"In the beginning, there was but one, a nameless entity brought forth by the greed and cruelty of mankind; the dawn of calamity. It is the seed sown out of their lust for power that would set in stone the ultimatum of the world, named simply The Cataclysm, a harbinger of destruction under the guise of a common rodent, feeding off the Earth as does a parasite on blood. Souls are enslaved and twisted to spread its corruption and empower itself, all from the murky recesses of an unseen realm, the Dark World. There it slowly grows an army of corrupted slaves, and there is nothing I nor mankind can do to stop it. The Cataclysm and its corrupteds will continue to grow for millennia until it is ready to consume the Earth, and all I can do is wait, wait and hope.
"Despite the sickly worry rising like bile in my throat, I endure in hope that an unforeseen miracle might prevent the impending apocalypse, and I hope because I believe I have discovered the first key to our salvation. It is the Shrine, where the dawn of calamity wrought the corruptive evil that threatens us. I first came here when I regained my senses, broken free of The Cataclysm's influence, and when I placed my paw on the chiseled central obelisk, my soul was restored. This is most significant surely, but I cannot understand how. Until this epiphany becomes more clear, I can only preserve these ruins; protect them from the growing corrupt legion.
"In my own corruption, I am deathless as is those unpurified. Thus I will remain here as the Shrine's caretaker, such is my obligated duty, until the day is come that reprieval ends the corruption, until the corrupteds slay me, or if necessary...until the end of time itself.''
Content with his literary work, the chipmunk releases a weary sigh and sets the papyrus down on the moss-covered masonry. His gaze saunters to the flickering flames of his bonfire as he holds his paws up to it, feeling the comforting warmth lick at his palms. A brisk breeze rushes by, chilling him down to his core and sending shivers running up his back. The chipmunk quivers and clenches up as he shifts closer to the edge of his stone perch and to the glowing fire next to it.
"Phew, it's cold tonight...'', he shudders, clasping his arms around himself as he looks up into the brilliant speckled night sky. He gazes at the stars in wonder, pondering how he might recognize a salvation if one came to pass, "Whatever you are, wherever you come from, whenever you seek this place, I will support you to the end, that we may save this world, and the corruption may cease.''
