December 17 - The Cimmerian Cloister

This the first in a two-part series. The second part will be published on December 18

Nestled deep within the heart of the desolate Raven's Peak Mountains, a decrepit edifice known as the Cimmerian Cloister looms ominously against the backdrop of the perpetually overcast sky. This abandoned monastery, shrouded in an eternal veil of mist, holds a sinister tale that sends shivers down the spines of those who dare to speak its name. Centuries ago, the Cimmerian Cloister was a sanctuary for a reclusive sect of monks who delved into forbidden arts, seeking communion with the eldritch forces that dwelled in the shadows. The monks, practitioners of an ancient and arcane faith known as the Umbral Creed, believed in harnessing the energies of darkness to gain forbidden knowledge and power, and to use such power for unholy ends.

As the monks delved deeper into the occult, their once-holy practices twisted into malevolent ceremonies. The air within the stone walls became charged with an unholy energy that permeated the very stones of the monastery. Legend has it that on a fateful night, under the blood-red glow of a rare lunar eclipse, the Umbral Creed attempted a forbidden ritual to open a gateway to the nether realms. The ritual, fueled by the life force of sacrificial offerings, spiraled out of control, causing a cataclysmic rupture between dimensions. On that night, the earth trembled, and the skies roared with thunder as the malevolent forces poured through the breached veil. One monk stepped back from the edge of darkness, sacrificing his soul so that the underworld spirits could not move beyond the walls of the monastery, for now. The remaining monks, consumed by the very darkness they sought to control, were transformed into wraiths, cursed to linger in the halls of the Cimmerian Cloister, protecting the portal to the underworld. Thus, this monastery now sits as a nexus for dark entities which seek passage into the mortal realm.

Terrified by the malevolence that now infested the once-sacred grounds, the surrounding villages abandoned their homes, leaving the cursed mountain and the haunted monastery to be swallowed by the mists. The path leading to Raven's Peak became overgrown, and tales of the Cimmerian Cloister were reduced to mere whispers among the locals, warning of the vengeful spirits that awaited any who dared to venture too close. Today, the Cimmerian Cloister stands as a grim reminder of the folly of seeking forbidden knowledge. Its crumbling walls echo with the tormented whispers of the long-departed monks, and the mountain mist conceals the malevolent entities that still hunger for the souls of the living, always seeking a way to move beyond its grounds. The spirits who reside in the Cimmerian Cloister will remain locked within its walls for as long as no living being enters it again.

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DALL E 2 prompt:  “A gothic church in a post-apocalyptic landscape”

Chat GPT prompt: "Write a spooky movie backstory for an old abandoned monastery located in dark and desolate mountains in 400 words. Give the monastery a name."