Helping Hands

The lady Althea, mentor to my mesmer, is dead.  Duke Barradin, her father, who hides in Piken Square beyond the breach has commanded my company to gather her ashes.  The charr burned her alive, like an effigy.   The Prince, and the Duke are in shambles upon the news.   I've been to the ruins of Lakeside County.  I found Farmer Hammet and Grazden the Protector among the rubble and offered them armed escort to the city gates.   I found little Gwen's broken flute.  I put it in my sack as a reminder to not allow myself to become soft of heart. 

 I've been to Ashford Abby, though it is more of a sanitorium now.  The pathways to the catacombs sealed off by the wreakage.  The statue of Dwayna stands still, crooked. Perhaps that is where all our faithes lay at the moment.  There, but crooked. 

 I've tried to be of aide to anyone who needed it.  Paulus is all but destroyed, his corpse I stumbled upon myself while sorting the bandit problem.  He was clad as a soldier.  A final sacrifice for the home he loved so dearly.  I had the misfortune of having to tell the woman he loved so dearly.

I've done much these last few weeks. I've been rewarded for it greatly, but I wish there were more that I could do.  It must wait though,  the Prince calls on me.  The charr have set up a siege camp outside the gates of Nolani.  I have a mission.

Ruins of Surmia

I arrived in Surmia with little trouble.  Just some hostile grawl which weren't a problem.  Captain Miken greets me at the gate and briefs me on the mission.  I am to meet the Prince inside, there we will fight together to the prisoner camps and free our people.  Once freed they will return to the gate, as we have cleared the way.  Sounds easy, assuredly it will not be.   We meet the Prince immediately and he puts me in lead.  It is an honour for me. Perhaps another promotion will come.  I get a chance atleast to take out my new smiting rod for a spin.

We are swarmed by mobs of devourers.  Where did they all come from? I see a mother devourer and my question is answered. They have set up camp and spawned on the steps of Surmia. Sohothin, the princes great fire sword, an Orrion relic whos sister sword is owned by his father, cuts through them like it would a moa breast fillet.

Then come the charr.  The vision of the charr throws Rurik in a rage. He screams at them, how he will dance on their corpses.  We reach the first gate, it is protected by Fling Bloodpelt.  A ranger boss.  He is no match for the great Prince, and his great Sohothin.  The second prison protected by Scaar Sternclaw, a monk.  We are quickly outnumbered by healers.  I have an ace up my sleeve.  I pop the stone I recieved long ago, before the searing. It still works. We free the next set of prisoners, but there are more.  We head to the third jail, and guarding it was a devourer.  If the charr and devourers are working together we are indeed in trouble.

Erol and Rurik

 Within the third jail we find Erol.  A flaming scepter mage.  He tells the Prince that there are more captives.  The remainder of his unit are in Drascir.  To Drascir we go.  It will be nightfall soon, but we agree with Rurik that they must not be left there. They have been imprisoned for over two years. We arrive at the gate, but the drawbridge is raised.  We must lower it, but in order to do so Rurik and Erol must wait at the other side of the chasm, while we trip the lever from the other side.

the Flame Altar

 On the way we find Breena Stavinson.  She warns us of the flame legion.  They march to the Flame corridor to light the effigy in praise. A small detour will not hurt.  We decide to follow the torch bearers, we will dampen their resolve.  As soon as they foolishly open the gate to their place of worship we kill them, then we kill all their priests. It is oddly unsatisfying.

Victory.

With that we must return to our task at hand.  We make our way to the lever across the chasm and open the path for our Prince. He leads us to Drascir and we find the mages are not captive as we thought, but sealed in safely withstanding the attacks.  Given courage by the site of Rurik they abandon their safe haven and take thier positions on the flaming mage podiums.  We are greeted with waves of charr, and we lay down waves of corpses.  We have won this day, but victory is short as a mob that outnumbers us greatly approaches.  we run to the mages safehold, and Rurik summons a magical doorway.  I knew not he had this power, it leaves me in awe.  Before we jump in to the portal, he is called by Erol.  We have the mouthpiece for Stormcaller.  This could be our salvation.  Atlast. I hope we are not too late.

Road to Ruin

I would be nowhere, would it not be for friends.

I arrived at the Frontier Gate with my crew.  We rendezvous with Warmaster Riga.  Warmaster.  One day I will be one.  I will be a vigilant and just warmaster.  Not a puppet sent to ruin by a King with an agenda. Not like my father.  Chasing prophecies to appease the people, unprepared and badly trained.  No one knows how far he got, all we know is he never returned.  He was sent by good King Adelbern to end the flameseeker prophecy.  To my knowledge, that prophecy was only a story told to scare children in to eating their vegetables and doing their chores. "Eat your broccoli or the Lich will get you" my mother would say, "Clean the floors or we'll send the lich to take you at night".  We knew he was running in to a fools mission, even I knew as a small child that chasing imaginary monsters would only result in catching air.  And air cannot be caught.  He left us anyways.  A fools mission.   Only Meerak the Shouter, formerly the scribe, who became touched and unhinged during the searing, continues to believe in this prophecy. 

even now he screams of the prophecy.

We take our instruction, head to Surmia.  There is a camp at the ruins, we will be joined by the great Prince there and free our bretheren. Then we will head to the north, through the breach in to the shiverpeaks.  It will be peaceful there, our people will remain safe until we reach Kryta, and set up for a new life.  Dreams.  We will finally be at peace again.

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.

Defend the Wall

I've been sent on a mission.  I'm to find the Squire Zachary by the Great Northern Wall.  I am to rally a party, and I am to go on a scouting mission.  Captain Calhaan is in charge, and he is a man that is to the point.  I am sure as soon as I see him he will send me directly in to danger.  Reyna, Alesia and Orion choose to join me.  We are fast becoming a regular group.  I make the decision to leave Alesia in charge of healing, so I can aide with the damage.

Captain Calhaan

 Captain Calhaan sends us after Bonfazz Burntfur, General of the Flame legion.  We are to scout only.  I suppose that is why we were chosen.  Some veterans help us leave the gates unseen, by charr that is.  The path to the lookout point is swarming with devourers, gargoyles and grawl.

I am lucky to have my team, my friends, even if they are hired help. Strangely on our way, I noticed small rock and wood formations.  They appear far too perfect to be laid there by destruction.  Upon closer inspection, they were hiding treasures.  Kilnns Testibrie's treasures. His entire armour set it appears.   Kilnn Testibrie was a champion of Surmia of old. He wanders what was the palace, looking for a worthy champion to retrieve and return his armour to him in death.  I put the treasures in my sack.

Luckily I picked up the pieces

We return his armour to him, he is greatful. We must be on our way though, and I know I am leading in the right direction because soon enough we come across small groups of charr.  In small groups, they are much more pleasant.

Bonfazz is where we thought he would be. It is bad. He is rallying hoardes of charr.  They see us.  We must warn Calhaan and our people.  We must run.

A Path to Glory

It has happened.  Though I am only the second tier of skill, I have been asked to go on assignment with the prince himself!  There has been a charr spotting within the gate.   I am to go with the Prince and some of the other chosen soldiers to locate and kill this charr before he can do any damage.  Wish me luck! I'm off to speak to Sir Tydus.

Prince Rurik says that I show great promise.  I am to aide him in defeating Vatlaaw Doomtooth, and whilst doing so the prince will evaluate my current skills.  Luckily, he has also chosen Orion (an elementalist), Reyna (an archer), and Stefan (a warrior), to help me on this mission.  I am the leader, he decided.  I am honoured.

the Prince and I

We arrive near the bunker to find it infested with Grawl.  Seems the grawl and charr have begun to work together.  They are no match for the Prince and I though. We make quick work of them.

Vatlaaw is no match for our glorious prince.

Before we can celebrate though, the sky turns red.  Crystal flames fall from the clouds.  It is our undoing, it is the dream.  Meerak had warned us, the apocalypse is upon us.  Instead of the four horsemen, it appears to be the four charr.   What is to become of us?