Nolani Academy

It does not start well.  A charr has penetrated the castle.  He must have stumbled upon a crack in the foundation, and we are forced to give chase and cut his throat before he can relay his secret to his warband.  We are also forced to continue down the path lest more charr stumble upon the same opportunity. We are fortunate to have Warmaster Casana join us on our mission, but well in to savage lands we find Watchman Pramas.  He has taken the Tome of the Fallen from the ceremonial burial ground.  This is not good.  The spirits need this tome to remain at rest, soon we may have more to fear than the charr as the undead will unleash their frustration upon we who took it.  He is too afraid to return it himself, the great coward.  I am forced to take it from him.  We do not need the added enemies.

I arrive at the cemetary to find the spirits of the fallen in great distress.  They are hostile, we will need to fight.  We are quickly outnumbered and must retreat.  Luckily, a passing unfortunate devourer take their attention and we manage to escape.  We regroup and lure them in smaller gangs, their ghostly remains our trophies.  Once the book is restored, a spirit thanks us.  He tells us that these ghosts are the men who died defending our great wall.  He says we should listen to the prophet.  The prophet?  He must not be speaking of the Flameseeker prophecies. Now is not the time to ponder this though, we must sneak up on the charr camp.

We pick off the ranger groups silently, but as soon as we defeat the leader the Prince prematurely throws up the gates of their fortress.  Charr swarm us from all directions, but the Prince is in a fury. He slays the charr, Sohothin causing the smell of burnt fur to waft through the air.  We run with Rurik to the wall.  He is enchanted by the spirit of Balthazaar, he fights like a God.  He demands the watchman throw open the gate to Rin.  The gate has been ordered shut upon pain of death, but the Prince promises death if it is not thrown open and in to Rin we go.  Stormcaller awaits.  We have the mouthpiece now, that he and Erol found back in Surmia.   He blows the horn.

An earth shaking scream erupts.  The charr fly in a panic, as a sudden downpour of rain extinguishes their flaming pyres.  A hope enters all of us.  I see our bretheren and captives turn on their jailers and destroy them, and some be destroyed in the process.   We find Burntfur.  Rin is ours again.

Trumpets in the distance alert us of the king's arrival.   Adelbern will be pleased for sure, and proud of his valiant son.  It does not end a happy day though.  Rurik pushes that we emigrate to Kryta.  The king will hear none of it.  They quickly become heated, and the Prince is banished forthwith.  He has lost his heirdom and favour.  He takes his fall from grace in stride though, and still plans to go to Kryta with anyone who will join him.  It is our salvation, he believes.  I believe it aswell.  We will go to Kryta and rebuild.  The King will stay in fallen Rin, with no heir or populace.  A fool, the king.  We must head over the Shiverpeaks.  There will be no charr there, we will be safe.

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.

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.

Fort Ranik

Ruin, ruin.

I've been sent on another mission.  Fort Ranik needs to be cleansed.  I am to help push back the charr.  It amazes me sometimes, how much like us the charr are.  Atleast in what they carry.  Dyes, gold, materials.  Things I can use.  Though i'm not sure how good a charr would look in purple.  We massacre them as we go, mindsparks and martyrs, stalkers and bosses.  Grazz the Unforgiving, a corpse in our path. Klaww Featherstorm, may worms feast on him. Master Armin Saberlin stops us when we get to the gate.  His son has been taken captive.  I didn't think the charr took prisoners, but I guess we all change and adapt our ways.  I feel some hope knowing now the charr do take live prisoners.  Perhaps all our fallen are not infact fallen, just taken.  Maybe little Gwen the flutist is alive somewhere.  Perhaps it would be better if she were dead.

In the distance we see cages.  Could the charr possibly have left our people alive?  Trapped like animals?  We spray the charrs blood on the ground until we reach the first cage.  Trooper Deeter Saberlin is inside, son of Armin. He is alive, and he is clear to return to his father.  That is one victory won, atleast.  As we continue, a large healer charr, Rrrack Whitefire stands in our way. Stood in our way.  He is with grenth now.

We find our way to the catapult field. The charr have already set up camp. They've destroyed all our trebuchets, and slain all our engineers.  Standing amidst the wreakage, valiant and brave, is Siegemaster Lormar.  Brave he must be, as he is being charged by Roarst One Eye, master necromancer of the blood legion.  He must have been confused though, as he kept hexing me with a mark of pain, yet he had no team dealing the appropriate damage.  Stolen ascalonian ale perhaps? Whatever his issue was, we made quick work of it.

Siegemaster Lormar is convinced he can fix the trebuchet. We must make haste and find replacement pieces off the destroyed catapults. Seeing the extent of the damage, I am skeptical. This is an advantage we cannot give up though, and I run to being searching.  I find an arming crank, and a release lever. Last is the restraining bolt, and we find that a little to the north east.  It looks as if it will function.  Nothing left but  to test it.

It worked! The near charr camp is all but destroyed, all the charr dead.  A small success.  I see another trebuchet by the wall, where the larger charr camp stands. It seems to be in working order.  The charr are not within blasting range though. Live bait perhaps? Risky, but we must prevail.  I run in to the camp, they see me and come out.  I am too fast for them, I get back to the trebuchet while they stand confused by their crudely build burning effigy.  I hope they never unlock the magic to create moving effigies.

we pick off the smaller groups left and finally we arrive at the hole. Spar the Ravager, master warrior, stands there with only a troop of two.  He seems not to have heard the explosions from the trebuchet or even noticed we are standing behind him.

It is done.  The charr are pushed back.  A great victory for Ascalon.  The Prince joins us, but with a heavy heart.  It seems in the charrs hurry to flee they had taken several prisoners. The Prince is beside himself with grief.  He is done attempting to be diplomatic, we are to go to Surmia and retrieve our taken.  Then we are to go to Kryta.  With or without the Kings permission.  Pray he sees reason.

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.

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.