the Northlands
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The
Chronicles of
the Northlands |
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| Entrance
Hall of Science Amphitheater |
Sword of Kala Saga: Prolouge From the days of the Purging of
Enchantica through the Last Days of Onaeus, the Draconian Empire experienced
a time of Peace and Prosperity.
The Saga is contained in 3 volumes
representing 3 perspectives to better illustrate the events that occured.
The Sword of Kala The Sword of Kala is a new knightly order, one started by Archdruid Lycurgus of Kala. It is composed of all those who wish to follow Lycurgus in his quest to rid the land of sorcerors. You see, Lycurgus saw Mephistos once, during the Purging of Enchantica. And the form Mephistos took was that of a sorceror. Therefore, Lycurgus concluded that sorcerors must draw their power from Mephistos, or at the very least be taught by him. Therefore, all sorcerors must be servants of Mephistos, which means that they cannot be tolerated. This is Lycurgus' train of thought, and Kala herself did not tell him otherwise. And he, being the Archdruid, is closest to her thoughts of all those in the land. He maintains that Onaeus chose him personally to become the Archdruid, and so he now has the backing of the entire Order, as well as many of the Knights of Nova Q'lynnesti. He has been recruiting as well in the Northlands since he arrived in Tol Brandir. His two
aides, Martanius and Lithius, have journeyed forth to recruit more people
into the Sword, going to the southern cities. They have gone to Dragonspire
and Drak Kalthorne first, and plan to go on to Enchantica and the Lakes,
respectively.
The Army Grows in Tol Brandir The local Temple of Kala had been commandeered by Lycurgus and his compatriots, the temple priest bidden to do so by his Archdruid. Lycurgus had raised the banner of the Druid-Knights high, letting the righteous among the Knights of Draconia flock to his holy crusade. He stood at the window atop the bell-tower, silently watching the person below, being admitted to the Temple by his guards. He was certain this new warrior would be accepted to his holy army, would make a brilliant crusader. His gaze moved from the courtyard to the castle that dominated Tol Brandir, curious that the Duke had not moved to stop his recruiting of warriors from the dukes' own army. 'It matters not', he thought, 'The duke is a righteous man, he will provide soldiers to me, as is right.' Lycurgus
Archdruid of Draconia
A Call from the Northland "Sir Hengus, here is your helm. I fixed the visor for you so it should be working better for you." The blacksmith was one of the best in Tol Brandir. Hengus brought all of his items that needed repair to him. The smith could fix anything from a broken sword to a clasp on armor. "I thank you. That visor has been bothering me for weeks. It will be good to have it work again." Hengus took the helm and headed out of the smith's shop back to his quarters at the keep. The town square was unusually busy for this time of the month. There seemed to be supply trains coming in from the south, more and more often as of late. With the new construction of the keep, more and more peasants were making their home here. Along with them they brought many merchants, tavern keepers, and other business owners wanting to profit from the capitols sudden expansion. Tol Brandir was seeing growth in the last few months that it hadnt seen since the cities founding. Hengus crossed the square making his way to the keep. As he passed the keep guards he noticed a huge man arguing with one of the guards. The guard was obviously standing his ground but if the situation esculated the guard was no match for this man. As hengus walked towards the guard, he over heard the man, "Let me by, I must see Wulfgar!" The guard more defiantly then ever, "I've already told you Lord Wulfgar is unavailable at the moment, you will have to come back later!" The barbarian moved toward the guard as if to squash him, which by the look of the man, wouldn't be hard. "What's the problem here private?" Trying to ease the tension Hengus put his hand on the gurds shoulder making him back up a few steps. "This little watchdog won't let me see Wulfgar!" Close up Hengus now noticed how massive this man really was. The barbarian looked a lot like Wulfgar when Hengus first met him on the fields of battle. The man wore tattered animal skins and heavy mail. Strapped to his back was a massive two-handed sword, the likes of which hengus had never seen. The swords hilt was silver and studded with diamonds. By the looks of the man hengus would never have thought he would posess such a valuable sword. The barbarian stood at least 6'4", Wulfgar was tall, at just over 6'2", but this barbarian towered over almost everyone. He had long blonde hair and beard, both of which needed trimming. Around his neck he wore a silver chain and medallion. The medallion was cast of silver in the design of a wolf's head. "Well my friend as he said Wulfgar is currently occupied, but if you care to join me, we can see if he has finished his meeting." "Splendid, finally someone who knows what is going on. Shall we?" "Follow me." Hengus and the barbarian made their way through the keep entrance. Hengus noticed the barbarian eying everyone warily. He seemed a bit uncomfortable by the surroundings. In the main hall of the keep, hengus turned to the man, "I shall go check on Lord Wulfgar for you, could I tell him who you may be?" The man grinned. "Tell him his brother is here to see him." "I thought his brother… I shall see if he is done with his meeting." Hengus was a bit confused, because as far as he knew about Wulfgar, his brother was dead. ***************** "M'Lord, we are only asking for a few guards to protect our holding. We may have discovered something big east of the city, until we figure out what we have found, we would like to keep a lid on things as much as possible. Surely you can understand." The man in front of Wulfgar, Kevin McConnely, was one of the men that owned a number of mines in the mountains just east of Tol Brandir. With the newly constructed keep, and the city rapidly growing, it was making it easier to mine the mountains of the Reaches. Previously, with no major cities, it was difficult to set up a mine and support it for very long. For as long as people have been in the Reaches there have been rumors of caverns of gold just waiting to be mined. But with the harsh conditions, and remote, desolate mountains it has been nearly impossible to succesfully gather these supposed cast recources. "I can understand that, but unfortunatly, as you know, we are a bit short on man power. Until things settle doen, we want to be able to give you anything more than an occasional patrol." With his grace Pug sending the knights south to help defend from the evils of Westmarch, Wulfgar's captians had just enough man to defend the city and it in working order. "Lord Wulfgar, we have found something BIG. By the end of the week we are going to break into what the dwarves think to be a vast cavern of minerals." Suddenly getting very solemn the man leaned forward, lowering his voice, "m'lord, I haven't mentioned this yet because I do not want anything to get to the miners, but in the last few days men and dwarves have been disappearing…" "And by disappearing you think they are being killed?" "Lord I do not know what to think, the men are getting very uneasy. But the dwarves keep saying we are close to something. I think they are pushing so hard because… well… there have been indications we may have struck a gold vein. Any sentries we place deep in the mine… well… they just disappear!" The man looked quite distraught as if he thought he were suddenly going to drop dead. "We are short handed, but for the moment I will send a detachment of foot soldiers to stay at the sight for a few days, or at least until you break through into this cavern. I expect your men to give these soldiers the authority and respect fo their position." "Of course m'lord and thank you." As Wulfgar stood, there was a knock on the meeting hall door. As it opened Hengus strode through. The knight was carrying a helm in one hand and grining from ear to ear. "Lord, if I may disturb you momentarily." "We are finished here, Mister McConnely, if you will excuse me." Wulfgar finished putting the seal on a letter and handed it to the man. "Take this letter to the captain on duty, it will provide him with the orders neccesary to get you on your way back." The man stood. "Thank you Lord Wulfgar. Good day." As the man walked out of the hall, Hengus watched him leave then turned to Wulfgar. "Your not going to believe who is waiting to speak to you downstairs." Hengus was still grinning but more seriously, "He says you are his brother?" Wulfgar upruptly looked up from the paper he was reading. "What?" "I don't know, there's a huge man downstairs that about got into a fight with one of the soldiers on duty. Anyways, he is dressed like a traveler from the north and demands he speak with you." Wulfgar started to move around the table at which he was standing. "Let us go see my brother then." With that he strode out of the room. Leaving Hengus more confused then ever. "But Wulfgar isn't your brother dead… Wulfgar!" Hengus ran after Wulfgar who was already out in the hallway and headed down the stairs. ********************* The main entrance to the keep was made up of two swinging, solid oak doors. Measuring over 15 feet in height, only heavy battering would bring the massive doors to the ground. During the day the entrance was always manned by two of Tol Brandir's foot soldiers. At night, the doors were closed but still watched by the two guards. As one enters you will notice the main hall, the walls of the hall covered with various tapestries, shields, and coat of arms. Hanging from the ceiling are several banners with symbols of The Empire, The Northern Reaches and of Tol Brandir Keep. Lining the main hall are several hallways leading to temporary guard quarters and meeting rooms. The end of the hall consists of a single stairway leading to the upper floors of the keep. The stairway is always guarded as the upper levels consist of officer quarters and military planning rooms. The man stood studying one of the tapestries hanging on the wall. Sensing a new presence coming down the stairs, the man turned and to see a tall warrior dressed as a noble. The young noble had long, dark brown hair that hung just below his shoulders. Around his head he wore a bronze circlet. The noble's bright green eyes were full of intelligence and ambition. "Thien!" "Greetings Wulfgar. I see you have done well for yourself. "It has been a long time my friend, it is good to see you, I want sure you were still alive." "Aye… Wulfgar there is trouble in the Runding, what's left of it anyways." Catching up to Wulfgar, Hengus walked up behind the two huge men. "Sorry for interrupting, but is this your brother?" "Well, Thien is not my actual brother, but we grew up together." "Thien, this is one of the bravest knights of The Northern Reaches, may I introduce you to Sir Hengus." Thien shook the knights outstretched hand. "Good to meet anyone the Wulfgar vouches for." "Aye, it is nice to meet another from the north land." Thien turned to Wulfgar with a serious face; "Can we go somewhere safe to talk? I have some tragic news from the north." "Yes we can go to the meeting hall." Seated at the circular table in the meeting hall, Thien got very solemn. "Wulfgar, I know you want to hear how I came to be here, well I'll tell you, the story is a long one. I shall start back at the day when the twenty chosen left The Runding. I was sent east. There I found nothing but a land plagued by nothingness. No man walks there; it is a wasteland filled with treacherous mountain passes. The passes, which few exist, are plagued by orcs and other cave dwelling creatures. Only by the grace of the gods did I return at all. When I returned I found our people gone our village devastated. By the luck the gods granted me I was able to find some refugees from our land. They escaped to the deep underground caves in the mountains above our village. When I found them they were all dead. At least the caves were painted in blood…" Thien was silent for a long moment. "Wulfgar there were no bodies anywhere… nothing left of our people." "When I returned I found the same as you, our people gone and our land devastated. I found no trace of whom or what has done this. We have had no enemies and the acts done are too brutal to be done by man. What is this thing? And where has it gone?" "I am lost as you are, I know nothing of what has happened." The two warriors sat in silence, both deep in their own thoughts. Until Wulfgar stood, "Thien, I have been aching to fight again. I have been consumed with governing the city I have grown to love, and that has left little time to allow me to defend the light from the presence of the growing darkness. I believe the evil that destroyed our lands may move against the Empire…" After a moment of thought, "Tomorrow we begin our journey to the Runding. We will need more then warriors to accompany us if we are to discover the evil that dwells in the North. Tonight at the ceremony I will announce our decision. I am sure we will have numerous volunteers to join our journey." "What ceremony?" "Ah yes, tonight his grace Duke Pug, is promoting a worthy knight. The need for captains is great and this man has proven himself worthy of the position." "Tomorrow then, I will prepare tonight for our journey." "I will have your quarters prepared for you." Wulfgar walked to the door and called one of his aids. "John would you please prepare a room for my guest, and see to his needs." "Yes m'lord." With a nod the aid left, off to complete his task. "I would be pleased if you would attend the ceremony tonight." Thien stood to leave; "I would be honored." "Good. Now if you will excuse me I must ready for our quest. John will return shortly. He will show you around the keep, if there is anything at all you need, feel free to ask him." "Thank you Wulfgar." With that Wulfgar left the meeting hall excited and yet saddened by the news Thien had brought. He had prayed some of his people had escaped to safety, and yet though they had, they had been slaughtered. ******************** The Great Room was lit by candles, running down the sides of its enormous walls. The room was lined by warriors all awaiting the ceremony to start. At the head of the room was a man, that was unmistakably a warrior, but stood with the presence of a noble. He wore a silver circlet around his head designating him a Duke of The Draconian Empire. The man had drawn his sword and looked out into the gathered warriors. The great hall hushed as the man drew the attention of every soul, with his presence alone. "Fellow knights of The Northern Reaches, we have gathered here to honor a knight who has shown great leadership and honor." As his grace Pug, duke of The Northern Reaches, was finishing, a knight stepped out from the gathered warriors. The knight strode to the steps before the dais on which Duke Pug stood. "Sir Sentencer, I am pleased to honor you with the position of Knight-Captain." Sentencer dropped to one knee. "Thank you, your grace." "Sir Sentencer please stand and face your fellow knights." As Sentencer stood and turned, a thundering cheer rose from the gathered knights that shook the walls of the enormous room. Sentencer resumed his place among the knights, as the cheers grew silent. Wulfgar stood before them silent and very solemn. "Here me Warriors of the Empire." The baron was silent for a few moments, gathering the words for such a request. "You all know my history, I have received word from the North that demons may be moving towards out borders. I am looking for volunteers to accompany me to discover what this evil is and if it truly posses' a threat to our realm." With that several warriors forward before any others. "Thank you knights, be prepared at dawn." With that Wulfgar, followed by another huge man, strode out of the room. ********************* Sir Bardock was hard at work, polishing the new sword he had won during the festival. He wanted it to be perfect for the day it would be used to defend his Glorious Empire. He sat alone in the stables, a place where he found peace and quiet, away from his busy life as a young Knight of The Northern Reaches. He would often come here late in the night to listen to the soft breathing of the many horses kept here. The sound along with the earthy smell of the hay eased his mind. It was late as usual and young Bardock thought of bed, as he had a very busy day tomorrow. Before he rose from his chair, he heard a horse galloping into the far end of the stable. In the shadows, he noticed one of the knights that had accompanied Lord Wulfgar far into the north. Standing Bardock shouted, " Hail friend, what brings your return?". The knight replied, " I was sent with an urgent message for His Grace, Duke Pug. If you will excuse me I must give it to him at once." The knight handed the reins of his exhausted mount to the squire on duty that night, and strode out of the stables. Bardock gathered his things and followed, quite curious about what had happened, and indeed something had happened, judging by the urgency in which the knight had responded to Bardock's greeting. ********************** "Your Grace." "Yes?", replied Duke Pug as he was finishing a document that was to be sent to Dragonspire reporting the status of His Duchy. "The knights have returned from the north." "Ah, good. Send in Baron Wulfgar as soon as he is settled." Pug went back to writing the document. "Your grace, Lord Wulfgar is not among them…" "He what?!" Pug rose abruptly at hearing this, his mind instantly assuming the worst, but he told himself that it was not possible. "Um… ah… I am not sure on the details, but one of the knights wishes to see you." "Well send him in right away!" Pug was trying to keep his composure and trying to remain calm. He had not agreed with Wulfgar, that this little quest was necessary, but in the end, Wulfgar had convinced him. Now it seemed that things had not gone as Wulfgar had foreseen. The knight still wearing full armor entered the room and bowed. "Your grace, I have a message form Lord Wulfgar." The knight was obviously exhausted from a long, hard ride, but was still able to compose himself. He produced a parchment sealed with the sign of a wolf. The symbol that Wulfgar was quite fond of. "I thank you for your efforts to return as fast as possible. You will be rewarded, now if you would excuse me. In the morning, report to your captain with a full report of what has occurred." "Yes your grace and thank you." The exhausted knight thankfully left the room, off too finally rest. Pug unsealed the parchment and began to read what was written. *****************
The courier
when reaching Dragonspire presented His Imperial Majesty Pyros with the
messages from Duke Pug as well as the parchment from Baron Wulfgar.
Part of the message from Duke Pug… Your Majesty,
I wish to convey the news in which Baron Wulfgar has sent, as it is of
urgency. I wish for you to decide on matters before I do anything too drastic,
my first desire was to send every Knight available in The Reaches north.
I have decided you should make judgement, as the news may affect The Empire
as a whole. In your service, Duke Pug
The Message from Baron Wulfgar… Your grace, I have succeeded in my task of discovering the "evil" that destroyed my people and has ravaged the Northland. It is not good news I bear, but news that may bring danger to my beloved Empire. An account of our journey is as follows. We crossed the mountains with little difficulty being eager to begin our search. Upon setting foot on the plains below, we decided to head for my clans' land to the northwest. When we reached the site of my former village we were ambushed by monsters whose origin I did not know. They were unlike anything I had seen. I know now what they are, but it is hard for me to speak of the gruesome events I have encountered. It was a difficult battle but we were able to overcome the "monsters" we encountered. It seemed like many at the time, but I now know it was only a scouting party. Fearing for our safety, we took shelter in the hidden caves of my people. There we searched the caves and found many new passageways I never knew existed. We also found some scrolls telling the tragic days leading up to the massacre of my people. With these scrolls, we were able to discover the root of this "evil". I am afraid to report that, there is a very powerful sorceress, though she wields magic seemingly only possessed by the gods, who has decided to take up residence in the mountains north of The Runding. She has taken the souls of my people and desecrated them to her own demonic ways. The monsters I encountered were former men corrupted by a magic I have no knowledge of. They are extremely dangerous and have killed several of the knights accompanying me along with my brother Thien… I have included a message to go directly to Archdruid Onaeus as it contains information that would be of interest primarily to him. Your grace, I would ask that His Majesty be notified of the information I have found. I will not be returning… I cannot live with myself until I avenge my people, my family, and protect my Empire. You would be proud of the brave warriors that accompanied me… they are stubborn. They would not leave me until I threatened them myself. I feel ashamed for such behavior but for now this is my duty. Two days from now when the knights are well on their way I shall attempt to destroy the source of this evil. I shall miss the empire and I do hope I have served it well. Please your grace, bid His Majesty Farewell for me, for I am afraid I shall not live to see you all again. Humbly,
BloodedWolf of The Vics
The Message to Archdruid Oneaus… My brother and friend, I will spare you the details of my journey. Of those, I am sure you will hear from others. I want to inform you I may have a theory and will soon have proof of the disappearance of The Keeper of The Ancients. I have encountered a mighty Sorceress, I only refer to it by this name because I have no other name to describe the power and form that it takes. She or it has taken the form of a woman and commands power unseen by any mortal eye. She is the one who destroyed my people and twisted the northland to evil. She revealed her presence to my people soon after I left, in search of prosperous ground for us to live on. She gave them one chance to give up their souls to her before she herself took them. My people resisted and tried to destroy her and all evil she represented, but they were only consumed by her powers. Now they have no will of their own and have been twisted by the darkness, into the form of a creature I cannot describe. The creature they have become seeks only to destroy all things of the light, but they do not show the uncontrollable rage most beasts of the dark contain. They have an intelligence that I have never seen in a creature such as these, that makes them deadly. As to my theory about the Keeper of The Ancients, my people wrote scrolls depicting the last days before their corruption and of the events therein. They wrote of an old wizard appearing as out of nowhere that had carried the sign of a dragon. The wizard battled the sorceress for many days high in the mountains looking over the Runding. They produced a storm of energy that could easily be seen in the valley below. Finally the battle ended and the sorceress came forth collecting my people's souls as a prize for her victory. She proclaimed that the old wizard had bowed before her mighty powers and she had banished him to another plain of existence. Of these things, I do not know the truth, but only of that which was written. I urge thee my friend, to call upon Kala, with whom ye are closest with, for all powers she may grant our Empire. For we shall all need protection, if this sorceress comes looking for more to enslave. I pray that I may prevail in the coming days. You may think me foolish my friend, but to those who truly know me, they may come to understand my need of revenge. I pray that I may prevail. I also pray that this will be ample warning to allow you to prepare… May Kala
shine on you my friend, Wulfgar Druid of The Draconian Circle
Wulfgar's Message is Received Lycurgus looked over the scrap of parchment that had been addressed to his predecessor, Onaeus. He sat at a large oaken desk within the Temple of Soliath. Surrounding him were the treasures of a glorious past, and promises for the future. This was the Inner Sanctum, the place where the Patriarch had contemplated, where he had ruled the Order that branched all over the world. This room was the seat of power, more so, in some respects, than the Throne Room of Dragonspire Keep. The chamber was round, with the desk at one end of the chamber, and a set of carved double doors at the other. The sidew of the chamber was devoted to towering bookshelves, a small repository for the many tomes needed by the Patriarch in his day to day duties. Interspersed among the shelves were banners of the member realms of the druids... There was the Dragon of the Draconian Empire... There was the Lion of Tyrengard... There was the Sword of the Seekers, as well as the Eagle of Azuron. A new realm had joined the Order as well, Aerogea, but they had yet to send an emissary to Soliath. Small matter, thought Lycurgus. The Patriarch is gone, and Onaeus has been dead for five years. Soliath is now nothing more than a center for priestly intrigue. Not the mighty Holy City it once was. Lord Calland ruled, and ruled wisely. But he was the duke, and knew nothing of the matters in the Great Temple. Nor should he. Lycurgus didn't feel comfortable in the Holy City, never had, even during the glory days. It was too quiet, too... peaceful. Lycurgus appreciated why it was like that, appreciated the work that Kala's druids were doing. But they always wrote of the past, what they had learned as observers. They had never taken a hand in life itself, to change things in the world so as to better please Kala. That was why Lycurgus had become one of the few militant druids in the Order. He had risen through the ranks quickly, earning the position of Knight-Marshal of Nova Q'lynnesti by the time of the War of Enchantica. During that crisis, he had been the one to rescue the Emperor from the clutches of Mephistos, earning a Medal of Honour, as well as the one to receive Onaeus' Holy Medallion. He had been the last one to see Onaeus, and because he had been the recipient of the Medallion, it made his ascension to Archdruid that much easier. He had distinguished himself in battle, had become powerful through his actions in battle. But this peace was stifling... Nothing to do for five years. But now things were different. The man whose chair he sat in now, Aldar Caine, was missing. None knew where he was, and so Lycurgus, as the highest ranking druid in Soliath at the moment, had to step in temporarily. All the other Archdruids were in their own lands, and so could offer no advise. But Lycurgus knew how to use his newfound power for good. He had started hunting wizards, had formed an order of Hunters for this purpose. He had seen what Mephistos had looked like, in that cave that housed the Window of Souls... The darkest of all daemons had the form of a wizard. By Lycurgus' logic, that meant that all wizards must owe their alliegance to Mephistos. It had been only a few months into the Hunt of the Magi, and already messengers had been coming back to Soliath with the heads of wizards in their saddlebags. These same heads were now mounted on pikes on the road coming to Soliath. But this message, this sweet letter sent by Baron Wulfgar, a man he had met briefly years ago at Drak Yardok, instilled a new sense of vigour into him. Finally, an adversary worthy of the great Lycurgus. Either he would confront this Sorceress that Wulfgar had spoken of, or he would find the Keeper of the Ancients, the great wizard that had so long eluded him. He got up from this desk that symbolized power for so many people, and he went to the place that symbolized power for him... The armoury. Lycurgus
(Onaeus) Archdruid of Draconia
They Set Out to the North He had six of his ablest warriors with him, Lycurgus did. They were all in the greatest condition, all of the paladins of Kala, they were. They were protected by silvery chainmail, with white surcoats embroidered with the great sunburst that proclaimed their alliegance to their holy goddess. Kite shields defended their side, even while they rode their robust steeds. Swords or maces hung from their belts, and bright pennants whipped in the wind from the tips of their shining lances. Lycurgus looked much the same as his compatriots did, though his helmet had a red horse-hair plume distinguishing his rank. He had gathered his men the same morning he had received the letter from Wulfgar, and they had set out immediately. He assumed Derwen would notice his absence, and take over from there. They had ridden for two weeks now, and were coming within sight of the city of Tol Brandir. They were to pay respects to Duke Pug of the Northern Reaches, before they were to make the arduous trek into the Far North. They knew that Pug would help them, that Pug hated wizards as much as they. Lycurgus Archdruid of Draconia Lycurgus smiled as he wrote a letter to the Emperor. "My liege, I hope this missive finds you in good health. I am happy to inform you, my lord, that our hunts so far have been successful. Since our arrival in Tol Brandir three days ago, we have rooted out two sorcerors within the city. Worry not, my liege, they will trouble the Empire no more... They burned at the stake as all sorcerors will, and I made the populace gather around and watch. There will be no more aspiring wizards now, since they have seen their masters wield to the flames of the Sun. Duke Pug of the North did not attend the celebration, due to matters of state, most likely, though I have sent him a message acknowledging his soldiers' support. I am grateful for the help Duke Pug has given me for the Hunt in his city. Now Tol Brandir can be known again, without falsehood, as the Jewel of the North. Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Far North, with some of the new crusaders that have joined us in Tol Brandir. We will find Baron Wulfgar, and aid him in his struggle to find, or perhaps avenge, his people. And we will certainly destroy the witch that has done harm to them. Fare thee well, my liege. Let us come back in victory, or on our shields. Lycurgus
Archdruid of Draconia Lord-Marshal of the Sword of Kala
Souless in The Northland Wulfgar
knelt beside the monster lying before him. The fresh blood was steaming
in the cold winter air. The monster was more man then beast. A man Wulfgar
had once knew, his name had been Reykin, and had hunted with him many times.
Now not much was left of the man Wulfgar once knew. He retained his human
form, large and very powerful, but his soul had left behind nothing but
a shell controlled by pure evil. Wulfgar closed the staring, soulless eyes,
and stood pulling his sword out of the lifeless body. He listened for any
sound indicating the screams of Reykin had been heard. These possessed
bodies cared little for their own safely, making them ruthless opponents
in battle. It had been many several tendays since Wulfgar had sent the
others back to The Empire. Since then, he had been stalking the many groups
of the soulless that now wandered the Runding. They all seemed searching
for something, though what would be of interest to them, Wulfgar did not
know. The soulless were obviously being controlled by some power, because
they were very organized and moved with purpose. Eventually one group led
Wulfgar far north, to a valley he never knew existed. The valley was surrounded
by pine tree covered mountains that led to other smaller, narrower valleys.
Throughout the valley burned the fires of a gathered army. Wulfgar kept
to the shadows of the trees that surrounded the entrance to the massive
camp. The soulless were gathered here and there, along with many demon
like beings that Wulfgar had never seen before. The one closest to him
stood about 4 feet tall. The beast had glowing blue eyes and white skin.
The thing had four horns protruding from its forehead. It carried a shield
on its back and a scimitar strapped to its side. In one claw, it held a
long staff. The beast spoke in a language unfamiliar to Wulfgar. It seemed
to be in a position of command. These creatures were far and few between
in the camp, but each seemed to command easily, a hundred soulless. Wulfgar
crept along the border of the trees trying not to attract attention from
any of these monsters. It was obvious that an army was being gathered,
an army of soulless. Wulfgar noticed many races of humans throughout the
camp. How they had all gotten this far north was something Wulfgar did
not know. For several days Wulfgar stayed near the valley, watching and
waiting. He knew not where the powerful sorceress, that his people had
written about, was. There was no evidence in the valley that she existed
besides that amount of soulless camped there. Everyday, patrols would come
and go, but they would always return, sometimes with slaves. The humans
unfortunate enough to be captured by these fiends.
Ever Onward The Holy Army of Kala had grown. Warriors from across the Empire had made the long journey to follow Lycurgus into the North. Arriving in Tol Brandir, finding him gone already, their dedication drove them ever onward until they found the ever growing column of warriors on the move. Nearly a thousand now, spearheaded by the Sword of Kala, they had met their first adversaries. Going through a certain mountain pass had seemed a mistake when the orcish inhabitants took offence to the human encroachment. A short battle followed, which the Sword won with minor injuries. Lycurgus and his followers fought like madmen, but after the battle he made his men rest for a time. They burned the orcs on a funeral pyre, as was the old custom, and gave them the honours due to fallen warriors. The army kept on... a day later they came into the lands of the Sorceress. Lycurgus
Archdruid of Draconia Lord-Marshal of the Sword of Kala
The Meeting Wulfgar was startled awake by a distant rumbling. He pulled the thick hides that he used to stay warm in the frigid northland. He could not risk a fire so close to the sorceress' valley, especially with the constant patrols of soulless. Wulfgar stood and moved to the edge of his camp, concentrating on the noise that had disturbed his alert but restful slumber. He at once thought that the soulless army was on the move, but their current lack of activity in the valley suggested otherwise. In the distance, he could see a faint glimmer of light just trailing down the near side of a distant foothill. Wulfgar quickly gathered his equipment and started making his way to the growing light. Lycurgus, riding tall on his white gilding, halted, gazing into the growing darkness. The torches had just been lit, and it was time to find a place to camp for the approaching night. He knew he should have made camp earlier that evening, but he was pushing himself harder and harder, eager to confront this "witch" Wulfgar had sent warning of. He was also interested in finding the whereabouts of Baron Wulfgar, who seemed to think he could take on such a supposedly powerful enemy, as he had, wrote about, by himself. Lycurgus did not know what to think of the man. He himself had never met the "barbarian" turned noble, but had heard a few things about him. However, he was not the kind of man to formulate opinions on what others told. He was one that had to see things for himself. Now he was being forced to stop because of the lack of daylight. They were in relatively unknown country and pre-cautions had to be taken. He ordered for his captains, and had them set up sentries and start preparing the army for the night. Unfortunately, with the amount of men that made up The Sword of Kala preparing and breaking camp took an irritatingly long amount of time. Later that night in the middle of his evening meal there was a commotion outside his tent. One of the guards of duty poked his head inside the tent. "Lord-Marshall Captain Gaines wishes to speak with you." "Of course send him in." The guard withdrew and he heard some muffled conversation, then Captain Gaines entered. "Lord Marshall." He said with a slight bow. "Captain. Please excuse me, I was in the middle of my meal. What is it you need of me at this hour of the night?" "Please do excuse the intrusion m'lord. One of the sentries reports a barbarian wanting to speak with you. They say he appeared seemingly from no where startling the guard, frankly I think the men are just a bit tired." "Yes I can imagine they are, after a long day such as this. However, they must be doubly aware, for we are deep in unknown land. About this "barbarian", I wonder if it might be Lord Wulfgar?" "Shall I send for him?" "Yes, but do give me a moment to finish my meal, and prepare to speak with him." "But of course Lord Marshall." The captain bowed on his way out of the tent. Things were looking up, thought The Lord Marshall of The Sword of Kala. Indeed if this turned out to be Wulfgar, battle would be close at hand. He settled in to meet the man, who could lead them to their goal. Wulfgar had slowly made his way towards the twinkling lights, that, since he first spotted them, had stopped moving and began to grow. As he neared them, he noticed by the way they flickered that they were torches, carried by many men. Any men would have to be knights from The Empire. For one, the soulless did not need light to see in the darkness, they had the inhuman ability of infra-vision. For another, it would have to be knights, for the men ahead were not merely a search party. It was an army. That meant that his letters had reached Dragonspire and noble men had paid them heed. As he neared the assembly camp, he could sense the guards on sentry duty. Not wanting to surprise the sentry ahead of him, he lit a torch with flint. The guard immediately became alert and defensive. "I've got something!" The guard shouted. The call was followed, by a number of guards rushing to back up the alerted sentry. "Identify thyself!" The guard shouted at the figure carrying the burning torch. The howling wind blew smoke across the figure blurring its image. The guard was joined by several others all armed to the teeth in full armor and each carrying a torch. "Ease thyself. Is this a legion of The Northern Reaches?" The figure asked, still standing still in the torchlight. "Nay, this is The Sword of Kala. Again I say, Identify thyself!" The guard shouted, nervously clutching his long sword. Several more groups of soldiers joined the guards as word, of the figure, spread through the camp. A couple of soldiers each nocked an arrow in anticipation of an ambush, while awaiting an answer from the man. "I am Wulfgar, Baron of Tol Brandir. I ask thee, is this a legion of The Draconian Empire?" "Aye m'lord! We have accompanied Lord Marshall Lycurgus far north in search of an evil sorceress." As Wulfgar walked towards the assembled soldiers, he raised his arms showing he carried no weapon. "Please take me to this Lord Marshall… Lycurgus was it?" "Aye m'lord. I shall notify him of your return." The soldier left to give the news to his captain. "While I wait could I get a little something to eat?" Wulfgar asked. He had been eating on what wildlife he could hunt, since he had left Tol Brandir almost six months ago. "Aye m'lord right away." The soldiers led him to the nearest campfire. "So you
are telling me that this witch has created an army of your former people?"
Lord Marshall Lycurgus repeated to the shambled man standing in front of
him. The man did indeed have the look of a barbarian as his captain had
said. The man was wearing light mail and dressed in a mix of animal hides
and the remains of a Northern Reaches military uniform. However, around
his forehead he wore the bronze circlet indicating he was indeed Baron
of Tol Brandir. Visibly tired, Wulfgar replied. "Aye, that is what I am
saying. Now I am quite gladdened by the sight of this army, because we
are going to need it to take on the army of soulless. They are quite ferocious
fighters but are not the equal of our trained knights." "Lord Wulfgar what
have you been doing while here in the northland these past months? Those
in Dragonspire took you for dead." Asked Lycurgus quite interested in the
question himself. "When I sent the messengers from the Runding to The Northern
Reaches, I have been following the ever more frequenting "patrols" of soulless
that seem to be scouring the northland. I have managed to dispatch a number
of patrols, but not a one is ever carrying anything to identify what their
purpose is. I was able to follow a patrol to a valley just up over these
ridges here." Wulfgar said, referring to the ridges that surrounded the
small glen in which The Sword of Kala was camped. "There I first discovered
that this sorceress has built a small army of these soulless. Since coming
here I have been watching and waiting to see what they are planning, though
they have been quite inactive for some time now." " Tell me about these
soulless, you speak of." Lycurgus asked. "What I call these monsters describes
what I believe this sorceress has done to these people. She has taken their
souls, turning them into nothing but a walking, murdering shell of a human
being. I have learned of creatures that I have never seen before. Each
of these seems to control a certain number of the soulless. They do not
seem to be very physically powerful, but they seem to have strong mental
powers. The sorceress may use them to magnify her power over the soulless.
If this is true, there may be a way to use this against her." "Yes I see,
what you are saying." Lycurgus responded slowly, deep in thought. "Tonight
you must get some much needed rest. Tomorrow we shall begin planning our
attack. Together we shall destroy this witch once and for all." "Aye, it
shall feel good to really rest, without worrying about staying alive through
the night." Wulfgar replied. "And tomorrow we shall begin the end of this
evil that has destroyed my homeland and consumed my people. Tomorrow."
The Battle at Last "FOR KALA!" rang out across the bloody snow swept valley. The Sword of Kala had entered the valley of the soulless just after noon, and now evening was beginning to into the afternoon. The knights had been fighting hard and were slowly gaining ground. What the soulless lacked in skill they made up for in blind, pure rage as well as in numbers. The battle had not been going well for The Sword, wounded knights screamed for Kala's mercy, while their comrades bravely fought on despite their fallen brothers pleas. Like a pool of lava consuming everything in its path, Lord-Marshall Lycurgus, followed closely by Lord Gates and Lord Wulfgar, pushed his way to the center of the fierce melee. For but a moment the sight of their leader fighting bravely to lead at front of the fray, made the knights pause. During those few seconds Lycurgus cried out, "HERE ME KNIGHTS OF KALA! Fear not these blights of the darkness! FOR WE FIGHT FOR THE LIGHT! AND THE LIGHT ALWAYS PREVAILS!" The men screamed and surged forward renewed in strength and purpose. At the center, nothing withstood the power of the three heroes' fierceness. Until right
as the sun disappeared below the horizon, the soulless mass parted and
a bolt of lightning appeared from seemingly nowhere and struck Wulfgar
full force, knocking the large man to the ground eight feet from where
he had stood.
His white stallion rearing on its hind legs, Lycurgus' sword fell in swift arcs of doom upon the souless. The horse went back on all fours, its forehooves crushing another creature on its landing. Lycurgus' pure white surcoat was stained with blood, some of it his. He hadn't noticed creature's claws that had pierced his chainmail, and it slowed him little. Grey eyes flashed in fury as Wulfgar fell. By sorcery, no less. He immediately charged to the place where Wulfgar lay, and crowds of souless surged around him, only to meet the bared steel of the Sword of Kala. The two forces clashed like two mighty waves come as one. Suddenly his horse grunted and shuddered below him. Lycurgus quickly tore himself from the saddle and leapt into the fray as his white charger fell to its death, its skin flayed from its body by the naked claws of the souless. He dragged Wulfgar's prone form back to where the men were holding the beasts at bay. He left Wulfgar within their lines, shouting at them to keep the baron safe. The small pendants of the sun glinted dully in the moon, but the flames of their passion burned ever brighter. But Lycurgus was no fool. His warriors would defeat these beasts, but it would be costly. He breathed
a silent prayer to Kala and turned to join his men at the front lines.
The Death Floating. Time did not exist. Darkness. Bright as the sun and then nothing. Wulfgar felt like he had been hurled, by an unknown god, into some kind of black hole. The last he remembered he had been fighting for all he was worth, slashing here, parrying there, trying to end the never-ending sea of madness. He recalled Lycurgus, the Lord Marshall of, what Wulfgar had been told, was The Sword of Kala. They seemed to be some kind of crusading radicals, and according to Lord Gates, not to be trusted. As Wulfgar floated through the air he though about Lycurgus. The man had a purpose about him, a purpose whose end only Kala knew. However, he seemed the type of man that would do anything to finish what he had started. Wulfgar wondered about the timely arrival of The Sword. He wondered what he would have done if he had not awoke that cold night, that seemed so long ago, to point them in the right direction. He wondered what would happen if The Sword did not prevail this cold wintry eve. He wondered where he was, and what had happened to everything. He prayed Kala to prevail. Then he hit the ground. "FORM A CIRCLE AROUND WULFGAR!" someone screamed. Wulfgar assumed it was Gates or Lycurgus. "WATCH IT OVER THERE!" someone else shouted. "KEEP IT UP MEN!" the first voice yelled. "THEY'RE FALLING BACK!" someone else shrieked in an adrenaline pumped voice. He opened his eyes. His arm burned with the pain of a hundred red-hot needles. In his right hand, his white knuckles shown in the pale moonlight, unwilling to relinquish its grip on his sword. He raised his helm-enclosed skull, looking at his blood-splattered armor. He could not feel if it was his blood or not. His body numb from the… what was it that had knocked him from his position at the front of the rage? He had noticed the endless wall of soulless part for an instant before he was hit with the flash of blinding light… lighting. Magic? That meant the witch was near at hand. He struggled to force his body to do his minds biding, but failed to do anything but, roll onto his side. In the pale moonlight, he saw Lycurgus dueling with a pale skinned man. The man's flesh seemed to absorb the surrounding moonlight forcing it to abide by his will. As Wulfgar's eyes set upon the man, he felt as if somewhere in the pale skin was a familiar soul. At that moment, the sword of the man flew through the air tracing a line of crimson onto Lycurgus' face. Lycurgus screamed in anger more then pain. As the scream ended the blade of a halberd dug deep into the pale man's chest, pinning the man to the ground. The man issued something of a sigh, and smiled into his killer's face and then closed his eyes. The warrior who had slain the man turned with the air of a man who had completed a long and terrible journey. However, there was the hint of regret in his eyes along with a little doubt. Nevertheless, doubt was quickly covered with the confidence of a veteran warrior. The warrior was Lord Gates. The second of silence after the pale man's death did not last long. The soulless renewed their paused attack with a new fury. Flashes of lightning darted out from their thick ranks. Striking Sword Knights down where they stood. Wulfgar rolled onto his back, pausing for a moment of relief against the pain surging through his body. The moment came. Then he tensed, and forced his mind's wishes upon his body praying to Kala to give him strength. A knight behind him noticed his attempt to stand witnessing him struggle to his knees. "Lord Marshall! Lord Wulfgar is alive!" the knight cried out not knowing what else to say. The knight knelt beside the baron, providing some support. That was enough to get Wulfgar to his feet. Blood rushing to his head, Wulfgar leaned heavily on the knight. The battle raged on in front of him, fierce and bloody. Finding his voice, "Where is the witch?!" he hoarsely attempted to be heard above the scream of rage, pain, and adrenaline. "Take it easy m'lord, Lycurgus is rallying the men for one more charge!" the knight said as he helped steady Wulfgar, who looked around at the raging melee occurring before his eyes. ""One more charge and they'll break' is what I heard Lord Gates yellin to the Lord Marshall." Several knights took formed a ring to protect the Baron as he was helped toward the rear of the field of battle. "I think I will be alright." Wulfgar said breathless, concentrating on taking each step, one after the other. "I imagine your Lord Marshall needs all the men he can get." Now the battle was far enough behind him that he could speak normally. "Aye, m'lord." The knight said. Turning to the other knights that had accompanied them, "To the battle! FOR THE GLORY OF KALA!!" The knight, along with the others took up the battle cry as they charged heedlessly back into the fray. Wulfgar sank into a tired heap, praying sleep, or death, he knew not the condition of his body, would come soon. He would not have revenge for the death of his people, he had accepted that. Nevertheless, he prayed Kala would smile upon the Sword enough for them to reap the revenge he sought. For now he could rest. A peace of mind settled upon his weary body, dragging him into a deep sleep, filled with prayers to Kala, swallowed him whole. He awoke to the harsh bite of the northern wind sweeping the valley. A valley covered with the blood of valiant knights of the Sword, as well as the blood of the soulless. He slowly opened his eyes as the wind subsided. The burning needle like pain of the previous night was gone, as well as his armor and clothing. He felt the thick furs that covered just over half of his sore, naked body. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light seeping into the tent, he began focusing on the dark blur beginning to move at his side. "Good morning, m'lord!" it said. "The Lord Marshall will be glad to see you survived the night, when you were struck down we all feared the worst." The blur became a figure, and his vision adjusted sharpening the figure into the form of a man. "Your arm was the worse off of all your body, but I think with expert care, and some prayers to Kala, it will fully heal… eventually. The rest of you will probably be sore for a week or two, but you'll survive, m'lord." Wulfgar struggled with his voice. His throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper only scraped enough vibration on the emerging breath for a faint, "Thank you." "No thanks necessary my baron. As the chief physician of the Lord Marshall, it is a pleasure to do my job. Now you should rest. I will fetch the Lord Marshall, as soon as possible." Wulfgar felt the blackness begin to creep into the edge of his vision, wrapping him in its painless warmth, he slept. "Then we
found the witch trying to flee with some of her little controlling bastards.
Oh, we never did come up with a name for 'em. But we found that once you
see one, you had better kill it. Once one of 'em dies all the soulless
around it fall dead as the empty shell they are." Explained one of the
Captains of The Sword, as he along with several other captains, Lord Gates
and Lord Marshall Lycurgus filled Wulfgar in on the previous nights events.
Wulfgar soon learned that Lord Gates had been instrumental in turning the
tide of the battle, by discovering one of these little creatures and killing
it. He also learned that The Swords numbers had been reduced to half of
its original size. He looked over at Lycurgus, a newly stitched line covering
one side of his face. The wound refreshing Wulfgar's memory of the night
before. Lycurgus, the man whom Gates had referred to as, bordering insane.
He had decided long ago, when Lord Gates had first approached him that
he would not speak aloud the things Gates had said. He still wished to
decide for himself what kind of man this Lord Marshall was. During the
planning of the battle, Lycurgus had shown himself to be something bordering
brilliance as a tactician. He also showed tenacity and a strong will. He
was not a coward, leading his men into battle and fighting along side them.
Few commanders were willing to take such a risk. Somewhere inside him,
Wulfgar knew he needed to make a firm decision about his opinion of Lycurgus,
but he felt as if he should wait, that there would be a time in the future
that would decide it for him. His eyes traced a line from Lycurgus to Lord
Gates. The man had not said a word since he had entered the tent, and looked
as if he had not said a word since the battle. Wulfgar recalled the look
on Gates face when he had thrust the tip of his halberd through the pale
skinned man. He had wanted to ask about that event, but something about
Gates made him change his mind. "Aye, after we chased that damn witch halfway
up the valley before we over came her. She ran like a banshee when the
last soulless line of defense broke apart. By the time we found her she
must have been quite tired because she had been casting her little spells
all night. Damn near fryed you, m'lord!" the captain continued. Pausing
for a second he glanced and the Lord Marshall. "The Lord Marshall said
that she must have drained herself mightily working all the magic she did.
When we finally caught her, she had a tired, weak look on her face. But
when she saw there was no where to hide she started chanting, someone yelled
to grab her, but we must not have reacted fast enough. When the first knights
reached her and attempted to restrain her, she, along with a good fifty
to sixty feet of ground around her burst into flames, snow and all." The
captain said, with a look of a man that did not expect anyone, let alone
himself believe what he said. "I lost a good ten or fifteen men in that
burst of flame. Then she and the knights were gone." The captains explained
the rest of the nights activities covering everything Wulfgar had missed.
Nearing the end of the explanation Lord Gates upruptly got up and left.
Which he had thought as peculiar but nothing could be done. Gates had been
doing a very good job of keeping his true feelings about Lycurgus hidden,
nevertheless Wulfgar, since he knew of these feelings caught an occasional
glimpse. Soon after Gates had left, Lycurgus announced, "The witch is dead,
so we have accomplished what we came here to do. Tomorrow we begin our
journey back to Tol Brandir, and back to The Draconian Empire."
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