[Lore] XXVII: The Mathosians

      The Mathosians are a clan of northern humans who banded together under prominent family lines such as Kalmar and Mathos, erecting a mighty and far reaching empire in the days following the disastrous fall of the Ethian Empire. The Mathosian tribes were the last humans to leave the sheltering embrace of the High Elven forests and learned much of honor, law, and justice from the High Elves as well as philosophy, spirituality, and art. Eventually, they left the forests of Tavra and ventured north into the harsh mountainous terrain of Telara. The Mathosian "Northmen" were warlike and strong. They battled each other, the Dwarves, and even against the Elves, and became well known for their ferocity and courage in battle. There weren't many who wished to venture into the cold northern regions, for fear of coming across a roving band of tribesmen, who would take any excuse to start a fight. Eventually though, the races sought peace with the warring Northmen. The Dwarves taught them metal and woodwork and the plans for large soaring edifices, and the Elves taught them the wonders of magic and arcane skill.
     After the fabled Ethian cities fell to the cultists, the southern tribes fell prey to abominable magics, cultists, and horrifying beasts of the desert, and they sent for aid from the proud Northmen in reclaiming the southern lands back from the dragon cults. The Mathosians, with the aid of the Dwarves, went south and made war with the tyrants and cultists. When the battles had finally been ended, instead of returning to their northern winds and frigid mountains, the Mathosians were given the honor of governing the lawless and chaotic southern lands that had been left bereft of leadership after the fall of the city-states. Any protestors to this were swiftly silenced, and so the Kingdom of Mathos was born, and their first king, Tored Mathos ruled the people with chivalry and fidelity. The kingdom was prosperous and far reaching. It boasted land as far south as what is now known as Freemarch, in which they took much pride. They honored Thedeor, the god of war, with fair battles and duels, as well as skirmishes along the border and great tourneys. For Bahralt, they built great shining cities in his name, free of the taint and corruption of magics and sourcestone machinery, the greatest of which was Port Scion. To honor Tavril, the goddess of nature, they left the forests alone except for the minimum requirement of wood required for progress on the kingdom, and would not plunder the sacred forest of Silverwood. In Thontic's name, they sent merchants far and wide to trade in distant lands, even as far as across the seas to exotic lands such as the famed Shi Ming. And to honor Mariel-Taun, the heart of the gods, they made peace and plenty, filling their cities with light and compassion and music.

     Through the centuries, the line of Mathos endured, strong and unbroken in their kingship of all Mathosia. Until the reign of King Jostir Mathos ended suddenly and abruptly. Before his demise, King Jostir named his eldest son and heir, Aedraxis Mathos, as the new king of Mathosia. Due to corruption in the court, and the betrayal of Aedraxis of the faith of his people, the younger brother, Zareph Mathos, then waged a bloody civil war against his brother for the throne. The people of Mathosia, having not known the dark truth of Aedraxis's fall into darkness, had at first sided with the kingdom against Prince Zareph in what became known as the Shade War, the darkest period in Telaran history since the Blood Storm Wars. Eventually, Aedraxis's corruption, brutality, and cruelty, as well as decisions such as lifting the ban on Sourcestone research as fuel, swayed the citizens of the kingdom toward joining Zareph. In a desperate attempt to avoid losing the kingdom to his brother, Aedraxis turned to the famous scientist and heretic, Orphiel Farwind, who had been the brothers' tutor when they were young. Orphiel had extensive knowledge of the ancient Ethian technomancy, including knowledge on magitech weaponry. Promising to provide funding into sourcestone technology as a way to improve every day conditions of life if he created powerful weapons of war, Aedraxis won Orphiel over to his side of the war and ruthlessly employed sourcestone technology against Zareph and his army in a bid to destroy them. In his eagerness, Aedraxis destroyed the Ward around Telara, letting in the planar forces. He called up a massive Death Rift over the battlefield and everyone was slain. But the Vigil sent their Messengers among the fallen and resurrected the heroes of the war as immortal Ascended, the chosen of the gods, and sent them back into battle against the forces of Aedraxis. Soon, the tide was turned and Aedraxis knew he had lost. In a last desperate bid to retain his power, he gave himself body and soul to Regulos the Destroyer, one of the dragon gods of the horrendous Blood Storm invaders. He used unholy magic to further weaken and fracture the Ward and drew a part of the Plane of Death itself into Telara. This event became known as the Shade.

     Thousands of lives were lost during the Shade War and the Kingdom of Mathos was sundered, its people scattered and broken and leaderless. The remaining forces retreated to Port Scion to continue waging war against the Endless Court, the cultists who follow Regulos, but were betrayed from within by a noble of the Mathosian court, Alsbeth Rothmann.

     When Sanctum became the headquarters for the famous Guardians-those that survived the fall of Port Scion as well as many heroes and adventurers from around Telara who flocked to the city in response to the call for aid-many Mathosians eagerly joined in the effort, voyaging to the shining city that stood out like a beacon from Silverwood. They proclaimed their new allegiance to Cyril Kalmar and the Vigil's Guardians, finding hope and restored faith in this new faction, as well as a chance to redeem their fair kingdom from the dark deeds of Aedraxis.

     Despite the tragedy that has befallen their kingdom, the Mathosians stay true to their roots, leading lives of honor and oath. They value justice, hard work, and honest combat, staying humble and pious in their determination to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Vigil for the destruction of the Ward. The Mathosians are a brave and stalwart people, loyal, steadfast and strong. They keep to a strict military code in order to maintain order after the fall of the kingdom. They revere the Vigil and seek to mend the evils done by the Endless Court as well as put a stop to the Blood Storm and the enemies of Telara.

Stats:

• Average Lifespan: 60 years
• Culture: Viking
• Homeland: Stillmore (and to a lesser extent, Iron Pine Peaks); the kingdom's center being the great fortress of Caer Mathos, named after their first king
• Leader: Cyril Kalmar
• Spirituality: Vigil Worship (emphasis on Thedeor)
• Favored Mount: Mountain Horse
• Known Families/Tribes: Rothmann, Wyvernjack, Waldemar, Valnir, Kalmar, Mathos
• Faction: Guardian

[Raeslyn's Story] 2.4: Here, Deliver this Message!

      I'd forgotten how absolutely beautiful Silverwood was in the morning. The sun seemed to frame each individual leaf of each tree in a lining of spun gold and the grasses along the road wavered gently. Birdsong could be heard sporadically and the snuffling of small forest animals occasionally interrupted the silence. It wasn't the silence before battle, or the silence of held breath. It was the comfortable woodsy silence of a forest. Underneath, she could sense the sinister workings of the Wanton Maw and the Aelfwar as they tried to undermine all that the Elves had wrought in the wood, but I pushed that from my mind and concentrated quite happily on enjoying the journey to Argent Glade.

     Around midmorning, I stopped along a fast moving brook and settled down on a boulder for a snack. I had some dried meat in my pack, along with a few odd bits of food that I'd saved from my travels and while it wasn't the best laid meal, it did fill my belly, which was all I was looking for. After filling my flask with the cool waters of the stream and drinking my fill as well, I stood and stretched, content.
     Hoof beats on the road behind me startled me out of my pensive mood and I immediately ducked behind the boulder, hands on my daggers. I watched, tense, as a bay colored horse trotted into view, coming from the direction of Argent Glade. The man atop the steed was staring straight ahead, back straight in the saddle. He was wearing the telltale armor of the Guardians but he sensed different to me. I can't quite put my finger on what I was sensing...

     The realization of who, or rather, what, the man was caused me to gasp, widening my eyes in amazement. Another Ascended, like myself! I couldn't believe it! Here was another Ascended, a mortal who had died and been chosen by the gods. And he was no one I even remotely recognized, which led me to believe he was just a regular soldier following orders, much like myself. I felt a stirring in me as I watched the figure on horseback continue on down the road at an easy pace. I really wasn't alone in this. There were others, with the same status as I, with the same background as I maybe, who were willing to put their lives on the line, their futures, to protect Telara from the Blood Storm and the cults. An undefined emotion welled up inside me and I was startled into a small, choked sob. How silly of me, getting overly emotional over the sight of an Ascended on horseback. I shook my head, pushing the strange emotions down and biting my lip to keep any other embarrassing sobs inside.

     The incident with the Ascended traveler left me a bit shocked. I also admit I felt much better and the warmth I'd felt as I watched him ride away hadn't left me yet. In fact, it had spread and I now felt warm, safe, part of something greater.

     I continued on down the road until I came to the giant hollowed out log that marked Argent Glade's territorial border. I paused and glanced around cautiously. I didn't want to be ambushed by agents of the Wanton Maw while inside, but I couldn't see anything menacing around. As I had been walking I'd sometimes caught a brief flash of something in the woods that looked suspiciously like a goblin, but all I'd glimpsed was flashes before the creatures were gone and pursuing them into the deeper parts of the forest seemed rather pointless and foolish. I'd hate to end up captured or injured because of my furious need to kill the buggers. Best get to Colten Feddel, deliver my message, and be off to the College. After I was finished there I could see about putting a stop to the blasted goblin infestation.

     Silently I entered the gigantic hollow log. It was a felled ancient tree from many centuries before. The tree had been sacred and powerful so to honor its memory, instead of cutting the tree up and removing it from the path, the Elves had instead forged a tunnel through the core of the tree, continuing the path through it rather than around it. I rather liked the idea and walking through the tunnel always gave a secret thrill of excitement that I couldn't explain. The joy of being inside something so big, so strong and powerful. The....well, as I said, I can't explain the feeling properly.

     I passed through the hollowed log and exited the other side without incident. On the other side, unlit magical torches lined the path. From experience I knew they would flare to life as the light dimmed, lighting the way for travelers in the dark so they knew where the road led. It was an ingenious idea that that Mathosians had come up with. The Mathosians were quite the quick-witted race, for humans.

     I calculated in my head how much longer I had to go till I reached Argent Glade and was satisfied to estimate that I'd probably arrive before noon. At the pace I was going, it shouldn't be too much longer, than I could settle in at the Inn in Argent Glade and get a real meal. Something hot and covered in gravy. I grinned at the thought and quickened my pace, eager to get there. Of all the places I'd explored in Silverwood, I have the greatest fondness for Argent Glade and the Quicksilver College. I'm sure that's mostly because I was born and raised there. But the atmosphere also pleased me. Even though I'd been a horrible student and a disobedient daughter, I still enjoyed my past experiences in the small Elven village.

     Coming up to the next landmark, a large bridge made of one half of a tree trunk, I slowed, than stopped. There were two strange Mathosians standing on either side of the log bridge, carrying weapons. True, they were wearing the armor of the Guardians, but I slowed and approached cautiously anyway.
     One of the defenders, a female, nodded at her companion and gestured to me. The man snapped to attention and eyed me with interest. I hesitated a moment more, than squared my shoulders and walked up to them.

     "Greetings, traveler. What is your business in Argent Glade?" the man asked in a brisk but polite tone. I smiled in a non-threatening way, keeping my hands loose at my sides. I didn't want to have to defend myself against what was supposed to be considered allies.

     "On my way to Argent Glade. To Colten Feddel with a message and status report from Rudi Tanlop of Sterling Hills." I said, in just as brisk of tones.

     The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he glanced at his companion. The woman smiled in a relieved way and nodded at me.

     "Truly, you bring word from Sterling Hills? We haven't had a courier from there in weeks and truth be told we were becoming fairly worried. The goblins keep ambushing travelers and causing all manner of trouble here at the camp. It's all we can do to keep them from overwhelming us. News will be welcome, I only pray that it is good news you bring, messenger."

     I opened my mouth to protest their assumption of my being merely a messenger, but then stopped and nodded. Might as well not bother. They were only guards after all and I shouldn't have to explain myself. Besides, if I heard one more "Oh look, an Ascended!" comment, I was going to start sharpening my daggers on some Guardians. Well, not really, but ...ya know.

     "Go with the Vigil's blessing, friend." The vigilant defenders intoned. They stepped further to the side as a sign of courtesy, leaving the way free across the log bridge. I shrugged and nodded, murmuring an absent thank you.

     I was halfway across when I noticed why there were guards at the log bridge. Just past it, where the bank sloped upward from the stream, a small bustling camp had been set up. I was rather shocked, as there were no way stations or camps on the way to Argent Glade. But I suppose that was before all the upheaval and destruction that Aedraxis and his rifts caused. My mood darkened as I thought of that monster and I shook my head to be rid of the thoughts.

     The camp wasn't that large, but it was quite full. There were all manner of people bustling about. I saw Dwarves, Mathosians, Elves. I saw plenty of Guardians, defenders, and even some of the self-trained Argent Glade guards. One of the last I even recognized, hazily, from my time in Argent Glade before Ascension.

     She nodded at me and called, "Good morning friend. I hope you didn't have any trouble on the roads. There are all kinds of beasts around-more so than usual it seems." Her friendly but neutral conversation brought a grin to my lips and I stopped.

    "Oh, nothing my daggers couldn't handle." I said, patting my dagger sheaths. Seeing the stains of the vespid's black blood on the dagger handles, I grimaced and reminded myself that I needed new daggers fashioned. Perhaps there was even a weaponsmith in this camp. Across the path, the whinny of a horse caught my attention and I turned and stared in admiration. A small group of horses stood, stamping their hooves behind a crudely erected picket fence. The horses were tall, well built and well muscled. Each was clad in light metal armor including a faceplate and hoof protectors. What magnificent beasts. One thing I greatly approved of that the Mathosians had brought to Silverwood long ago.

     I was a bit shocked to realize that I actually recognized a few of the faces about the camp. There was Vadivy, Quicksilver College's fish expert, and Kelly, the Master Survivalist, who had taught me how to track. I grinned and waved, but he didn't seem to recognize me back. A Dwarf by the name of Rorth Devalm stopped me and offered me something called a "Planar Essence", which apparently was an augment for Planar power. He said it was very popular with aspiring Ascended and I said I'd think about it.

     I approached a Mathosian man who had the look about him of a merchant and waited patiently while he conversed with a young Elf girl who looked barely old enough to be leaving her parent's house. I eyed her curiously while I waited, wondering what she was doing here. When she turned to go, I saw the Quicksilver College insignia on her robes and realized she must be a student of the College. For some odd reason that pleased me. If the College was still accepting students, things couldn't be that bad off, could they?

     When the Elf girl had moved off, I stepped up to the merchant's table.

     "Hello friend. My name is Sten Fumlen. What can I help you with on this fine day?" He gave me an appraising look. "Perhaps you'd like a new leather sash for that pretty waist of yours?" He suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

     I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Actually, I was hoping to see if you had any daggers available. I seem to have....broken mine." Well, not broken per se, but I couldn't think of what else to say. I pulled out the daggers in question and gently laid them on the table, almost regretfully. I loved my daggers, all of them. The merchant eyed my daggers with curious horror, as if wondering what on earth could have happened to damage them that badly.

     As it turned out, he did in fact have a nice pair of matched daggers. I hefted them to check the balance, found them satisfactory, and spent several minutes haggling over a price. Finally I was satisfied.

     "Thank you good lady for doing business with old Sten. Anything else I can do ye for?" He idly clinked my coin in his palm and pocketed it.

     "Actually, as a matter of fact, do you know where I can find a Colten Feddel? I need to deliver a message." The man darted his eyes to me again with renewed interest.

     "Colten? Ya, I know where he is. Right hand man of Brougan, after all, not like he can't easily be found if you want em. He's over yonder." The man gestured behind me to the left and I turned to look. I saw a young Elf male with braids leaning over a flat metal table analyzing some papers. I thanked the merchant and strode across the path to deliver my message.

     Colten raised his head as I approached. At first he frowned as he studied me, than his eyes widened and he gave a pleased smile.

     "An Ascended! We are truly blessed." He said in greeting when I was closer. I nodded wearily, feeling quite tired of hearing variations of that comment. Wordlessly I handed him the report, which he took and eyed with interest. He gasped, glanced at me again, than reread the letter. I hadn't a clue what it said so I just stood there idly, resting one foot.

     "A report from my friend Rudi, I see. This is troubling news." Colten's voice was soft and fluid like all Elves. I nodded, thinking sure, okay, not a clue what it says but I'll go with it. "We've been keeping an eye to the North for so long that we often forget how easy it is to flank Argent Glade." Blinking, I eyed him curiously and he held the letter out for me to read.

     I skimmed it quickly than furrowed my brow. Ah. I suppose I hadn't thought of it in that light when I'd been out destroying vespids that the goblins and tainted. That evidence meant that the goblins had managed to skirt Argent Glade and get behind its defenses. Not good news at all. I folded the report and handed it back, nodding.

     "We can't allow Maelforge's minions to continue their advance. For the sake of our way of life, we need to defend Argent Glade against the Wanton Invasion." Colten continued firmly. I wholeheartedly agreed. "Maelforge would like nothing more than to see our shrines to the Vigil burned to cinder. His goblins have apparently spread throughout the woods to our south and will set fire to our sacred shrines if we don't stop them."

     "I agree." I said in response. Colten opened his mouth and I held up a hand. "However much I would like to help, I have some unfinished business to complete in Quicksilver College and I have been travelling and fighting for some time now without proper rest. When I am rested and have settled my affairs in Quicksilver, I will return here and aid your defenders and the Guardians against the goblin threat. You have my word as an Ascended." I said it as a statement, leaving no room for protest. Colten looked crestfallen that I wasn't immediately offering my aid, but I had told the truth. I was exhausted and emotionally strung out from the past weeks. I needed some time to rest and think and I wanted to search for my mentor.

     After agreeing to come back and speak to Colten after my tasks in the College were complete, I continued north up the road to Argent Glade. I knew it could only be about a fifteen or twenty minute walk past that little outpost, since I could see the roofs of buildings through the canopy of leafy trees. I was quite eager to search for information on my mentor and I found I was greatly looking forward to a soft bed. Though I would never forsake the Covenant to Tavril and the Vigil, I admitted to enjoying the comforts that the Mathosians brought to Silverwood. I would never settle down, but I was not one to foolishly pass up the offer of a good rest when it came along.

     Fondly I glanced ahead, reminiscing on past events and eager to see my old comrades in the Blunted Quill, Argent Glade's popular Inn.

[Lore] III: The Coming of the Shade

 

     After the glorious Eth Empire fell to the Convocation, it was the Mathosia's turn to rise to greatness. For many long and complacent years the line of Mathos ruled with a just and steady hand. But when the old king Jostir Mathos died, his eldest son, who he knew was too ambitious to rule justly, seized the throne while Prince Zareph was away. Aedraxis Mathos was crowned king despite the protests of the people of Mathosia.
 

    His rule was marked by cruelty, terror, and barbarity. He ruled with an iron fist, imposing martial law on the citizens of Mathosia and demanding heavy and unfair taxes to help fuel his quest for technomancy. Ever since the beginning when the Blood Storm invaded Telara, the gods had demanded that their worshippers give up the art of technomancy, deeming it too dark and unstable for use, as it was technomancy that had alerted the Blood Storm to Telara's presence in the cosmos to begin with.

   Ever loyal, the Mathosians had agreed, banning technomancy from their kingdom and living without it for hundreds of years. When Aedraxis became king, one of his first decrees was to lift the ban on technomancy, urged thusly by his advisor and head scientist, Orphiel Farwind. As Aedraxis focused on his greed for power and the desire to subjugate all under his will, his kingdom fell to ruin and despair.

     The citizens fled; what little survived the slaughter brought upon them by Aedraxis's Endless Court. When his brother Prince Zareph heard of his horrifying reign, he stood his ground, gathering an army of loyal followers. Civil war broke out as the brothers fought for the right to be king. Prince Zareph sent aid to the various other races of the world. The Dwarves, staunch allies of Mathosia for generations, quickly lent their aid, sending out able bodied dwarves from their many delves to help defeat Aedraxis. The High Elves, fearful of losing their ever-dwindling numbers to a pointless war that did not involve them, convened to discuss the matter. When the meeting was over, the Elves had split into two factions, with the main force following Shyla Starhearth to Prince Zareph's aid. For 20 long years the civil war raged.

   Finally Prince Zareph whittled down Aedraxis's army, until the false king was desperate for any kind of aid. He would do anything to hold his kingdom and his position of power-even ally himself with Regulos. Using the powerful magitech devices that his Ethian scientists had devised, he contacted Regulos and was able to severely weaken the Ward. At the final battle, fought under the open skies on Thedeor Field, Aedraxis unleashed a massive Death Rift. The rift blackened the sky and thousands of undead poured out of the rent in the universe.

    Prince Zareph's forces were immediately overrun, slain to a man almost instantly. Moments after the one sided battle had ended, the messengers of the Vigil swooped down onto the field, carrying off fallen heroes. These heroes they breathed life back into, imparting to them the wisdom and strength and power of the gods. The newly resurrected heroes were given the honor of being Ascended, chosen by the Vigil to combat Aedraxis and his endless horde of undead slaves. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled.

   Fearing the reprisal of the gods, and mad beyond belief, Aedraxis called upon Regulos, beseeching the terrible dragon of death to take his own body as an avatar. Using Aedraxis's body like a puppet, Regulos entered Telara, becoming the Shade and bringing death and despair to all. The Ascended rallied, defeating Regulos's avatar with their newfound God-given powers. The body of Regulos was shattered into a million pieces and scattered around the world, each fragment carried by a prominent leader. After the Shade had been defeated, most of the Ascended had been taken up into the Vigil's own dimension, there to be given a warning of the future, of what fate befell Telara if the Ascended did not stop the dragons before they escaped from their prisons. 

   The entirety of the message took 20 years to complete, and while the Ascended were gone from Telara, the land was vulnerable. Prince Zareph ruled in the Ascended's absence, building a neutral port called Port Scion that he set up deliberately between the Eth and the Mathosians. The southern and northern tribes were at extreme odds with each other due to differing views on faith and magic.

    But the peaceful and prosperous city was betrayed from within by one Alsbeth, a sorcerer and advisor/friend to the Prince. Promising that she could find a way to bolster Port Scion's defenses, Alsbeth asked to see the artifacts in the vault for materials. Zareph agreed and Alsbeth was able to gain access to the Heart of Regulos, a fragment of the shattered avatar that was defeated during the Shade War. Using her knowledge of dark magic and her studies of technomancy, she sent out the defending Ethian centurions on a pointless task, leaving the magitech machines protecting Port Scion open to her corruption. She dismantled the defenses and summoned her lord, Regulos again into the world. A death rift opened up inside Port Scion, killing all it's inhabitants. Lacking Ascended to stop the rising tide of undead, they corrupted and destroyed everything they touched, turning all in their path into a vast undead army.

    Desperate to stop the ever-growing numbers of undead, Prince Zareph performed the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life to the gods in exchange for sealing off the entire city, holding the corruption of the plane of death inside. When they found out what had happened, and that the Ethian centurions had apparently been out on a pointless scouting mission while this occurred, the Mathosians were furious and grief-stricken, demanding justice for what they saw as the ultimate betrayal.

They swore to see the Ethian magitech forever destroyed.

     In the future that never happened, instead of shattering the Avatar of Regulos and successfully averting the Prophecy of the Shade, Aedraxis was successful in his goal. While fighting against his brother Zareph in a civil war, Aedraxis cracked open the barrier between the Planes, allowing power of Regulos from the Plane of Death to materialize on Telara and annihilate the opposing armies as well as Aedraxis himself. This disaster devastated most of the Mathosians homeland in what became known as The Shade. Aedraxis was transformed into a being of incredible malevolence by this act, and many Mathosians followed their liege into the north, becoming known as the Endless Court, and followers of the dragon Regulos, who steadily gained a greater foothold in Telara, corrupting, destroying, and killing all on Telara. Zareph and the remainder of his people fled from the Shade to the south and founded Port Scion, a city from which he planned to strike back at the corrupting eating at Telara. Instead, Port Scion was destroyed from within by Alsbeth's treachery and Zareph was killed.  Seeking vengeance, Guardian Ascended burnt Meridian to the ground, slaying all Defiant they saw and smashing all of their machines before they were able to create proper magical defenses for themselves. Soon after Meridian was destroyed the dragons awoke, breaking free of their prisons and descending upon a weakened Telara.

    The Guardian Ascended and the remaining forces of Mathosia were overrun and the last remnants of that kingdom were lost.

     Thankfully, due to the ingenuity and determination of the Defiant, this timeline and future was diverted by Defiant Ascended, who travelled into the past to ensure that this didn't come about.    
At present, the capital city of Mathosia is Sanctum, where all races of the Guardians are welcome. The Mathosians have sworn to aid the Ascended on their mission to destroy the dragons, lending what assistance they can across Telara.

Reference: The information for this section of the archives is actually a mish mash of a bunch of different sources. In game quests, the official RIFT website, and my own interpretation of events that happened in the beginning story, before you get called up by the Vigil and sent to the future. All rights for information belong to RIFT and is written in my own words the way I want it worded.

[Raeslyn's Story] Chapter 1.6: Shade of Regulos

     Aedraxis looked nothing like what I'd imagine a king would look like. In fact, he looked quite the opposite; a crazed evil overlord bent on ruling the world. Which I guess is quite fitting considering the circumstances. He was wearing black outlandish looking armor from head to toe, with a full face helmet and a long black cloak. He was totally going for the black on black theme here. He gets even less points for that. I hate solid colors. I mean come on, a little splash of color here and there never hurt nobody!

     The tyrant surveyed us heroes standing in front of him, and he didn't look all that impressed or frightened. In fact, he looked annoyed. Hey, at least we can annoy the guy. My pulse was in my throat and I know that if I dwelled on my situation, I'd be positively terrified, which is probably why I'm resorting to sarcastic wisecracks to myself to keep me calm. I don't know how we're supposed to beat this guy.

     "What is this?" Aedraxis demanded in a cold, steely voice. Just the sound of it had me stepping back a pace. Right at this moment I really didn't want to be Ascended. "Did I not slay you before?" His sneer was directed at Cyril. He idly flicked nonexistent dirt off his gauntlets and gave us all a beady look, as if sizing us up for dinner. I gave a quick glance to Cyril, reassured by his stoic and calm stance. I wish I could be brave like him.

     "The gods brought us back to destroy you, Tyrant!" Cyril called in response to Aedraxis's question. Aedraxis gave a mirthless laugh and swept his hands out wide.

     "You are too late, Ascended. The ceremony has already begun. Your gods cannot stand against the Dragon of Extinction!" Uh oh, that didn't sound good. My fears were confirmed when Aedraxis turned from us and raised his arms in the air, speaking in some guttural language. Finally he called out "Regulos, I give my life to you, from which springs power eternal!" I backed up a step, and glanced at my erstwhile comrades again. Perhaps we should uh, be moving away. This doesn't seem like it will end well.

     A sinister looking mist surrounded Aedraxis's form, obscuring him from view. He cried out suddenly, and then the clearing was silent for a moment. Absurdly, I could hear the tentacles from the Death Rift as they snaked along the barren ground. Than the mist cleared as quickly as it had arrived, leaving a nightmare in its wake. That's the only way I can describe it...him.
     A nightmare straight out of legend. The creature was incredibly tall, floating above the ground a good two feet. It was covered in the tattered remains of Aedraxis's black armor, and was covered in some dark scales. Spines grew out of the head, which was so malformed now that it was unrecognizable as anything recently belonging to a human. A long, whip like tail extended out from the form, and its arms ended in needle point claws. I so didn't want a hug from that thing. Not that it was in the hugging mood.

     "In life, I ruled Mathosia, but with Regulos, I shall rule all of creation!" Said the creature. It had a duel voiced quality, as if more that one person was speaking. Which is probably right. From it's comment, I knew that Aedraxis must still be in there somewhere, for I know from stories that Regulos cared naught for ruling, or creation at all. In fact, all he cared about was death and destruction. I wonder what Regulos thought about sharing a body with someone so ambitious. Beside me, movement caught my eye, and I was dismayed to note that Cyril was stepping forward, sword raised. Obviously he had no problem taking the initiative.

     Before he could say or do anything though, another man ran up beside him. I blinked. It was Carwin Mathos! I'm not sure it was a good idea to have him here. He'd only antagonize Aedraxis/Regulos further! I gave Carwin a concerned look and he smiled warmly at me. Lady Shyla also gave Carwin a smile and a nod. Holding his shield aloft in front of him, Carwin took a pace forward.

     "You're insane brother! I will end this if you can't." Carwin's sharp, commanding voice cut through the thick air like a knife and I cringed. That was so not the words to say. I held my breath, dreading what would happen next. We should do something! But we all just stood there, staring at the creature. It turned and regarded Carwin with mildly curious, apathetic eyes, and a cold chuckle emitted from its lips. I gulped upon seeing rows of jagged teeth in its mouth.

     "Carwin." Said the creature, staring down at said man. To his credit, Carwin stood his ground and stared defiantly back. "My bastard brother. You will address me as Regulos, or not at all!" On the last word, the creature flung out its clawed hand, quick as lightning, and a coil of death magic flew from his hand. I watched in frozen horror as the beam hit Carwin in the chest. With a strangled scream, Carwin crumpled to the ground, where he lay, glassy-eyed and unmoving.

     I stared down at his dead body for several seconds, unable to comprehend what I'd just witnessed. No! This can't seriously be happening. Not to Carwin. I became aware that my mouth was hanging open, but I made no move to shut it. My mind was in complete shock. Lady Shyla also looked stricken, staring down at Carwin with a confused expression. The longer I stared, the more I wished this was a dream. A dull pain in my hand had me glancing down. I hadn't even realized it, but I'd been gripping my daggers so hard, my hands were white. Noticing this made the fury rush through me like a hot wave. How. Dare. He! I swiftly turned back to the Shade of Regulos and growled.

     "Regulos hungers for your souls." Said the creature, upon realizing it now had everyone's attention again. "You will all fall before me!" Not bloody likely! I bared my teeth at him. I'd kill that monster if it was the last thing I did. If only to avenge my newfound comrade Carwin. He did not deserve that death. I glanced at Cyril, and gasped as a dragon spawn materialized out of the Rift behind him. Cyril noticed my look and spun to meet the foe. Using his large sword as a shield, he blocked the beast's jaws from tearing his face off. That's when Lady Shyla pointed behind me and cried a warning. Without thinking, I rolled to the side and spun to meet the new enemy. It was another dragon spawn. Both of them were the size of ponies, and had a mouth full of teeth to make a croc proud. I left Cyril to take care of his own drake, since he seemed like a capable warrior type. Not to mention he's so tall. That left me to take care of this drake. No problem...
     I swiped at the creature with my dagger, to gauge its reaction. The drake pulled back from my dagger and hissed angrily. It kept a short distance, circling me like a cat watching a mouse. It was large and it was deadly, but it was clumsy and ungainly with those overlarge wings and large feet. My guess is, it's just a youngling and hadn't grown into its body yet. Too bad for it. Shyla hit the drake from behind with some kind of leafy spell, which exploded when it hit its scaly back. The beast roared with fury and instantly turned to attack her, which gave me ample opportunity to put my roguish skills to good use. Quickly I dashed under one leathery wing and planted a dagger right above the drake's shoulder blade. With luck, I'd hit the heart. The creature turned back to me with lightning reflexes and I barely dodged getting eaten in time.

     Thankfully, my dagger thrust seemed to do the trick, as the creature expired soon after, although it put up a good fight right till the end. As soon as it had slumped to the ground and didn't appear to be getting up anytime soon, I turned to help Cyril out. He was holding his own but was having a hard time actually getting a hit on the creature, as he had to keep defending himself from its claws and teeth. Shyla moved up behind Cyril and made a strange motion over the crystal at the top of her staff. The crystal glowed green, and then green leaves appeared over Cyril's head. Instantly he stood straighter and seemed to be more alert. Huh, impressive. The benefits of having a Cleric around I suppose.

     While the drake was furiously trying its hardest to get ahold of Cyril, I snuck up around to its vulnerable side and promptly did the same thing as before. I stuck my dagger to the hilt in it's side, right above the shoulder, and watched with vicious satisfaction as the beast gave a gurgled cry and toppled over. I grinned wickedly at Cyril over the drake's body and he raised an eyebrow at me. Before I could congratulate myself or boast, the tentacles of the Rift disgorged another foe. I groaned. Oh come on already! This isn't fair.

     This time, the creatures that stepped through the Rift were Ettin. I hate Ettin. Big, lumbering, tough as rocks and almost impossible to kill. We're definitely in trouble. Brother Jebiah muttered a prayer and threw a spell at one immediately, drawing its attention. The spell, unfortunately, didn't seem to have any more impact than a fly though, and I studied the creatures quickly for any weaknesses to use. I zeroed in on their necks, which seemed fleshy and soft, unlike the rest of the creatures. They were at least 11 feet tall though. At least. I'd need some kind of leverage to reach my target. I glanced around swiftly. Nothing I could see nearby that would be of use. I assessed the two Ettin again as they thundered around trying to get a swing at the others. The rest of my Ascended comrades seemed to have caught on to the fact that the Ettin were very slow and even slower in the mind, so all they had to do was run in circles. But that wouldn't last for long. We needed a way to slay them, and fast, as the Shade looked right pleased with itself, which means it was going to try something else nasty in a few minutes.

     Finally I decided I'd just try to scale the Ettin's back. I sent a quick prayer to Tavril for luck, than took a deep breath. I gauged the distance to the Ettin, waited till it had turned it's back to swipe at Cyril, than ran like mad. A few feet from the Ettin, I pushed off with one foot and leaped as high as I could. I lodged my foot in the Ettin's conveniently placed belt. The belt was so big that it was an easy feat to keep my balance with one foot wedged between the belt and its flesh. Best not dwell on that overmuch or I might get grossed out. The Ettin straightened and made a non intelligent noise of confusion, and twisted around to look behind it. I almost lost my grip when it did that, but thankfully grabbed ahold of a fleshy ridge in its shoulders. Holding on with one hand, I reached to my own belt and pulled out one of my sharpest daggers. This was also one of the daggers I'd coated in poison earlier. I grinned as I stuck the dagger in the back of the Ettin's neck. It roared and shook itself, reaching behind with a massive hand to grab at what was causing it pain.

     The constant moving finally dislodged my foot and I tumbled to the ground. I tucked myself in and rolled with the fall just like my mentor had taught me, and gave silent thanks to his patient tutelage. Well, that was one Ettin down. Only, it wasn't down yet. It staggered a few steps, and glanced around wildly, roaring continuously. Uh oh, looks like I only made it mad. I was sure I'd stuck the dagger in as far as it would go. I glanced down at the dagger in question. Sure enough, it was coated in blood. I tried not to dwell on that fact. It was either the Ettin or us, and I'd rather we survive. While the Ettin was disoriented, Cyril hacked at it with his ridiculously long sword. Go Cyril! The poison seemed to take effect soon after and the creature fell to the ground. I swear I felt the ground shudder with the impact. They are that big, seriously.

     Seeing its comrade fall, the other Ettin roared in anger and rushed at Cyril, the last person to harm the other Ettin. Ugh, here we go again. While Cyril played tag with the Ettin, I quickly ran over to my discarded pack and grabbed my vial of poison out. The dagger I'd used was no good now, covered in blood as it was, so I carefully placed it next to the pack for cleaning later, and pulled out another dagger. Never fear, I have plenty of these babies laying around. With deft hands, I poured the thick, deadly fluid over the blade of the new dagger. I put the stopper back in the vial, shoved it back in my pouch, and waited impatiently for the poison to turn shiny. That's how I know that it's properly bonded to the metal of the blade. Working with poisons is iffy stuff. Sometimes, it just melts the metal. Other times, it slides right off. Those times are the worst.

     Thankfully, the blade took on a reflective sheen and I knew it was all good. I quickly reversed the hilt for ease of movement and dashed back into the fray, hoping no one else had been slain while I'd been preoccupied. They all seemed to be doing good. Cyril kept the Ettin distracted, Jebiah wacked at it with his magic, and Shyla stayed in the background healing injuries. Just like before, I waited till the Ettin was distracted, than ran at its back. This one's belt was made of cloth, which sagged when I placed my weight on it. I cursed when I almost fell off again. I'm not an acrobat, and this is the most combat I've seen in my life!

     I sank the dagger into the Ettin's neck and jumped free before it could reach around and grab me or shove me off. This time I landed on my feet, bending the knees to absorb the impact, and danced out of reach when the Ettin made to swat me. A few more lumbering steps, and down it went. I grinned and nodded at Cyril and Shyla.

     "I see my minions proved ineffective against Ascended. No matter, I shall destroy you myself!" The cold, deathly voice from behind us wiped the smiles right off our faces. Oh light, I'd forgotten all about the Shade. Which was obviously a foolish mistake. The Aedraxis/Regulos creature lowered itself to the ground to stand on two clawed feet that resembled dragon feet more than human, and raised both hands above his head. The sky seemed to darken. Uh oh. A lash of wind seemed to radiate out from the Shade's form. It was so sharp I felt a sting on my face and when I touched it with my fingers and inspected them, they were covered in blood. Cyril had similar slices on his throat and hands and Shyla had a long slice on her forehead. She quickly hummed something and her scratches disappeared, but the Shade was quickly calling up the wind again. We needed to finish this because we weren't going to stand against that for long.

     Cyril had the same idea as me and charged into battle with the Shade. Jebiah followed suit with a rapid succession of spells. I felt the pain under my eye lessen than fade, and knew that Lady Shyla had healed me. I gave her a grateful smile, before tossing aside the poisoned dagger and grabbing two more unused ones from my boots. Showtime.

     I dashed into the fray, trying my hardest to dodge the winds that Regulos's avatar threw at us. I have to admit, if not for Lady Shyla's constant healing, we'd have been in serious trouble. She was like a soothing breeze at our backs, constantly keeping us safe and whole. There was one curious soul inside of me which seemed to hum to itself in tune with Shyla's chanting, which I found somewhat distracting while I was trying to fight. I kept dividing my attention between the Shade and the humming, which was filling my ears, but wasn't actually a physical noise. In my mind's eye I pictured a young, black skinned elf with a lute, sitting on a mossy boulder and playing a haunting melody that ensnared her enemies with its deadly song. I shook my head to rid myself of the image, but it kept trying to impose itself over my eyes.

     I'm trying to stay alive here! I growled in my mind. A sense of calm amusement floated back to me and I sighed. Fine.

     The battle seemed to last ages. My arms were beginning to tire and I felt exhaustion creeping up on me. Keeping up a fight for that long would tire anyone, even an Ascended! I knew at some point one side of the other would make a mistake. And I was right. It was the Shade. He began uttering his wind spell when Jebiah hit him with an ice spell that didn't do any damage as far as I can see, but it did seem to make him lose concentration. In that moment, he was vulnerable and Cyril immediately rammed his sword in the creature's stomach. I followed suit with my daggers wherever I could. The avatar staggered and shrieked, an ear shattering sound. When he didn't immediately continue assaulting us, I hesitantly stepped back. Cyril did as well. We all waited with bated breath, hoping that was it.

     With a dramatic shudder, the creature collapsed on its face. "I have fallen...but I will return!" Was the last words the Shade spoke before it expired. Cold words, those, that made me shiver all the way to my boots. It seemed to deflate after death, and didn't look nearly as imposing as it did earlier. I took a deep breath and wiped my brow. I suddenly felt so tired, I just wanted to sleep for a week. I couldn't wait to get back to Valor Hold.

     Lady Shyla silently ghosted to Carwin's fallen form and stared down at him sadly. "I...I can't believe Carwin is gone!" She said in a quivery voice. Cyril came up and put a hand on her shoulder. Gods he's tall, was my inane thought. "The cost was great but we, we were victorious." Shyla murmured, the words almost too low to catch. I nodded mournfully, staring at Carwin.

     "This isn't over yet." Cyril said firmly, drawing back from Shyla and turning to look down at the corpse of the avatar. He gestured to the Hammer of the Vigil, which lay forgotten behind me from the beginning of the battle. I turned and gave the weapon a blank look. "You must shatter the body of Aedraxis to sever Regulos's hold on this place." I blinked at him. Seriously? Why can't he do it?? After staring at Cyril for a minute, wherein he looked back at me expectantly, I groaned and threw up my hands. Fine! Ugh. I stomped back over to the Hammer, where it lay innocently, and resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at it. Instead, I picked up the overly heavy weapon and trudged back to the Shade's body. I raised an eyebrow at Cyril and he gave me a serious nod.
     "For Carwin!" He shouted. And I echoed him when he said next, "For the Vigil!" As we finished the cry, I struck downward with the hammer onto the Shade's skull. There was a blinding flash, my eyes were filled with a vision of thousands of white-gold wings, and than...nothing.

[Raeslyn's Story] Chapter 1.5: A Dim Dark Eye

   As I suspected, I was right. As soon as I had recovered my bearings and had gotten a quick meal by one of the many camp fires, I was summoned by Cyril again for a brief meeting.
     "Our troops can handle the lesser undead and abominations, Raeslyn. What we need from you, if you are up to the task, is to find a way to disable those necromancers! If we can get control of their catapults and assault their army from behind, it would put a significant dent in Aedraxis's army. Can you do this for us?" Even though he asked it as a question, I knew I couldn't just say no and walk away. I don't imagine that would be acceptable to a man like Cyril. So I nodded firmly, steeling my resolve. That battlefield was chaos. I quietly slipped out through the gate again. The sentries, having recognized me by now and used to my frequent comings and goings, just gazed after me with somewhat reserved eyes. Ya, I'd doubt my potential too if I were them. I shook off the gloomy thoughts as I actually left the safety of Valor Hold, knowing I'd need my mind to stay sharp and focused on the task at hand. I paused next to some type of artillery machine and scanned the battlefield, looking for an easy way to do this. There were sharpened stakes set up at random in certain parts of the field, where the enemy had used them for defense, before the death rift had ruined everything. Beyond that, pretty far afield, I could just make out the big, bloated bodies of Ettins. Horrible creatures those. Much like giants I would think. Thick witted and thick skulled, Ettins were a nightmare to fight. I remember hearing horror stories of Ettin attacks from the College. It took teams of 5 strong heroes or more to take down even one Ettin, let alone multiple creatures on a battlefield. I had no chance by myself, I knew that right off.

     What I needed was some way to sneak by them undiscovered, and somehow get control of a few of their catapults. Back behind the cannon fodder and regular foot soldiers that Aedraxis employed, I knew he had necromancers, sorcerers, and other dread legions at his command, and I also knew that if I could get my hands on a catapult, I could do some lasting damage to any of the above enemy. I bit my lip self consciously as I watched, looking for a good opening to dash across the field. Aha, there! A skeletal rogue had just turned to dash after some random Mathosian soldier, and there was a brief gap in their defenses, where I could slip behind their lines without anyone noticing. Aedraxis's army wasn't all that intelligent, on the whole, and it seemed pretty simple to sneak past them.

     Now that I had a plan, I secured my belongings more firmly to my person and took a breath. Now or never. I took off from the shelter of the artillery set, sprinting across the grassy field. A light breeze at my back seemed to encourage haste and I blindly ran, not daring to look right or left in fear of inciting notice just by thinking about it. Quickly I slipped behind one of the wooden palisades set up by the enemy and took in gulping breaths of air. It's been a while since I've had to actually do something as demanding of oxygen as running. I'm more a slow and thoughtful creeper kind of gal, after all. Oh how I miss the leafy entanglements of the forest. Large, thickly woven trees, brush and vines, mossy logs to hide behind! This wide open and flat field makes me feel naked. I can feel myself reflexively shrinking down, trying to make less of a target. I even drew my ears closer to my head. Than I grinned, thinking of how someone might perceive me; a skinny elfling with shell pink hair crouched in the shadow of a row of sharpened stakes, breathing heavily and glancing around wildly. I must look like a loon.

     I narrowed my eyes as I noticed that one skeletal sorcerer was going to be in the way of my getting to the nearest catapult. Rats. Now what to do? I could try to find a way around him, or target a different weapon. But this catapult was very close, and was sparsely guarded. It was my best chance. I just needed to overcome that caster before he alerted others. And I needed to be stealthy about it so he didn't have the chance to get off any deadly spells. I'd rather not have to deal with being struck by magical attacks twice in one hour. I shuddered at the memory of that mage's frost attacks up on the Spire.What to do, what to do. I decided to chance the sorcerer, and leapt up before I could second guess myself. Quick as lightning, I had my daggers in my hand and was plane shifting up behind the sorcerer. He turned and even on his half rotten, skeletal features I could read plain shock. I grinned and couldn't help a smart mouth comment. "Evenin' there sir! Fancy seein' you here!" I said cheerily in my best dwarven impression. I brought my daggers up to block the swing of his staff and clucked my tongue as if reprimanding him. The skeletal sorcerer grunted in anger and threw the staff down. Foolish move that. A caster is nothing but a pile of rags without some kind of defense. Unless he has magical defense....rats...

     The sorcerer wasted no time in throwing his hands out and muttering a spell under his breath. I kicked him in the ribs to distract him and drive him backward. Thank the Vigil that seemed to work. The sorcerer's concentration broke and his spell fell apart before it was cast. His burning red eyes seemed to glare daggers back at me and I shrugged. Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. It's either me or him, and I'm so picking me. With the sorcerer on the ground, it was easy to pull out one of the explosive charges I kept in my pack and toss it at him. I walked away without glancing down, not wanting to see. There was a small concussive boom behind me, and I resisted the urge to turn and check. I did not want to see the results of those highly effective but brutal devices.

     I cautiously approached the catapults, keeping low and warily watching for any enemies. I didn't want to be the victim of a surprise attack feet from my goal. That just sounds embarrassing and if I was immortal, I didn't want that to be my first deathly experience. Apart from the lone sorcerer, there didn't seem to be a soul in sight. Ha, soul, get it? Yeah, it was kind of sad. I hopped up on top of the spring arm of the catapult and glanced over the weapon. Conveniently, it was already loaded and ready to fire. I just needed to readjust the firing distance and position and I should have Ettin soup. Hopping back to the ground, I looked for a mechanism for changing the height and trajectory of the machine. Aha, there it is. A wheel on the side, turned to adjust the throwing strength and length. I grasped it, noticing that it was wound pretty tightly. Thank the Vigil for the extra strength and power given to me upon Ascension or I might not have been able to turn it properly. Have you ever tried winding something up or tightening it when it was already full of tension? Not fun.

     It took about fifteen minutes of constant adjustment, eyeing the distance, and lining up the target, before I was satisfied that the catapult would do the maximum amount of damage it could to Aedraxis's troops. I grinned a rather predatory grin as I pulled the lever. With a groan of protest, the arm was released, flinging the missile into the air. Truthfully I hadn't really paid much attention to what exactly I was shooting off. Hopefully it wasn't just a bag full of rocks or something brainless. Who knows what those undead actually considered missiles. There was a whine as the object soared through the air, before it landed precisely where I had aimed, into the center of necromancers and Ettin in the middle of the field. Yes! I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face and the thrill of success that ran through me as the missile landed and seemed to explode into a violet light. When the light faded, all I saw was bodies. That's one way to get rid of the enemy. Eagerly, I looked around for some more mischief to cause. Aha, there was another catapult over on the left of the field, where the mountain soared up into the Spire. I made a beeline for that catapult, feeling more confident now.

      I took the rogue's daggers, to look over later. I don't know what I'd do though if I recognized the blades. I'd rather not think about it now. Another problem was that the next catapult was partly damaged, and it's load had slid off the sling. Now what? I tried reaching down to pick it up, but whatever the missile was made of was very heavy. Too heavy for just one person to lift. And I didn't want to try picking it apart. Who knows how volatile the stuff is? I'd rather not blow myself up.

     So I had to leave that catapult behind and venture in search of another one. I was garnering more interest from the undead flock of soldiers as well. More and more seemed to notice that was I not one of them and I was behind the lines. Avoiding the undead was becoming quite tricksy. Thankfully the next catapult I came across was intact, and loaded. Again I adjusted the trajectory and height, and shifted the direction it was facing. There was a similar group of necromancers huddled around one of the giant Ettin by a dead tree some distance off, and I aimed the catapult at them. Might as well, they were as good a target as any and I really didn't like the way they seemed to be in the middle of a complex casting. In my experience, any caster was bad news unless proven otherwise. And sometimes not even than.

     My arms ached something fierce by the time I had trudged halfway back across the field. I stopped to lean against a shelled out cottage and heard a soft whinny nearby. A horse? Here? And still alive? No way. I stood up straighter and carefully crept around the side of the cottage, following the sounds of shuffling hooves and the occasional whinny. The horse sounded agitated and afraid from it's calls, and I wasn't sure what I'd find. When I rounded the last corner and caught sight of the horse, I gasped.
   I did run into a few more minor problems along the way though. One was an undead rogue that proved to know most of the same tricks I did. It was rather disturbing and I kept thinking to myself as I fought him, what if this is my mentor, turned into an undead zombie by Aedraxis's foul magic? More than once I hesitated when I could have ended it. But than I reminded myself that the life as one of Aedraxis's dread minions is no life at all and my master would never want that, even if this was he. So I ended it quickly, wincing as the light went out of the creature's eyes. How silly of me, that it should hurt to see that. At one point in time, we could have been brethren, comrades in arms. Friends even. Different choices lead to different destinies.
     The poor thing was covered in tendrils of death magic. Death magic leaked out of its nostrils, and had a stranglehold on its hooves. Its eyes were nearly red with madness, and it kept tossing its head fearfully. I knew it was a hopeless cause. I knew it wasn't worth the chance. But my heart went out to that poor creature. I love animals. And I hate to see them suffer. If there was a small chance, however slim, I was going to save that horse. I glanced around, looking for any possible undead nearby. There had to be some. Everywhere else was infested to the eyeballs with undead, I'm sure it wasn't any different here. The horse stomped it's front hoof and snorted, drawing my eyes back. Inexplicably, it seemed to sense me, and turned to look toward the shadowy corner I was hiding in. I gazed into those death touched eyes, and I just knew she was mine.

     Don't ask me how, but I knew this horse and I, we had a destiny. She quieted immediately upon spotting my form, and seemed to just gaze at me, eyes pleading for rescue. Without thinking about it, I slowly stood and stepped out of the shadows. And that's when the warrior attacked. A half rotted fiend with rusted armor came hurtling out of some hidden doorway, cutlass raised high. I quickly ducked under the sword, coming up beside the equine. I placed a calming hand on her withers and had to recoil hastily as I felt the death magic try to worm its way into my flesh. Disgusting. How dare they do such a thing to one of Tavril's followers! All creatures were sacred to her.

     The undead swung again at me and I quickly dodged to the side, bringing the creature further away from the horse. I didn't want her injured on top of being afflicted with death magic. Pulling a tiny, slim dagger, I quickly held it in two fingers and flung it at the warrior. It embedded itself comically in a groove near the neck, wobbling there like an obscene piece of jewelry. The warrior roared at me in anger and charged. I ducked my head and grabbed my attacker's wrists, locking them together and twisting them sideways. Predictably the creature dropped the cutlass and it hit the ground with a muffled thump. I kicked at the kneecap, hoping to cripple the fiend, but it didn't seem to have much effect. Duh, Rae, it's dead. No pain receptors there, girl! Letting go of one wrist, I unsheathed a dagger and stuck it in the warrior's eye in one fluid motion, before it had a chance to retaliate. The undead backed up, staggering slightly. I released the other wrist as well lest I was pulled off balance, and watched warily, wondering if I'd need to defend myself further. Thankfully the fiend slumped to the ground, miasma leaking out from the cracks in the armor. Eww.

     The horse snorted again, bringing my attention back to her. She was a fine mare, if a bit malnourished. If I could cure her of the death spells and affliction, she would make a fine battle steed. I whispered soft elven words to her as I drew near again, speaking the old tongue taught to us by Tavril herself. The horse perked her ears forward and followed my movement as I drew near. Despite all that she had undoubtedly endured, the mare was not overly skittish in my presence. I patted her a few times, and slipped some rawhide ropes from my pack. I quickly fashioned a simple loose halter and gently slipped it around the mare's head. I waited a few minutes to let her get used to the feel of it, constantly glancing around and feeling the press of time on my back. I really needed to get back to Valor Hold and report my success. But I also couldn't just leave the horse behind. I pictured what Cyril Kalmer would say when I rode into camp on the mare, and chuckled. As long as those fool sentries don't shoot me down first, thinking I was the enemy.

     The mare took it quite calmly, being ridden by a stranger. Thankfully I had a small blanket in my pack as well, because I really wanted something between me and the filthy death magic infesting the poor horse. She took off at a ground eating pace, and I leaned down across her neck. I didn't even think about it, but I fisted her mane in my hands and tried willing my cleansing Ascended magic into the horse through my fingers. I couldn't tell if it was working or not, but it seemed that the further we went across the field, the lighter her steps became. Her coat stayed black as night though. But perhaps that's what color she was, a black horse.

     I kept a firm grip on the mane the entire journey, and kept willing my healing light into her. At the entrance to valor Hold I gently tugged on the reins to slow her down to a walk and she responded instantly almost before I even made the motion. Amazing! I knew she would be an amazing animal. I was right pleased with my find as I rode into Valor Hold and stopped in front of Cyril. By the gods he's tall. Have I mentioned that yet?
     Cyril raised a large bushy eyebrow at my mode of transportation, but thankfully didn't say anything derogatory. When I gave my justification for rescuing her, and said that I think she'd make a fine battle steed, Cyril nodded agreement and watched as a soldier led the horse to a stable, promising to have an animal trainer take a look at her.

     "One horse is a small weapon in this war. But than, so is one sword. But wielded by an Ascended like yourself, our enemies will shriek in agony as they are trampled underfoot like twigs." Said the ever enigmatic Cyril. I snickered. Cyril graced me with a bland look. What, I couldn't help it? He's always so full of some kind of cryptic message.

     "Go take a bit of a rest, Raeslyn, you've earned it. At dawn, we'll strike at Aedraxis himself." Now that wiped the smile off my face real quick. I nodded wordlessly and walked away, feeling a bit shaken. I know we had to confront him at some point, but it just seemed to soon! What if  I wasn't ready? Was I ready? I don't know?! I'm scared, truth be told. I don't want to die. I couldn't sleep, but I did have a tasty meal of biscuits and some kind of venison stew. I spent the night with my newfound steed, the mare I'd rescued. The pet trainer had looked her over, given her some medicine, and had been astonished at her quick recovery from the touch of death. I'd like to think I had a hand in that, actually.
     Whatever the case, she was almost completely healed, and was in better spirits now. She even tried stealing my biscuit, the sneaky thing. Regretfully, dawn came all too soon.

 "At last we come to the end. This is what the Vigil brought us back from death for! With their guidance and power, and our might and determination, the Tyrant's hordes will fall away from us like rain against steel. Ride to the Eye of Regulos, and slay the King. Shatter his body with the Hammer of the Vigil and sever Regulos's grip on this land. If King Aedraxis wants oblivion, we will give it to him!"
      I listened to Cyril Kalmer's impassioned speech with the other various soldiers and Ascended Guardians gathered in front of him. I'm not one to get all stirred up over grandiose talks and claims but I have to admit that I felt...something as Cyril talked. I don't know what it was, or how to explain it, but I felt a tingling in my chest, right below my breastbone. My eyes also felt kinda prickly. It's just one of those moments, where many people are all highly involved, and willing to do what it takes to see a task through to the end, no matter their own personal views.

     When Cyril had finished his little speech, he beckoned me over for a private talk. I hesitated. If it was something he wanted to ask me specifically, I was probably not going to like it. Whenever there'd been a danger to the forest, the elven council had often chosen me to scout ahead, or infiltrate the group responsible, because of my small stature and convincing acts. Although, now that I think about it, that also made me the prime suspect whenever something went wrong, was stolen, or had been endangered. To be fair, only half the mischief at the college was my fault. Honest.

     "Raeslyn, I ask a special task from you." I knew it! I crossed my arms to let show how unimpressed I was by this. I'd gotten over my misty feelings from a minute ago real fast. "The Vigil asks of you the task of destroying the pillars holding the death rift up at the Eye of Regulos. Our troops will be too busy fighting Aedraxis's undead army, and holding the monstrous legions of the Endless Court at bay. We ask that you go on ahead and disable the Rift and even out our playing field." He placed his hand on my shoulder and I gave a resigned nod. Hey, someone had to do it right? And of all the Ascended present, I was the only one who wasn't some kind of military commander who was needed for the fight against Aedraxis's army.
      " Okay. But I'm taking Naesa." I stated, inspecting each of my daggers to make sure they were all combat ready. I should probably pick up a few more before I leave on this hare brained venture too. You can never have enough daggers in my opinion. Such wonderfully simple but effective little tools, are daggers. Perfect little devices. I smirked.

     "Naesa?" Cyril asked doubtfully, brow furrowed. Mathosians looked so dull when they frowned like that. They could at least try to look intelligent. Gods. I spun a thin dagger idly between my fingers as I casually responded, "Oh, my new horse. You know, the one I rescued?"

     Cyril blinked at me, than pursed his lips and scowled. "Very well, you earned the right to ride the beast I suppose. After all, you did rescue it."

     I expertly flicked my dagger back into it's sheath and wrinkled my nose, crossing my arms. "Her name is Naesa. She is not an it." I said, calmly but forcefully. I do not approve of people just calling a creature "it" just because they were creatures. Hello, they have genders too! A little respect goes a long way among the wilds of Telara. If you don't learn to respect the creatures of nature, you won't live long in the forests of the world. I turned and walked away, leaving Cyril to stare after me with exasperation, muttering something about elves.

     I commandeered a few more daggers for my cause from a helpful weapon maker, found a nice-fitting saddle for Naesa, and was ready to go within the hour. The sun was just breaking over the mountain range, coloring the field in its golden radiance. I couldn't help but feel my spirits lifting by the sight. So beautiful, is Telara. By Tavril's blessing, this land is ours to protect, and I will do my duty to the Vigil, as I had sworn long ago. I only hope that after today is done, I will be free to seek my own path. I wish to find my family again and persuade them of the evils of House Aelfwar, as well as find my mentor and see if he is indeed safe. If he is dead than I shall give him a proper elven funeral and go into mourning. But, I don't even want to entertain that thought until there is irrefutable proof.

     Clucking lightly to Naesa, I set out of the gates of Valor Hold for possibly the last time. I stopped not long past the protective walls of the camp and shaded my eyes, gazing back the way I'd come. I looked up, past the camp, past Bloodmurk Grove, even past Ardenburgh. In the far distance, up on its lonely hill, I could just make out the large stone edifice that was the Sanctuary of Rebirth, where I had begun this mad journey upon reawakening. It feels surreal, in a way. As if I was having a dream. A daydream, like I so often have...had, at the college. I'd slip away from my classes and escape to the woodland, where the song of the trees would lull me into a half sleep and I would dream of all manner of far off adventures. And now look at me. The biggest adventure of my young life and I want nothing more to do with it. Ironic.

     With Cyril's troops engaging the undead on the field, it wasn't that hard to slip past the enemy and make my way for what Cyril described as the Eye of Regulos. It was a pass in the mountains, barely noticeable among the other grays and browns of the mountain. Just beyond the indent that meant a way through the mountains, I could see a giant mass of tentacles and violet miasma that could only be the effects of the Death Rift. Disgusting abomination. As I neared the pass, I slowed Naesa's pace with dismay. Oh great. The whole pass was blocked off by a veritable army of undead. Ascended or no, there was no way I was getting past that mass of bodies. They'd swarm me. Now what was I supposed to do? Wait here for Cyril and the others to catch up to me? That didn't seem like a sensible option. Besides, they were counting on me to bring that rift down. I had to go forward. But how do I get past those guards?

     As I was thinking over possible solutions, a slow golden mist coalesced to the left of my position. Surprisingly, Naesa held fast and didn't so much as paw the ground in reaction. Out of the light appeared another Messenger of the Vigil. Crucia's fangs, did those things stalk me or something? How do they keep finding me? I'm awed to be so esteemed by the Vigil, but I'm really starting to get a little annoyed. Maybe next time they could just write me a letter? I nudged Naesa forward and moved over to where the Messenger hovered above the ground, long wingspan effortlessly keeping her/him? It? above the ground.

     The voice, always multi-faceted like a cave echo, formed in my mind like always. "No evil can stand against the might of the Ascended. Step into the light and let the power of the gods course through your body."

     The Messenger turned gracefully and gestured to the wall of sentries, who were now all focused on little old me. A beam of golden light appeared a couple of feet in front of the seething mass of undead. Far too close to the mass to effectively get out alive. I eyed the beam of light a moment, than gave the Messenger a doubtful look. Seriously? I have faith in the gods and all, but come on. This was asking just a bit much, don't you think? The Messenger just stared at me serenely, the same irritating look it always wore gracing its features. I glared. Great, just great. If I was mauled by those zombies over there, I was going to rant and rave to the Vigil for an eon when I got to the Soulstream.

     I took a deep breath and gave one last, resentful glance to the Vigil's Messenger. The white wings swept the creature aloft, and than it was gone in a burst of extra golden light. Show off. I focused back on the undead fiends in front of me. I glanced down at Naesa. She craned her long neck and glanced back at me, than tossed her mane and shook her head. "Ya, I totally agree with you Naesa. This is crazy." I said to the horse's actions, than grinned. I clucked my tongue and set Naesa forward at a slow trot. Here goes nothing. The closer I got to the wall of undead, the more tense I became, until I felt like anything would set me off. Finally, after what seemed forever, Naesa's nose touched the ring of gold light. Nothing happened. Hesitantly, I stepped all the way into the light. The moment the light hit my body, I felt my whole vision light up like  a Fae Yule tree. Blinding white iridescence produced spots in my vision and no matter the amount of blinking, I couldn't clear my sight.

     When the light was reduced enough that my poor retinas were able to process what they were staring wide eyed at, I was amazed. Instead of the mass of bloodthirsty creatures out for my blood that I expected to see, there was nothing but a pile of charred bone, all layered outward from my position as if I'd been ground zero for some type of mass destruction weapon. Wow. Color me impressed. If only I had that kind of arsenal at my disposal all the time. I glanced down, noticing that my hands were still glowing brightly. And even more shocking, My back sported two large golden wings that extended well past my shoulders. Even as I gawked, the wings of light slowly faded into nothing, leaving me feeling bereft. It was only than that I realized that I really had been blessed by the Vigil. They did actually care about their people. My faith and love swelled, and I felt proud to be one of these newly established Guardians. I am a Guardian. I am Ascended. And I will protect Telara from the forces of Regulos the Destroyer and his ilk.

     Once the afterglow had faded, reality set in and I sobered fairly quickly. The pass I had cleared was a nightmare. Literally. The ground and canyon sides were crawling with spikes and odd plant-like tentacles that pushed up from the earth like macabre cherry blossoms. The air was thick and heavy with death magic, and a low, black fog hung over the ground, dissipating with a hiss whenever it touched Naesa's hooves. Lovely. The clearing beyond the pass was choked in vines and deadly tentacles, and I could see undead patrolling the area. I glanced downward at my mount. This was no place for a horse. She had loyally gotten me this far, and ahead of time as well, but I could not ask her to fight for me here. She'd already had her fair share of battles against the darkness. So I dismounted and slapped Naesa on the rump, sending her back down the pass the way I'd come. With luck she'd find her way back to Valor Hold and I could retrieve her after I was done here.

     The sky was black as night, despite just early morning, and was shot through with streaks of violet lightening. In the middle of the clearing was some strange looking contraption made of a silvery blue metal. The device was twice as tall as I was and studded with tiny blue dots. The tell-tale glow of magitech. Those cursed Defiant must have had a hand in this. Just what were they thinking when they built this? Did they know what they were doing? What Aedraxis had planned? Gods, I hope not. I'd like to think that anyone, no matter how corrupted, would never agree to such a high price as this for power.

     That device must be what is keeping the Rift open and keeping Telara in contact with the other dimensions. If I can disable the machine somehow, the Rift should collapse and Telara should drift out of alignment with the planes and back into its own proper dimension. Ha, if only it was as simple as it sounds!

     Just getting to the device was proving to be more of a challenge than it should. The undead seemed to sense what I was there for, and they all swarmed me as I was making my way toward one of the pillars that arose on either side of the device. Fighting two of the creatures at once was less of a challenge than it would have been days ago. My skill in combat, as well as my Ascended power, had been steadily growing as I worked on them, and I am proud to say I held my own quite well against the creatures. Of course, keeping my attention divided between the two was a challenge all in itself. The other souls inside me sent me encouraging strength and skill as well and I was able to use a few tricks to down the zombies.

     I systematically dispatched all the undead I could find, not wanting them to ambush me while I was concentrating on dismantling the device. I cursed as an undead managed to slice open my arm. Where the hell were Cyril and Shyla? He said they would be right behind me, and I could really use some back up right about now.
     When the last undead fell (as well as two Defiant mages who had apparently been sitting and keeping the pillars intact as near as I can tell), I was able to actually get a good look at the device and it's accompanying machinery. A raised dais was touched on two sides by tall, oblong pillars, the tops of which had some bizarre lightning rods. Or at least, that's what they most closely resembled; something I'd seen a few times at the college by the few eccentric professors who studied astrology, weather, and other random subjects. Orbs had been placed at the base of the pillars, orbs that resembled what I'd seen the specters carrying in Ardenburgh.

     I studied the entire piece of technology silently. The pillars seemed to be the key. They held the actual power source to the device. What if I used the Hammer of the Vigil on those orbs? They would break, thus disrupting the power cycle and shutting off the network of sourcestone siphoning, and causing the main device to malfunction. If the power flow was disrupted, there was a high probability that the magitech would fail, as it relied quite heavily on the sourcestone generators that were powered by the orbs. Woah, did I really just think all that? In the back of my mind I caught the hint of an exotic giggle. Ah, that explains it. My Bahmi companion strikes again. Her suggestion seemed the most sound, despite my feeling that she might have a conflict of interest here and I had no other viable ideas anyway. I could feel time ticking away and I really needed to shut this rift down as quickly as possible, as I had a feeling something bad was coming.

     I hefted the Hammer, which I'd kept tied to Naesa's side until I'd arrived here and than had stashed by the pass when I'd let her free. It was a good sized weapon, with a thick handle and a large, solid head. The weapon was covered from top to bottom in holy runes, the language of the gods, and the runes lit up with a blue-white glow as I lifted the hammer above my head. That had to be a good sign right? I took a deep breath, than swung the hammer down with all might, sending it crashing against the orbs on one pillar. At the last moment I shut my eyes on instinct and turned my head, expecting some kind of reaction.

     There was another explosion of light behind my eyelids as well as a sudden gust of wind that
nearly knocked my back when it swept outward from the orbs. I dropped the hammer, finding it suddenly very heavy, and turned to gaze upward at the massive tentacle-infested rift that had been floating overhead like a fat tick.

     To my dismay, it seemed that if anything, the Rift had swelled, grown larger. To prove my point, it began pulsing and suddenly disgorged two large dragon spawn, which immediately set their sights upon my small and innocent form. Of course....

     I'd have been in some serious trouble if Cyril, Borrin and Lady Shyla hadn't conveniently shown up just than. I almost demanded to know what took them so long, but I was just grateful for their assistance. While the others held off the dragon spawn, I picked up the Hammer and went around to the other pillar. Still one cluster of orbs to knock out. Hope this works. This time when I hit the orbs, there was an even more dramatic reaction. The pressure knocked me back, than seemed to suck back inward. The sky became darker and the Rift seemed to flicker ominously. Thankfully, it did shrink a bit though. That should be a good sign, right? I grinned triumphantly.

     And that's when Aedraxis appeared.