The Elder, older than time, watches as time passes.  As the souls come to him, he takes in each one. No judgement is necessary.  The Elder already knows where the soul belongs.  They are always ready to complete their destiny.  For the journey has been a long one.  The final destination is a reflection of the soul itself.  Whether they are bathed in tangible joy or ripped apart by their own past sins, few ever think to try and return.  In his wisdom, the Elder does, from time to time, allow returns.  Ariel, murdered protector of the pillar of balance; Kain, Ariel's successor, and purifier of the pillars; The Elder has yet to be disappointed by anyone he has permitted to return. But the Elder is not always alone.  For a god to exist, all he needs, is a worshiper.

         Hash'ak'gik, the Unspoken, The Dark Entity, a dark god, bringer of hate, evil, and pain.  Hash'ak'gik existed long ago, long before the Pillars, before even the word Nosgoth was uttered. The Elder alone knows where he came from.  Born from hellfire perhaps, from darkness, born of a union between pain and despair.  Some say he came from the moon on the day of a solar eclipse when a dark sorcerer threw a wedge of 1 thousand year old cheese into a volcano on the winter solstice.  The theories vary.  Maybe, just maybe, he came at the bidding of mankind, when war, corruption, and strife were omnipresent.  True evil itself, made manifest by the dark deeds of humanity's ancestors.  Looking at Hash'ak'gik meant knowing the true power of evil, his body molten shadow, his claws forged pain, his eyes red orbs of hate.  All that was pure became corrupt in his wake.  Some people fled in fear from him, some proclaimed him their master, most of the others died at his claws or the blades of his armies.  A few banded together, fled to the furthest reaches, and slowly began to fight back.

         These events quickly gained the attention of the Elder.  The balance of the world was monstrously tilted.  The Elder knew that if the balance were not restored, all creation would suffer, be destroyed, and eventually remade in the image of Hash'ak'gik.  The Elder contacted the resistance.  They were weary and morale-broken, he feared it was already too late.  But one woman, named Tatyana, listened to his words, and followed his teachings.  The forces of Hash'ak'gik were not unstoppable, but they had to act immediately.  There was no time to waste, and little margin for error.  Tatyana's people stopped fighting, all the soldiers were recalled.  Too battle weary to challenge her commands, they came to her.  At her bidding, nine pillars of purest marble were built, tall enough to reach into the heavens.  Around each pillar, an emblem was placed, representing the force it represented.  Tatyana then appointed eight of her allies to the key positions, as she believed they belonged.  Her strategist, Damien, her strongest veteran, Stalgroth, her chemist, Victor, her woodsman, Bear, her high sorcerer, Chazra, her seer, Anthros, her diviner, Eliza, and her necromancer, Mortanius.  Tatyana herself took the center pillar.  The Elder, fulfilling his part, gave his blessing to them.  Thus, the first Circle of Nine came to be.  Each one linked to a pillar, each pillar reaching into the core of the force it controls, each member possessing an artifact as a gift from the pillar.  Each pillar, each artifact, and each member wielded the nine strongest forces in the universe: Mind, Conflict, States, Nature, Energy, Dimension, Time, Death, and Balance.  
         The tide turned. Suddenly, the resistance was on an even standing with Hash'ak'gik.  The Mind formulated brilliant strategies.  The Pillar of Conflict raised morale and led troops to incredible victories. States weeded out traitors and brought defectors over to their side. Nature itself confronted the dark army.  Energy was provided in abundance for the resistance's machines.  Heroes from other Dimensions filled the ranks of the army of hope. Time revealed an end to the war in sight, Death was dealt to the enemy, to the dark god.  And Balance, was restored.

        But Hash'ak'gik was not destroyed.  Thousands of years later, a new circle reigned, only the necromancer Mortanius remained of the first.  His dominion over the grave meant that he himself never had to face it, whether he desired it or not.  Perhaps it was this strong link to the afterworld that made him weak.  For Hash'ak'gik found him the most susceptible host.  Though Mortanius resisted to the end, he became vassal to the Unnamed one, carrying out the dark god’s works.  It was under his command that Mortanius murdered his friend and fellow circle member, Ariel.  Her death invoked madness in her love, Nupraptor, the Guardian of the Mind. A madness which, through Nupraptor's gift, would infect the whole circle.  Thus, the circle was brought under Hash’ik’gak’s influence. Their missions were forgotten, and their powers applied to the destruction of Nosgoth, not towards it's protection.
        Whenever a circle member dies, a replacement is usually sought. The circle, however, did not care any longer, so wrapped up in their own petty agendas to search for him or her.  Mortanius knew, however, he knew the name of Ariel’s successor.  A young, brash noble from the town of Coorhagen.  His name was Kain.  Mortanius knew, and he could hide this knowledge from Hash'ak'gik for only so long.  In time, Hash'ak'gik became aware of Kain’s existence.  As punishment for trying to protect him, Hash'ak'gik had Mortanius himself arrange for Kain’s death.  He was murdered in the town of Ziegsturhl barely a week later.
        Mortanius had faced the horror that was Hash'ak'gik once before, and knew what awaited the world should his reign become complete.  Summoning alll his strength, he blocked out Hash’ik’gak’s influence.  His own power greatly diminished in the effort.  He made a journey to the spectral realm, to gain audience with the Elder.  He made a proposition to the Elder, and he accepted.  Mortanius went to Kain’s afterworld, found him, chained, over a pit of fire, his own desire for vengeance damning him to his own personal hell.  Mortanius offered him a chance for vengeance.  Kain jumped at the offer.

        Kain returned to life, as a new creature, known as Vampire.  A soul re-animating a dead corpse, a corpse that requires regular blood sacrifices to sustain itself, it meant being the anti-thesis to all that was natural, all that gave life was anathema to him.  But this form also granted great power to the risen soul.  Kain sought out his assassins and killed them all, their blood filling his veins, strengthening him further.  He believed his quest finished.  That was when Mortanius’ voice came to him.  Telling him that the fools had only been the instruments of his death, not the cause.  Kain followed his instructions and sought the Pillars of Nosgoth.  There he met with Ariel, returned as a forgotten specter, to guard what remained of the Pillars.  Under her guidance, Kain’s journey began anew.  His quest brought him to the furthest reaches of Nosgoth, and even to the distant past.  When he had finished, each circle member was dead, their pillars restored.  Mortanius himself killed Anacrothe, the guardian of states.  Kain had called upon Vorador, an ancient vampire, and mentor of Kain, to slay Malek, guardian of Conflict.  Kain, realized, at the end, that Mortanius had to die as well, Mortanius put up little struggle, attempting to die honorably and bring this to an end.  But as Kain struck the final blow, Mortanius’ power gave out.  Hash’ak'gik crushed his mind and body, returning fully to power.  Hash'ak'gik knew that only one thing now stood between him and his godhood, and attacked Kain ferociously, the battle lasted the whole of the night.  Hash’ik’gak’s demonic power’s clashing against Kain’s sword and ancient spells.  

        At dawn, Kain’s legendary sword, the Soul Reaver, struck home.  Hash'ak'gik was finally destroyed.  Kain’s quest however, was not yet over.  Ariel then revealed to Kain that he was the last pillar, the last guardian of balance.  To truly purify the pillars, Kain had to sacrifice himself.  Nosgoth would be redeemed, or damned, all on Kain’s will.  Kain’s journey had taught him well.  One can only imagine the conflicting forces that raged through Kain's soul that night.  To save himself, live the life that was stolen from him, or destroy himself, and end the corruption that sought to tear Nosgoth apart.  Kain decided. He drew the Soul Reaver, placed the blade at his heart, and drove it through.  His last sight was the sun rising over the newly purified Pillar of Balance.