Hilda

Nestled between the tundras of the Northern Vale and the Moniyan Plain is a unique land with a massive and ancient stone formation for which it is named the Megalith Wasteland. The Megalith Wasteland must be passed if one is to reach the Northern Vale. It is also Hilda's homeland.

In the resource-scarce Northern Vale, tribal conflict is as constant as the year-long ice and snow. The strongest tribes can possess the largest and easiest hunting grounds. This is even more true for the Garland tribe of the Megalith Wasteland. The perilous geography and barren soil of the Wasteland have makes it incredibly inhospitable to human habitation. Yet, with the protection of the Power of Megalith, this tribe has tenaciously survived there year after year.

The ancient Megalith has stood here for many centuries. Its creators hoped to use its magical powers to confine the Iceland Golems to the north of the continent, preventing them from coming south. As the Golems faded into extinction, the Megalith's magic also lost its original purpose. All that remains of it are ancient ruins, flowing with the power of the Megalith that has been passed down through the centuries.

Legend says that only one in whom runs the purest bloodline of the Garland clan can lift the plate of stone disc at the center of the Megalith, and inherit its power. Thus, when every successor to the tribe's leadership turns 20, she would travel to the Megalith, and receive its incredible power, becoming the Power of Megalith. She would then be ready to lead her tribe against foreign incursions.

Ever since she was a child, Hilda had been the subject of great expectations, as her mother, the previous Power of Megalith, was killed in battle while defending the tribe ten years before. Having lost the protection of the Megalith, the tribe had fallen into a deep crisis, enduring constant plundering and harassment. Hence, the tribespeople placed all their hope in Hilda, praying that she would grow strong, and take up the important duty of protecting the tribe.

Hilda did not disappoint them. From a young age, she demonstrated an exceptional talent for combat, and strength far beyond her years. Within time, she became the tribe's strongest warrior.

Finally, Hilda was to turn 20 years of age, and the languishing Garland tribe held a grand ceremony for the event. They prayed day and night for the Power of Megalith to be reborn, and that she would return the tribe to its former glory.

Yet, as many watched expectantly, Hilda was unable to lift the stone disc, even with all her strength. There was a stunned silence until an elder of the tribe stepped forward to tell the truth: Hilda was not the birth daughter of the previous Power of Megalith, but was adopted after being found as an abandoned baby in the wilderness.

The tribespeople, so full of hope and anticipation before, now fell into despair. The faith that had sustained them throughout the years had collapsed in an instant. Their huge and simmering disappointment soon led to rage and prejudice, and they started jostling and cursing Hilda, so that she could not even stand steady.

As disappointed as the rest, Hilda suddenly remembered her mother's last words to her: "The Power of Megalith isn't simply inherited. One must truly understand its inner meaning. Each generation's Power of Megalith has its own unique meaning. To me, the Power of Megalith is a heart as resilient and indomitable as a giant boulder."

Hilda, filled with frustration, left her home of many years, and began a long period of vagrant living. During these years, she became a wandering mercenary, and traveled through the Moniyan Empire and almost all the Land of Dawn.

Her mother's words never left her during this time. She never backed down, no matter what great danger she faced. The constant trials and tribulations she endured strengthened her greatly, turning her into a warrior as formidable as stone.

And although she had left the Megalith Wasteland behind, Hilda knew that it was where her heart belonged. Years later, Hilda rescued a slave from torture, and recognized her as being from the Garland tribe. From her, Hilda learned of the tribe's current condition: after Hilda left, the Garland tribe chose a new Power of Megalith who was truly of the chieftains' bloodline. However, this new Power of Megalith was no leadership material. Her foolish and childish ways had caused the Garland tribe to decline even further, until one day it was wholly subjugated by another tribe, and all its people enslaved.

Despite her tribe's former treatment of her, Hilda returned without hesitation to the Megalith Wasteland, liberating her people from brutal enemies with her fists, and leading them to rebuild their home. Only then did the tribespeople finally understand that true leadership has nothing to do with one's ancestry. Having come to their senses, they accepted Hilda, and hoped she would stay with them, to continue to pass on the glorious Power of Megalith.

This time, however, Hilda refused their invitation, deciding to set forth once more for a foreign land. Her mother's words weighed constantly on her mind: Each generation's Power of Megalith has its own unique meaning. She had received an indomitable heart from her mother, but she still had not found her own unique meaning.

One day, however, she would.

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