Bloodstone Fen

The White Mantle will know by now that I am with the Shining Blade.  They will know that I helped give them the Chosen, and they will assume now that I am hostile.  I don't expect a reception of Battle Isle Iced Tea and jars of honey where I see them next.  To be honest though, I know not what to make of these Shining Blade.  They are unorganized, but powerful.  They dress like exhiles and rebels but fight with the fervor of trained soldiers.  They speak of a princess, thrown aside by the takeover of the Mantle.  Salma is her name, she takes refuge in the Temple of Ages.  What makes me trust the Blade more, is that they have left me the decision.  They told me to find the bloodstone, then all my answers about the White Mantle will reveal themselves, and I fully intend to do so. 

Divinity Coast

The air is getting thicker the further west I go. It smells sweeter, more humid.   I am to be given a great honour today, to escort the "chosen warriors" to the Justiciars.   The Eye of Janthir will follow me and my team and we must seek out our soldiers.  We follow the path to Shaemoor.  Justiciar Hablion is waiting for us, and the Eye is indeed magnificent.  It is a pyramid of flourescence with a human shaped eye directly in the middle.  It eminates flows of electricity, either giving courage to its reciever or knocking them down in rejection.  Before we may take the Eye, Hablion says we must be cleansed and purified in the ritual fountain of Truth.  It is crawling with Mergoyles, so we must engage in their defeat before we are worthy.

 We return, cleansed, to Hablion, and the eye attaches itself to us through yarns of electricity.  It picks up a citizen immediately within the gates, and they are overjoyed.  We gain another in the small town down the path.  We are to take the Eye and its chosen few to Loamhurst so they may set off on their journey.  Some villagers are not as easy to find. Some villagers were under attack already when we arrived.  We manage to find and save them all though, and when we arrive in Loamhurst we are given a heroes welcome.  The chosen stand with those already in the villa, and the eye takes its place atop the Altar.

I do not know where they are going.  When loading up into the caravan, my party and myself are invited to join.  We are going to the jungle, which is not far from here.  We arrive in a place called Druid's Overlook, and my heart is made easy by the large shrine of my patron Goddess, Dwayna, in the square.  It must be a sign that I am meant to have come here.

D'alessio Seaboard

I'm not sure I trust the White Mantle.  It is nothing in their actions, but the way they spew their hatred around about the Shining Blade, a band of rebels i'm told, reminds me muchly of the way King Adelbern spewed his hatred of the Krytans.  I help them though, more, but I will remain on guard and make my own decisions.  This has helped us all greatly on our perilous journey.   Emotions lead to rash decision, which may lead to death. 

I meet my co-ordinator,  Mantle Knight Karriya, and he tells me that they have found the sceptor of Orr. My eyes nearly pop out of my head in surprise.  This sceptor is the sign of the Flameseeker stories, the fabled weapon of the mercilous Lich.  Many men died retrieving this scepter overnight aswell, overtaken by the undead.  My mission is simple.  Cleanse Hakewood of all the undead scum, find Confessor Dorian, and retrieve the sceptor of Orr.  Time to go.

Lion's Arch

Lion's Arch is unlike any city I had ever been to.  A mecca of historians, researchers, and travellers.  Merchants and armorers litter the cobblestones, forges prepared and adding to the humidity of the small ocean port.  The people are different.  Soldiers and townspeople alike relatively uncaring as to why we are here or where we came from.  Some people scoff at me when I ask directions or history of the town. "An Ascalonian asking a Krytan for help? Thats a first" among the most common reply.  Some are friendly enough, but for the most part, no one seems to care.  

I long to explore the beaches and enjoy the sun, but outside the gates the land is hostile.  Creatures I only heard of in tales over the spit exist here, and many dangers are around every corner.  Leaving the citadel is to the risk of the person, and no one will help you when outside but those you leave with. 

The Ascalonians have set up camp under Captain Greywind, who awaited for us in the courtyard.  The camp is to the north, right by the ocean, and has been cleared and protected by those who went ahead of the Prince.  No one has news of Ascalon, or of Adelbern, but I am sure word of Ruriks death must have reached him by now.  He will blame himself for banishing his own son, but he will blame the Krytans unfoundedly for not stopping the events that lead to his death, even though the Krytans were nowhere near the Shiverpeaks.  While exploring, I found something that made me smile. A statue of dwayna, as perfect and complete as the ones I prayed to in Ascalon.  I felt a little at home at last.

The Road to Borlis

The more I travel, the more I realize that many people actually made it out of Ascalon.  Yak's Bend was full of travelers and craftsmen.  Even Captains of the kings army.  Captain Osiric holds a place by the fire where he teaches travellers new skills to protect themselves.  I was able to make a small fortune of some salvaged runes from my battle in Rin.   Rurik, former prince of Ascalon, has gone ahead to meet with our dwarven ally Jalis Ironhammer, King of the northern shiverpeaks.

If we thought our trip to Kryta would be uneventful after we escaped the infested Charrlands we were wrong.  Very wrong.  It seems unrest has spread through the Shiverpeaks, and possibly even to Kryta. The dwarves are amidst a civil revolution.  A group of dwarves, under the misguided malice of Maguuman Justiciars have decided to rebel against good King Jalis, and they plague his lands slaying innocents and former allies alike.  There are centaurs and rogues, heading in to the mountains where it was easier to pillage and thieve.  We must continue though.  As far as I know, Kryta is free still.  To the captial, Lions Arch, is where we aim to head.    Osiric warns us the way to Borlis is blocked by these rebel dwarves, the Stone Summit they call themselves, are murdering anyone who attempts to pass in to safety.  They are looking to succede Jalis and change the shiverpeak order.  They will fail, I know it. Unless they and their "power" Jusiticars can provide some foreign powers and enemies, they will never defeat Jalis.

I met Cynn along the way.  I remember her from my training before the searing.  Always sour-faced and jealous, her attitude much paralelled her specialty for fire magic, and burning passion.  She and Mhenlo, the monk from Cantha, are together I hear.  Oh to find love in such turmoil, they are truly blessed.  If only she didn't want to incinerate anyone he speaks to.

We arrive at Borlis Pass.  The dwarves here proved no match for my crew, and our new additions of Dunham, an enchanter, a very flamboyant and dramatic man, and Little Thom, a bearded barrel of a man.  He and Devona would make a perfect match I think.  I should introduce them should they survive long enough to be in the same place at the same time.

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.

A New Monk Trainer

With all the success I've been having lately, I decide it is time to learn some new skills.  I hear the talk, they all say Brother Mhenlo is the best.  Back to Ashford Abbey, perhaps he will take me under his wing.

He is from Cantha. I wish one day to be there.

When I arrive, Brother Mhenlo has heard of me.  Evenmoreso, he has been told to give me my first promotion!  No longer the lowestmost rank, I am so pleased.  He says he can teach me some new skills, but I must help his associate, Paulus, in the catacombs.  He has a relic to obtain admist the undead, and I am to keep him alive.  Sounds like just the job for me!

I healed him through while we killed some undead.  He obtained the relic, it was much larger than I had thought and it burdened him as we ran. Brother Mhenlo is proud.  He decides to send me on a second task.  He teaches me some more hostile skills, and sends me to set the raging cadavers who escaped the catacombs straight.  When I get to the fields the farmers are already attacking.  Nothing can be said about our spirit.  I enchant them with smites, and we made easy work of the cadavers. Time to check back in with Brother Mhenlo about my progress.  He is proud.  Before continuing my duties, I stop and kneel by my patrol goddess.  Dwayna give me your blessings,  if Meerak the Scribe is right, dark days are ahead.

Further Adventures

Haversdan.  A Great barrel of a warrior.  He saunters out of the city gates with a job for me.  I know he wasn't looking for me personally, I'm only the lowliest tier of the soldier rank.  He calls me over, says a woman by the name of Devona needs to see me out in the town by Ashford.  Sir Tydus has spoken of me, he says, I have potential.  I have a spark of potential to get far.  I'm blushing.  I ran off as fast as my sandals would let me.

Haversdan

Devona stands in front of a thatched barn.  A great warrior woman, with a huge hammer that I would definitely not like seen used against myself.  She seems worried and agitated.  She wants me to visit Meerak the Scribe in Ashford Abbey.  I've yet to visit the Abbey, which is strange as my calling is that of a healer and holy person.  Perhaps I will learn more.

Myself and Devona