Regent Valley Defence

Regent Valley

 The charr have penetrated the Great Wall again.  I feel at fault, perhaps espying myself and my team spurred them on to charge so quick.  Word from Lord Darrin is that the Prince is marching on them from Rin.  Alas, Rin is far to the west, he will never make it in time.   I fear Ascalon will be destroyed for good, because of me. 

To clear my head, I went for a walk out in the ruins of Regent Valley.  Sergeant Brannen, daft soldier, confirms to me that the great Prince plans to push the charr back, except he does not know that the charr have made it as far as King's Watch.  He asks that myself, and my team clear them out, and then report to Lord Darrin.  No doubt this is his job, but he is too scared to of the furry beasts.  Perhaps everyone senses the end of Ascalon.

The charr will not enter Fort Ranik

We are attacked by bands of renegades.  They make fire fall from the sky.  Though this causes a panic amongst the townsfolk, considering the last fire from the sky, the soldiers know it for the parlour trick it is.  A weak attack, though mildly painful.  I hear talk from one renegade as I smote him, that the bandit Torin is nearby.  I would like a word with him.

fire from the sky

We find him just across the bridge, close indeed.  He was unaware, and no match for us. And though I will take rewards for his death, the ambassador Zain of Kryta will be very pleased to hear of this, I pray for his soul.  To capitalize through tragedy will be as if signing you're on death warrant, be sure of that.

and there shall be a firefight

I continue on my way to Kings Watch.  I feel lost.  I grew up here in Regent, but the landscape is unrecognizable.  Even Aiden the archer would be lost in this terrain.  The rivers and black with ash and tar.  I make it to the bridge, but it is crawling with grawl.  We clear them out until all that is left are random ornate necklaces strewn over the rocks.  I take blessing at the shrine of Melandru, patron saint of rangers and wilderness. He will offer me no blessing this day.  I have arrived atleast, to Kings Watch. I spy the charr I am to dispose of.  I take the courage from the monument of hope,

"To endure is greater than to dare;

to keep heart when all have lost it;

to forego even one's own life when the end is gained;

who can say this is not greatness?"

Inspiration.  We attack.  The charr cannot see us from where they stand, a stupid location if you ask me. Perhaps they are just too confident that we are hopeless.  Their confidence however is our victory.  We maintain the upperhand with our surprise attack and cut through the charr as if we were on a divine mission.  A fire in our bellies, brute savagery. 

the beast must die

I return to the fort.  We pass our information to Lord Darrin and he hands me yet another promotion.  I am getting somewhere.  Me and my merry band of misfits and rogues.

The Searing

We have been ruined by the charr.  So many dead, so many missing.  The King, Prince, and his men have survived.  I myself survived aswell, obviously, but a piece of me died.  Lush green fields lay in charred dusty ruin,  houses demolished, the kingdom at war not only with the charr, but with all kinds of Grenths own.  At war with ourselves.  Rurik believes we should make haste to Kryta, and uphold the ancient alliance but the King, his father, is far too stubborn.  He will not allow us to transport our dying population.  Instead he insists we stay in a dead land.   Over the last while, I have been sent on many messenger missions.  I think the king holds a grudge to us who were killing charr before the event we call the "searing".   Adelbarn believes us to blame.  The killing of Vatlaaw triggered the hellfire.  Now our lands lay scorched, our spirit maimed, and our king absolutely insane.

I recieved a promotion.  Bittersweet news admist the tragedy.  Virtually everyone recieved a promotion though, considering the state of our shambled city.   We need all the help we can get, and we all became greatly experienced in what seems overnight.  We had no choice.  No time for leisurely training.  Its more like a run for your life through fields of devourers.

Our enemies became more experienced aswell.  It was almost as if the crystal storm gave them power or security of being.  They multiplied in the hundreds. Guess there was nothing better for them to do with our soldiers having no time to control the populations.

Devourers

Warmaster Tydus, yes warmaster now, sent me with a message to the ambassador Zain of Kryta.  I took Alessia with me, a fellow monk in training.  She is more skilled than I, and I hope to learn from her.  Tydus is suspicious of the Krytans.  His mind has become suspicious of all, he holds a piece of the same madness afflicting the king.    Before I leave though, I take my advantages where I can.  The searing has driven most crafters and trainers to the far reaches of our continent, luckily, it drove some in to "Old Ascalon", as the king has dubbed it. Corwen will upgrade my armour to something more suitable to the new norm.  Perhaps I can muster a more powerful weapon.

When I arrive at Zain, the prince was there.  Ever the diplomat, he sees reason.  He is our forerunner for the push to Kryta and salvation. They discuss matters, and the prince runs back to the fallen palace to attempt to yet again persuade the King to move.  The message has been delivered.  It is time to gather some new skills and move on.