Download Dungeon Siege 2 character regains consciousness in the custody of the dryads. Rather than execute him, the dryads allow the player to earn his freedom by helping them in the war against Valdis. After he earns his freedom, he discovers that he is infected with the Plague, a mysterious disease created by the Dark Wizards that drives its victims to insanity. After being cured by the water from an Elven shrine, he returns to his hometown. On the way home, the player character rescues an old man from Plague-maddened dryads. The old man then describes an event called the Great Cataclysm, caused when the Sword of Zaramoth that Valdis wields struck a magical shield called the Shield of Azunai. The blow shattered the shield, causing a catastrophe that ended the First Age.