Ancient civilizations come and go. The Romans Empire, the Greek Empire, the Mongolian empire-- these are all fine examples that a civilization never remains the one and only central power forever. One of the most mysterious ancient civilizations were the Etruscans. They are believed to be descendants from the Mediterranean region of Europe, cast out during a famine when the King of Lydia had to send some of his subjects away, in search of a livelihood somewhere else.
The biggest mystery surrounding the Etruscan civilization, though, is the Labyrinth of Porsena. The labyrinth is said to have been ordered to be built by Etruscan king, Lars Porsena and was to serve as a royal tomb for him when he died. In contradiction to these claims, no trace of the primeval tomb has ever been able to be found by archaeologists, thus purporting the tomb to be fabled and nonexistent; however, I have proof that the Labyrinth of Porsena exists, or at least used to exist.
I was intrigued by the thought of an ancient tomb and any magical powers that may be exhibited by it. Such is the case with many of these tombs, and such is the case with the Labyrinth of the Etruscan King, Lars Porsena. You see, during the time that the Etruscan Civilization thrived (numbering twelve very powerful cities at its peak), so did the Roman Empire. Being a peaceful people, King Porsena knew that the Etruscans would never be able to defeat the Roman Empire’s army. As a means of preserving the sacred riches of the Etruscan Empire, the king ordered that a vast network of underground tunnels, passageways, and vaults to be built. Throughout this network, he hid the royal treasure, so it would not be consumed by the Romans and their greed. Proof of these structures still exist today, underneath modern-day Chiusi (a.k.a. Cunuculi to the ancient Etruscans).
I also know, for a fact, that the Labyrinth of Porsena exists because I carried out an investigation in Chiusi, with the help of my teammates. I now have a first hand account of what happened by somebody who was actually there and has been commissioned as the guardian of the Etruscan treasure. You see, before his death, estimated to be about 800BC, Porsena sent out a squadron of Etruscan soldiers to recruit the ancient dragon, Balthasar, the Countless Count of Cunuculi, to guard the newly constructed Labyrinth and the treasure which was hidden within. As we all know, Dragons enjoy riches, collecting anything, not for any reason other than stockpiling wealth. King Porsena promised Phantasar that at the last breath of the last Etruscan, he would be the rightful heir of the Royal Etruscan Treasures.
Phantasar still inhabit the Labyrinth of Porsena, protecting the treasure from Roman intruders, or any for that matter. We were able to gain entry to the maze thanks to local folklore expert, known only as Giuseppe, who knew the secret whereabouts of the only above ground entrance to the Labyrinth. Once we were in, we traversed the vast network of mazes and eventually encountered the terrifying, yet humble, Balthasar. Honestly, he was ready to have us as a snack that was a few millennia overdue, but before he was able to do any major damage, we informed him that his time has come to claim his prize. You see the Count was so committed to his cause that he had dwelled in the Labyrinth, vowing not to surface until his job was complete. And now, it was job well done for Phantasar. All that was left in this due process was for Phantasar to receive his reward.
As a token of appreciation, he bestowed upon us a tiny (and I mean TINY) portion of his treasure. He also bestowed upon us his magical capabilities. We infused the power into the piece you see above. Once you possess this piece you will inherit pyrokinetic energies and ability. You will also be granted the ability to transform you physical being into that of a dragon. You will be given all the magical capabilities of a dragon including, but certainly not limited to, that of super strength, omniscience (you will know all the secrets of the ancients), and capnomancy. You will receive one of the pieces above.
