Metus Syrek was once a powerful Human Barbarian tribe leader, who roamed the Gravencrag forests of the northeastern Crowncrests in the Pre-Unified Age. Though his strength was enough to even slay the Giants of the mountains, Syrek still lived a life of unease, fearing the oncoming Sea of Clouds that blanketed the mountain peaks. Terrified of losing his tribe members to the unknown dangers of his environment, he turned to darkness after a chance encounter with the Dark Power Xa-Phyxan.
The otherworldly being made Metus an offer: in exchange for his soul, Metus would be given power to control own land in the Plane of Shadow as he saw fit. He accepted and was turned into a Darklord; the barbarian became the Vampire Baron of his own domain of dread. He renamed Gravencrag to Syrek-Kas, the "Choice of Syrek", and with the powers of Xa-Phyxan, Metus shaped this world. He gathered extreme wealth while terrorizing his subjects, including the former tribe he once cared about. Only the Vistani were granted the power to travel out of his domain, provided they gave Metus gifts from other planes.
Xa-Phyxan had made this bargain without fully telling their champion the truth: in secret, they would siphon all energy from the plane, leaving Metus only a ruler of ruins. As centuries passed, the domain became a barren, ash-choked wasteland, and Metus was driven further into madness. He began exacting extreme cruelties on the few survivors living in Syrek-Kas, purchasing their young as slaves to be feasted on and turned into his thralls.
One of these youngsters was Erasmus van Richten, son of the monster hunter Dr. Rudolph van Richten. Metus turned Erasmus into a Vampire Spawn once he had nearly drained the boy of his blood; in turn for this crime, Rudolph learned all he could about Metus and Syrek-kas. After learning of his proclivities, weaknesses, and oversights, Rudolph van Richten slaid Baron Metus, then killed him by driving a stake through his coffin. The mists of Syrek-Kas lifted, and the demiplane became one of lifeless ash.