that changed when Asar Vergas came to Kassen’s
Hold with a host of mercenaries under his command. Asar
was an old companion of Ekat, and the two had traveled
together for some time before splitting up just after Ekat’s
last adventure. Over the years, Asar became sure that Ekat
had cheated him after that adventure. Promising great
wealth to his mercenaries, Asar raided the town relentlessly
for 2 months. Finally, the townsfolk managed to locate
Asar’s camp in an ancient crypt deep in the forest, and
Ekat himself went out to deal with his old companion.
The battle was terribly bloody, with only a few townsfolk
coming back to tell the tale. In the end, Asar was slain
and his mercenaries scattered, but Ekat suffered a mortal
wound. He died 2 days later, on the 11th day of Neth, 4535.
In honor of their beloved founder, the townsfolk buried
Kassen in the ancient crypt, interring his bones in a place
of honor, above the simple sarcophagi used to inter Asar,
his mercenaries, and the townsfolk that lost their lives in
the bitter struggle. They placed an eternal flame above
Kassen’s final resting place, so that all who visited might
find warmth in the wilderness.
Over the years, the Crypt of the Everflame has become
an important part of the history of the town, now simply
called Kassen. The townsfolk view the crypt as a memorial
to those difficult first years of the town’s history. Every
autumn, a few of the townsfolk make a pilgrimage to
the crypt to light a lantern from the flame and bring it
back to town, where it is preserved all winter, a symbol of
the town’s resilience. Most years, the town mayor and a
group of dignitaries perform this quest. Every few years,
however, a handful of younger townsfolk are given the
honor of lighting the lantern. Many see this as a passage
into adulthood, a taste of adventure before settling down
to work and marriage. The quest starts out as a solemn
ceremony in town, where the townsfolk gather to wish the
adventurers luck, just as it was when Kassen himself left
to fight the mercenaries. When the adventurers return a
few days later, the town holds a great celebration in their
honor. This also marks the final harvest celebration before
the long winter.