[Karazhan's Story] 2.16: The Burning City

      "Hey there pretty lady. Name's Tremaine and I'm a Knight Marshal. Anything I can...help you with?" The man who stepped in front of me when I made to enter the command tent was powerfully built and had a voice that demanded you pay attention. I stared at him levelly as he gave me a flirtatious grin. It was flattering to be called pretty in a way, but I also knew he'd deliberately prevented my forward progress. I suppose it was smart to make sure that not just anyone could walk in and kill their leader if they had a mind to it. I stepped back a pace so that I wasn't so close to "Tremaine". He was actually pretty big for an Eth, tall and heavily muscled, wearing heavy armor that was the norm for warriors and paladins. I put on my best "I'm in this war too and I mean business" expression.

     "Hello yourself. I've news for your leader, as well as an offering of aid and I heard he resides in this tent. I wish no one harm and I'm a member of the Defiants." I tilted my head slightly and made a casual motion toward the Defiants insignia on the lapel of my new robes. The red and gold rising phoenix glimmered in the afternoon sun. Tremaine raised one eyebrow and looked me over with a new eye, as if appraising whether I was telling the truth or not. Not that he'd actually be able to, since he wasn't a caster or someone who'd spent years studying the arts like I had. He grunted.
     "As you wish then." He finally said, drawing the words out. He swept aside the tent flap and called out a warning ahead of me before grandly bowing with one hand. "After you, pretty lady." He finished with a grin, waggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes. Warriors.
    
     Inside the tent, the air was slightly cooler and seemed free of smoke. A tiny glowing talisman on a central table was the answer for that. I could sense the magical power emanating from the device and had to stop myself from picking it up and poking at it magically. I was here for something more pressing. The man perusing a scroll to the left of the table had to be March Warden Denegar. He wore several medals and insignias of office and station and his clothing was more ceremonial. He carried a large two-handed sword across his back and looked exhausted. I felt a surge of sympathy for the March Wardens, who were desperately trying to protect their home and who were still conflicted on whether it was a good decision to turn their backs on the Vigil they'd long worshiped in favor of the more heretical and scientifically minded Defiants. He placed the scroll on the table with a grimace as I walked up.

     "Ah, a Defiant." He said. He glanced briefly at Tremaine, who gave a short nod. "I'm March Warden Denegar, but than you probably already know that. If you wouldn't mind introducing yourself my lady?" He smiled politely and distantly at me.
     "Oh yes. My name is Karazhan. I was resurrected by Sylver Valis as one of his engineered Ascended and have been helping with the troubles in Freemarch." I paused a moment as Denegar blinked in surprise at the word Ascended. His face went through several emotions; fear, awe, worry, disappointment. I could understand how he felt. It seemed that suddenly history was being made right here and no matter what happened, we, Sylver's creations, would always be remembered, even if our Guardian counterparts would rather we didn't exist. It made me feel giddy and elated and scared all at once to be part of such an important event in history.

     "Karazhan. A Defiant Ascended." The March Warden said slowly, as if he wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that. I gave a slight shrug, trying to appear casual. "I never thought I'd ever see an Ascended." He continued, and stared me in the eyes for several seconds before looking away. I dropped my own eyes to the magical air clearing device, feeling the sudden awkwardness. I stubbornly refused to let myself feel ashamed for existing. For being an affront to the gods. If they hadn't been so unrelenting and unbending in their views of mortal circumstances, we Kelari would never have broken from them. We wouldn't have gone to the Isles. I would never have been reborn as a constructed being made entirely out of magitech and sourcestone. An abomination in the eyes of the Vigil and the Guardians who followed them. But then, I wonder how different the world would have been if that hadn't happened. If Sylver hadn't made his own engineered Ascended replicated from the Vigil's chosen warriors. Well actually I didn't need to wonder, I already knew. The apocalypse I'd avoided by traveling through time was not something I'd ever forget.
     So I lifted my chin higher and steeled my jaw.

     "You know, when the Defiants arrived in Freemarch, they offered their help against the cult." Denegar spoke, filling the strained silence that followed. I quirked an eyebrow. He grimaced and looked older and more exhausted than before and I felt another surge of sympathy despite his almost unfriendly comment. "But I dismissed them. Why would we need help? We rose up against Jakub the Tyrant in the olden times and we retook our lands then. We were strong and we ruled ourselves justly. I was aghast at the Defiant's talk of the gods' failure. Such heresy I thought! And now..." He trailed off and gestured helplessly around him. He didn't have to say anything more. I knew what Freemarch faced. Of course, how was he to know all this would happen? And how to react to the ever changing circumstances of the world's politics.
     "Freemarch isn't alone anymore." I said in reply when he didn't say anything more. "The Defiant are your allies, and I'm here to help you take back Smith's Haven. So what can I do?" I put the offer out there bluntly, willing him to see the deadly sincerity in my voice and in my eyes. I wanted to protect the people of Freemarch just as much as he did. I couldn't bear to just watch the suffering of so many innocent people when I could do something to help. March Warden Denegar chuckled with grim amusement.
     "What an age this is. The Age of the Ascended." He mused, speaking barely loud enough to be heard. My greater sense of hearing picked out the words clearly though and I rolled the words around in my mind. The Age of Ascended, huh? I liked the sound of that. Indeed it was our age. And we'd show those crazed Blood Storm gods that we wouldn't tolerate their manipulation and wickedness anymore.

     "I thank you for coming to help Smith's Haven, Karazhan. You may not be the Ascended we were foretold would come, but you have stepped in to aid us, where the Guardians and the Vigil did not. While we managed to get many of the city's civilians to safety, others are still trapped inside. My second in command is also in there. We haven't been able to keep in touch with those still trapped behind the enemy lines, but if I know Ted Powell, he'll have holed up in the supply cave we carved into the side of the hill a long time ago. If you could help him get the remaining people back here to safety, we can attack the enemy in the city without concern of hurting our own." I frowned thoughtfully. Denegar stooped down over the map and began pointing out positions on the city map, letting me know where his scouts had reported the heaviest concentration of cultists, where the supply cave was, and what buildings were so damaged that to venture near them was too dangerous. I mapped out a route that would take me to the cave, and a possible escape route back out, but it was hard to predict an accurate escape route when I didn't know how many people were trapped inside and in what condition they were in. Denegar also didn't know if any were injured, or elderly. Apparently the takeover of Smith's Haven was so brutal and fast that the wardens were left scrambling to retreat.

     "Alright. It seems straight forward, and I know what to do. If I see any of those cultists or any undead I'll make sure to say hi for you." I said neutrally. Denegar grinned in approval. "You're alright, for a Defiant." He said finally. I felt my lips stretch into a wide smile. "I'm so glad you approve." I quipped back. I straightened up and stretched, feeling sore muscles loosen up a bit. Even Ascended needed rest now and again apparently, I thought ruefully. Denegar saw my wince. "Rest up a bit first and get something to eat. It wouldn't do to wander into that death trap without being on full alert." I agreed gratefully and wandered back outside. Knight Marshal Tremaine followed me out and took up a stance outside the tent flap again, giving me a jaunty wave as I moved over to a communal soup cauldron in the center of the camp. Since it was mainly a military camp, I wasn't expecting much in the way of nourishment but I vowed I wouldn't be fussy as long as it was hot. After all, they had to feed all these poor refugees from the city as well, and who knows what kind of state their supplies were in and when they would get any relief or aid from neighboring towns or Meridian. I remember vaguely that one of the Unseen had made mention that there were reports of Smith's Haven burning, so they had gotten the news before I left, but it was still a day's travel at least to way out here. I know they have those portal ways that allowed travel in the blink of an eye but I would imagine arriving in the middle of a burning city wasn't ideal so they had to travel the mundane way to reach the city.

     "A bowl of the soup please." I requested of the middle aged woman pouring bowls of soup for people. There were black smudges on her face and her skirt was half burnt away, but her eyes were fierce and determined. The people of Freemarch were brave and hardy. She handed me a crudely made wooden bowl of some type of vegetable soup. It didn't look like the best meal I'd ever eaten, but it was hot and it smelled good, so I settled down under a patch of shade, resting my staff at my side.

     After I'd eaten my fill--downed too quickly to truly enjoy it since the sight of the burning city instilled haste in my actions--I washed off my utensils with water from my flask and handed it back to the woman at the cauldron with a murmur of thanks. I walked toward the little bridge and destroyed gate that led to Smith's Haven and studied it, considering if it was best to try and dash through the flames licking at the gate, or if I should just climb up the wall. Both prospects seemed like a great deal of effort. The Endless Court sure knew what they were doing by starting the fires closest to the gate to make it nearly impossible for anyone to get in or out.

     "You're not thinking of going in there, are you?" Asked a somewhat disbelieving voice behind me. I turned around and spotted a fairly young Kelari maiden standing a little to my left. She was wearing long red robes like the Meridian scientists but hers had no markings or badges of rank. An apprentice perhaps? I smiled at her.
     "Maybe I am. Someone needs to show the Endless that we're not just going to sit down and take this." I replied. The girl looked gleeful and worried all at once and I felt touched that she was concerned for me.
     "Just don't get in trouble cause we won't even be able to hear you scream for help, k?" The girl said, and a corner of her mouth quirked up. I smiled back. "Oh hey, here take this!" She added on suddenly, and stepped up to me, pressing a large cold canister into my hands. I stared down at it. It was a strangely shaped jar, ice cold to the touch and seemed to be fogged up with condensation.
     "What is it?" I asked the girl after studying the object a moment. She was shorter than me by quite a bit and I ended up looking down at her, which made me uncomfortable. I stepped back a pace.
     "It's a holding canister for water elementals. It's my research project for Meridian. If we could capture the weaker elemental creatures and keep them contained until required for something specific, it would be very beneficial to the war effort." The girl said this in a straight, earnest voice, rattling off the sentence as if she'd practiced it. I studied the jar again. An elemental? "This one is a water elemental. I captured it on the way here when a rift into the plane of water exploded around us. The Wardens are pretty good at fighting off planar foes and while they were busy I scooped this one up and sealed it in that canister. It might be mad when it gets out though, but the opposing elements seem attracted to each other like magnets so if you release it inside the city, the elemental will be drawn to the fires and you can use it to maybe put out some fires if your in trouble, or to help someone who might be trapped by burning debris."
     "Wow. Color me impressed!" I exclaimed after her little explanation. "This'll be very helpful, thank you." I added sincerely. The girl beamed.
     "Good luck! You're going to need it. I hope you can get the rest of them out to safety." She waved at me and walked away from the searing heat coming from the gate.

     I tucked the elemental vial into my belt and scowled at the blazing doors. Being from the hot tropical isles inured me to heat and high temperatures, but this was on another level and already I felt uncomfortable.

    Once I'd gingerly picked my way past the burning wreckage of the town gate, I recalled the map to mind and stayed left, following the main streets as much as possible. The visibility was low due to smoke and flames and there was debris and burning buildings on either side. Every so often I forced myself to stop and stand still despite the oppressive heat and listen for any cries of help or anything suspicious. I dreaded the possibility that there were poor victims still trapped inside any of those buildings, helplessly burning alive when I could have done something. It made me very cold inside down to my toes despite the incredible heat bearing down on me. Despite the heavy smoke, I found that breathing wasn't too difficult as long as I took slow breaths. It must have been something to do with the nature of my new sourcestone body. I didn't complain. Having smoke inhalation problems on top of everything else seemed like a recipe for disaster. And a horrible way to die.

     I passed several tall buildings, one of them looked to be an Inn. The stables for the horses and other mounts was nothing but a towering inferno of yellow hot flames. I really hoped there were no animals inside. Finally I stopped in a relatively clear area, when the main road had gotten smaller and seemed to weave between houses instead of holding a firm straight line. I called up my magic and attuned my senses to my surroundings. Using just the raw essence of the magic, I quested out, searching for signs of life. To my dismay I found plenty of dark dots around the town. They were dark violet at the core, denoting that their souls were tainted by evil. Those must be the damn cultists. Searching further, I widened my inner gaze and brushed up against the rocky mountains that bisected Freemarch here. Aha, Denegar had said the refugees were trapped within a supply cave carved into the side of the hill. I "felt" along the hill with my magic until I finally found a whole mess of life signatures. Most of the dots were in hues of gold and white, denoting good, honest souls. Found them.

     I recalled my magic back to myself and felt a slight twinge in my temples. Using raw magic that way always took a lot out of the caster. I'd learned the trick a long time ago by accident when I'd been part of a search for a lost child in the jungle outside Atia. Since than I'd learned to hone the skill. It made it very handy in finding signs of life in areas, but it was also very strenuous on the mind so I didn't like to use it often. Apparently even being Ascended didn't make me immune to the rigors of magic use. I rubbed my temples to help relieve the ache. At least I knew that the townsfolk still seemed to be alive and ok. Just trapped in the cave since the town was crawling with cultists and ordinary townspeople were trained to fight, let alone fight a bunch of insane Regulos worshippers and their undead pets.

     I don't know how long it actually took me to reach the little cave where the trapped citizens were hiding out. A few times I ran into cultists and had to quickly end them before they could call out and warn others that I was here. It wasn't exactly a pleasant task. They were still people after all, but they had sided with the Destroyer so their fate was sealed. I also quickly threw nets of power and electric magic at the many undead I came across, disabling them and ending their miserable caricature of living. I think of all the vast and evil threats to the world, the undead bothered me the most. They truly were abominations on Telara. Not alive, not truly dead, they had no right to even exist. That the cultists used them like well trained hounds bothered me even more, and I had to hope that their souls weren't somehow buried deep in their rotting flesh, yoked to mindless slavery for their dark cause.

    When I climbed over the makeshift barricade barring entrance into the cave, I found myself face to face with a whole lot of spears and pitchforks. Immediately I put both hands in the air and froze.

    "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Demanded their leader, a tall dark skinned man in warden colors.

    "Hi, I'm Karazhan, a Defiant. Are you Ted Powell? I was sent in here by March Warden Denegar to help get the rest of the civilians out of Smith's Haven so they can commence their attack. I'm on your side, I swear." I said by way of greeting. I kept my expression open and earnest. The warden peered at me with narrowed eyes, before slowly lowering his beautifully carved spear. Everyone else had rather crude weapons that looked to have been hastily strung together from whatever supplies they could scavenge.

     "The March Warden sent you? Than he got out ok?" Ted exclaimed. His face looked ten times younger when he suddenly grinned in relief. "Boy am I glad to hear that! And thank you for coming to our aid. I was beginning to think we'd been forgotten about. But..." he trailed off and peered behind me a moment, looking perplexed. I chuckled at his confusion.
     "Don't worry, I'm all you need. I can protect us while we escape." I said in a neutral tone of voice. It wasn't boasting after all if it was true. Ted peered at me again, looking wary and suspicious. Then his eyes widened.
     "Oh! You're one of those engineered Ascended?! We'd just gotten word from Meridian of Sylver's success when we were attacked by the Endless Court. Wow, a real life Ascended." He tried to casually dust off his torn and burnt clothes, as if trying to make a good impression on me.
     "Trust me, it's not as glamorous as it seems." I offered wryly. "Now how many people do you have here, and when do you want to leave, cause frankly, I'm sick of this place already." I asked, lifting one eyebrow and gesturing behind me. Ted considered the cave entrance a moment as he mentally counted.
     "We have about fifteen of us. There's a few kids and elderly though and everyone's been effected by the smoke. We need to get them out of here before it gets worse." Ted replied grimly, down to business. I nodded gravely in understanding. He led me to the back of the cave where the rest of them were and I glanced among them. All the civilians seemed to perk up upon spotting me, most of them scrambling to their feet with hope on their dirty faces. I put on a confident smile for them.

     "Hello everyone. I know you've had a hard couple of days, but it isn't over yet. We're going to be leaving now and going to a camp that March Warden Denegar has set up outside Smith's Haven. There you can get fresh food and water as well as have medics tend to your injuries. We just need to get there first. I won't lie, it's going to be risky. There's a lot of cultists between there and here, but if we stick together and protect each other, we should be fine. This is our only chance, so are you ready?" I meant the question rhetorically, because whether they were ready or not, we were leaving, but the roar of approval that greeted me was a bit startling. I felt a tight feeling inside, kind of like pride, and my smile grew wider. I nodded at Ted and went to stand by their little barricade as he organized the group for travel. He knew them better then I did and would be able to better equip them and prepare them for the run through the burning city.

     After some time Ted came up beside me and informed me they were ready. I took a deep breath.
     "Stay close everyone, and look out for each other. Keep an eye on those nearby and make sure they don't get into trouble. If something happens, keep your voice low but try to alert the rest of us as soon as possible. It's going to be dangerous, but you are people of Freemarch and I know you're brave souls. Your ancestors beat Jakub the Tyrant after all. Don't hesitate to use your weapons to defend your friends." I glanced among them, memorizing their dirty uplifted faces, than turned and slipped between the barricade with ease. My strength and agility had definitely increased since being placed in this new body. A lot of it was in fact the body itself, but the addition of the sourcestone matrix and the power of the other souls lent me increased physical attributes that I'd never had before, being a scholarly, indoor mage type.

     The run back through the city became a blur to my memory. It was just one jumbled haze of fire and smoke and worry. At one point, the young Kelari scientists elemental canister saved us when a burning building exploded next to us, showing flames and burning wood down among the group. A young child and a man ended up pinned by flaming beams and half the group was trapped behind a wall of fire. The water elemental, when released, almost attacked me but the pull of fire, it's direct opposite in elemental power, lured it toward the flames and the water elemental smothered the flames, allowing myself and Ted and two others to pull the beam off the injured townsfolk and gather up our scattered group. We couldn't treat the injuries there, not with no supplies and in the open in what was now enemy territory, but none were life threatening so we just continued on. To my great regret, we did lose someone. A young boy who had been struggling to the side of the group, coughing from black smoke. An undead fiend with red eyes leapt out of a shadowy alcove and snatched up the boy, impaling him on a rusted sword before anyone could even realize the attack had happened. Of course all the townsfolk descended upon the fiend, stabbing and slashing, before my pure weather magic ended its abominable existence. We spent a few moments in hushed mourning before the risk of staying grew too great and we were forced to press onward, leaving the tiny mangled body behind. Even though he was the only life lost, I felt such bitter regret when we finally reached the town gate and I could smell the fresh air. Tears prickled my eyelids. That poor innocent little soul. I've never hated anything so much in life as I did the Endless Court right than. Them, Regulos, and that horrid snake Alsbeth. If she had appeared right then in front of me, I would have done my best to rent her limb from limb, no matter what anyone thought or her pleas for mercy.

    "I'm so sorry." I said to Ted as I led him toward Denegar's tent. We'd deposited the citizens in the capable hands of the warden's military healers and they were now being treated for their various injuries. Smoke inhalation seemed to be the most serious, although the man who'd been pinned by the beam ended up with a pretty bad concussion and a broken arm as well as bruised ribs. He was lucky. Again I felt grief well up as I saw the boy in my mind's eye. Ted clapped me on the arm and his face grew serious and grave.
     "Karazhan, don't be. You saved us. If you hadn't gone in there and led us back out, who even knows if any of us would have survived. It wasn't your fault, what happened, and I'm just grateful the rest of us are safe. Thank you." He peered into my dark eyes and I took a deep breath of the clean air. The nearby river, fed by the sea, brought the smell of brine and salt with the breeze, clearing my lungs of the heavy smoke-filled air.
    "Still..." I shook my head. No matter I knew Ted's words were true, I couldn't help the self-disgust I felt. I'd had a job and I felt like I'd failed it, failed them, failed myself. Just the very idea of losing even one person to those accursed cults made hot anger and bitter sorrow well up within me. Warm and comforting touches seemed to press upon my mind and I dropped my mental shields slightly to allow the other souls to comfort me as best they could.

     "March Warden, I've returned." I announced when I entered the tent after winking at Knight Marshal Tremaine outside. He'd gawked at me and Ted, as if shocked to even see me alive, let alone that I'd succeeded. Denegar's head jerked up at my voice and he immediately rounded the table, hugging Ted like they were old comrades. And maybe they were. This town, in fact all of Freemarch, had a history that I hadn't been part of. I shook the thought away before it made me feel even more depressed. Did Ascended have issues with mental health? I wonder if the medics had experience with dealing with mentally scarred, depressed Ascended beings.
    I shook my head again and brought myself firmly back to the present, in time to hear the last of Ted's explanation of what had happened in Smith's Haven. Denegar looked saddened at the loss of the boy, but turned a grateful smile on me.

    "Thank you so very much, Lady Karazhan." March Warden Denegar praised me. He came forward and stuck out his hand in the southern custom. I awkwardly shook it, before inclining my head politely.
     "You're welcome. You're people are very brave, March Warden. You should be proud of them." I offered, surprised that I actually meant it. They had been brave. And loyal. None had run or hid when the building had exploded, or when the fiend had attacked. "But I'm sick of just reacting. I'm sick of those cultists thinking they can just do whatever the hells they please with our land. I won't allow Freemarch to fall to Regulos. It's time I take this fight directly to them. And I know now where they are." I turned my eyes outside the tent flap, where the towering dark spires of the Iron Fortress seemed to loom in sinister silence over the fallen city.

[Special Feature] VII: Sylver Valis

     Occasionally among the Kelari there is born a child who cannot hear and bond with the native Spirits that share a home with the elves. This is a cause of great sorrow to the Kelari, for their entire culture centers around the powerful elemental spirits. They built two great temple-cities in order to honor and worship the Spirits in Atia and Nykantor. The name Nalthema is given to such pitiful children, who are often ridiculed and shunned as defective. Most Nalthema often fade from the public eye, and live out their miserable existence on the edge of society.
     Sylver Valis was born a Nalthema. Instead of giving in to the despair of this affliction, he turned his brilliant mind to science and magitech instead. It was remarked that he was a quick child, able to read and write far earlier than most Kelari children, and had a quick mind, able to quickly understand and calculate magical theories that were far advanced for even most adult Kelari. Eventually, his skill with equations and magitech theories became known beyond the Isles and he was taken under the wing of one Orphiel Farwind, a prodigal Ethian scientist who was known for his radical views on sourcestone technology and his passion for the knowledge that the ancient Eth possessed. Orphiel Farwind tutored Sylver in the arts of technomancy and thermateurgy, allowing him access to the secrets of the Ethian Empire that he had unearthed. With their skill at planar manipulation and experimentation with sourcestone technology, they were able to establish amazing advances in sourcestone defense systems to protect Meridian, the base for their scientific work. In Meridian, the college of Planar Studies that had recently been taken from the Abyssal cult who controlled it, Sylver Valis was given the helm of a new revolutionary theory of creating machine-born humanoids that were beyond mortal, beyond the planes. These beings were given the title of Ascended. To mock the Guardian's Ascended, or because they rivaled the opposing faction's powers? Who knows.
    
     The only person who knows more than Sylver about magitech and sourcestone technologies is Orphiel. In the alternate future timeline that has now ceased to be, Sylver was indeed successful in his endeavor of creating a magitech-forged being with the ability to "attune" to the planes, allowing access to incredibly and limitless potential as well as housing a special matrix that allowed the fitting of multiple souls inside for immortality, vast powers, and amazing regenerative ability. When these new Ascended beings came through Orphiel's time traveling device, Sylver was overjoyed that his experiments and theories proved successful in a future timeline, but he is now determined to do something just as great in this timeline to prove his excellence and worthiness of being a scientist. His current goal is to create a new type of Ascended that does not require the use of souls to power them. He often says that it is his ambition to create life, not merely return life from death. He finds his experiment and theory ambitious and exciting, despite the fact that more than half of his experiments end up exploding in his face and bringing the wrath of his superiors down on his head. Sylver is so driven by his discoveries and theories in Sourcestone technology that he often forgets about the goings-on of the outside world, much to the frustration of the Kelari High Priestess Anthousa Mona, who has become the unofficial leader of the Kelari survivors who fled from Ember isles. She takes every opportunity to belittle Sylver, insulting his Nalthema status and mocking his skill in magitech. But it was actually thanks to her harsh words one day that led to a new breakthrough for Sylver's technology. He came up with a new and improved way for Ascended to attune to the planar vibrations that cover Telara, allowing for them to gain a new understanding of the wild elements and master them like never before. In this special Attunement Ceremony, Sylver proudly displays his unique machine, which glows with multitudes of sourcestone and allows an Ascended to lock on to specific planes and gain new heights of planar prowess and focus.

     Most days, Sylver can be found in the Planar Research section of Meridian, poring over various machines and gadgets with his loving and loyal assistant Staval Rosso. He is the foremost Eldritch Technician in Meridian and since Orphiel Farwind rarely communicates with visitors anymore, most enquiries about planar magic and technology are brought to Sylver Valis and his research team. He's very passionate about his chosen field and easily distracted by his experiments.
     Sylver seems to have fallen in love with Asha Catari and at some point he even manages to beg an Ascended to present her with a mechanical rose of his own invention to prove his affections, which Asha politely and delicately turns down as she is still pining over her lost love, Zareph Mathos. Sylver admits it was a long shot, but as he is fond of saying, "no risk, no reward."
     When a way was discovered for the Defiants to return to Ember Isle and reclaim it as their own, Sylver was one of the first to eagerly arrive back on his beloved homeland and staunchly defend it against the minions of Maelforge with his sourcestone knowledge.

Stats:

• Level: ??? Boss
• Race: Kelari
• Class: Mage
• Faction: Defiant
• Location: Meridian, Ember Isles, Terminus
• Title: Eldritch Technician
• Reaction: Friendly to Defiant, Neutral to Guardians
• Has 1 known relative, a woman going by Priestess Valis<Priestess of the Kelari>. She can be found in Meridian at 6162, 5192. She herself states that she is Sylver's sister, and admits that the two of them went completely separate paths. She also says she didn't think Sylver's tinkering with machines would amount to anything, but she's glad it did.

References: Oh my ancestors, it's hard to actually find information on Sylver enough to piece together a proper piece on him. Of course everyone knows he created us Ascended, but other than that, there's not much known about him. I had to read every single chat window I could find around him in Terminus and Meridian, as well as the knowledge collectors and even ask the forums! This post is my own lore description of Sylver, written from my own research into his character. The character of course, belongs to Rift and Trion and is not mine! If I find more info on Sylver, I'll update this piece.



[Karazhan's Story] 2.13: Something Fishy In Lakeside

      I was in the Meridian library, reading a fascinating book on the Endless Court when a man dashed past me and activated the magitech device in the middle of the room that allowed one access to different floors. Of course I'd already investigated the fascinating piece of technology earlier and had enjoyed myself immensely flitting between different levels of the library until the head librarian had told me to knock it off. So, feeling like I was a novice again, I'd settled down on the second level and decided to dive into reading up on the threats I'd be facing when protecting Telara. I rather fancied the idea of being a hero to the people, and my new body was specifically equipped to handle any situation. I'd even begun mastering other spells that the various other souls housed inside had employed themselves. I'd learned a few healing spells, which would no doubt come in handy for helping out those injured or in need of aid, and I'd also gleefully played with a few new weather and even fire spells. Yes, I was definitely having a good time in Meridian, learning so much about this time period and the goings on of the great world of Telara. It was a larger world than I'd ever dreamed of! But I'd distracted myself again.

     I watched with avid curiosity as the man activated the device for the top floor and quickly blinked out of sight. I pondered the device a moment before getting up from a pile of cushions and setting my novel aside, placing a shred of cloth between the pages to mark my progress. The top floor, I'd learned, belonged to the Unseen, a shadowy, covert part of Meridian's military that was dedicated to espionage, intel, and investigation of suspicious activity. I hadn't even realized I'd been getting restless from all my sitting in Meridian until a flare of excitement had me quickly heading toward the teleportation device as well. If there was some urgent matter that this man was bringing to the Master of the Unseen upstairs, than I definitely wanted to be in on it. I'd learned that these Defiants and their allies were so in awe of me and my kind, and so unsure of what our rank and status was in the war against the planes, that it seemed I'd become a de facto leader. Or maybe just someone of high standing and authority? Whatever it was, it came in quite handy when I wanted information, or when I wanted to be included in some clandestine action. I set the dial on the machine, activated the switch, and felt the tug at my breastbone that signaled travel through space. An entirely different sensation from traveling through time that was for sure! Moments before I disappeared I caught sight of Alyete still reading that Abyssal tome avidly in the corner and I frowned. I didn't think it was healthy to spend such an amount of time poring over such a suspicious book. She'd even confessed to me earlier her obsession to learning the secrets contained within. I'm pretty sure that's what led to many joining the Abyssal cult to begin with, since I'd heard they were big on promising you knowledge and arcane power. I can only hope her road to knowledge doesn't lead to madness.

     I arrived on the top floor with a slight jolt, keeping my feet quite easily. I glanced around and spotted the man talking animatedly to the Faceless Man and Kira Thanos. Yep, the Kira Thanos that everyone at the Kelari refuge down by the ocean had been going about. They called her the Azure Viper and named her a remorseless assassin, but what I saw when I looked at her was someone who had grown cold because she'd had no other defense against the harsh reality of the world. It made me sad, although I would never say that to her. She was Ascended as well and I really have no desire for a knife in the back. The Faceless Man was another interesting enigma that I remember from my "days of future past" as I'd amusedly started calling my time at the end of the world. He was so odd and mysterious that it begged to be asked about, but again, self preservation was a strong motivator for keeping my questions to myself, since he also wasn't the friendliest of men. Well, no matter, I remember seeing a historical scroll on the Abyssal cult down in the library; I'd have to read it sometime. He himself even admitted that he was a former Abyssal cultist after all.

     "Ah, Karazhan, how good to see you." Uriel Chuluun, a beautiful Bahmi woman standing behind Kira said as I walked over. Uriel kind of gave me a strange feeling, like goose bumps along the arm, when I was in her presence. It wasn't exactly a good feeling. She felt like death magic, and that was one type of magic I'd sworn I'd never mess with. Nothing good came from learning the dark arts. I smiled a greeting at everyone and waved at Kira. She gave me cool, assassin eyes back.

     "Sorry if I'm interrupting." I began. "I saw him head up here and thought, if there was something going on, maybe I could offer my aid?" The Faceless Man turned his horn-helmeted head in my direction and I was again thrown by the fact that I couldn't see his expression, or even his eyes very well, to gauge his reaction.

    His voice, when he spoke, echoed oddly inside the mask. "Yes thank you Karazhan. Since you're here, I might as well inform you of what's going on. You could be a valuable asset." I preened, grinning, and Kira rolled her eyes with amusement. "I have ways of keeping track of my old...compatriots in the Abyssal cult, and I believe something is afoot in Lakeside. It's a small village to the east of here. One of my Unseen, Ziara, had been stationed there to keep an eye on the Lakeside docks, since that is a likely route of attack by sea, and she has reported some troubling findings about the villagers acting oddly, and strange attacks in the night, but she doesn't have any concrete proof and she can't blow her cover, so I need someone to go investigate these things and find out what's really going on. Be warned, the villagers aren't a friendly lot and don't agree with Defiant occupation here in Freemarch so they may be hostile and unfriendly to a machineborn such as yourself." He gestured vaguely in my direction and I glanced down at my self. I did rather stand out in my long heavy fabric robes, exotic enchanted gloves and glowing staff.

     I nodded. "Understood. I'll go look into things at Lakeside and see what's going on. Anything I find out, I'll report to Ziara and she can send a letter here to you." The Faceless Man nodded in agreement, and I turned, feeling anticipation surge through me. An actual mission! Finally some action, something positive I can do to help out the Defiants and Telara! And of course a chance to try out my new spells and abilities. I felt a thrum of eagerness from the other souls and grinned.

     I activated the machine and teleported back to the second level, where I quickly picked up my discarded book and tucked it back into its niche in the wall, marking the location in my memory so I could come back and read it later. The head librarian also seemed to frown upon absconding with books to who knows where and I didn't think she'd like it if I took it with me on my adventure. Oh well, it would be here when I returned. Not many of the scholars or the various people who lived in Meridian read in the history section of the library, having already learned most of it as they grew up. I suppose you could call that a failing of the Kelari, in that we/they were quite the xenophobic race and none of the priests and priestesses ever cared to teach world history in their lessons.

     The porticulum system that the Defiants modified for their own use wasn't connected to anywhere near to Lakeside, so I ended up walking to the village. Not that I minded in the slightest since it actually turned out to be a nice day. Outside, the breeze was light, even if it carried it with it the faint hint of planar magic, and the sky was blue and cloudless. The sun shone down brightly onto the vibrant green of Freemarch and I could well believe it had once been known as the Emerald March back when it was in the hands of the Mathosians. I'd definitely learned a lot while reading the history books in Meridian. I took a deep breath at the foot of the stone dais that led to the city proper and noted the well traveled highway that led to the east. It made sense that the road would eventually lead me to Lakeside, since it was a rather prominent village in Freemarch. Not the most populated town of course, that was Smith's Haven, Freemarch's capital, but still, quite a few Freemarch natives lived in Lakeside. Over the years since it had been first claimed, Freemarch had known many masters, and as such, the citizens were quite diverse, sporting Mathosians and Eth working side by side, as well as elves and I'd even heard there were a few Dwarves who had set up craft shops here. I wonder what the more religiously inclined raced thought of us Defiants setting up shop here. Well, too bad.

     Several hours later I slowed as I saw a town ahead. That had to be Lakeside. As I grew nearer, I could feel the wrongness in the air. There was definitely something fishy about the village, Ziara was right. Speaking of the Unseen spy, I wonder where she'd holed up. She'd want a good view of the goings on, but the Faceless Man had said that the villagers were a suspicious and withdrawn lot, so she probably stayed out of the village. I let my eyes wander idly over the landscape, and spotted a high ledge of rock overlooking a crossroads of the highway up ahead. If I were her, I'd camp out there. Perfect spot to keep an eye on both the village and the roads leading up to it. The highway branched off in different directions right below the ledge, and I peered curiously down each fork before shrugging and making my way up to the top of the ledge, huffing slightly at the exertion. I was a mage, not a mountaineer, for spirit's sake. At the top, I got an eyeful of the business end of a magitech gun and blinked, slowly holding up my arms. The short, thin woman at the other end of the gun eyed me with sharp eyes, looking wary.

     "Uh, hi." I said, striving to stay calm and neutral so I didn't end up shot. Not a priority of mine. "Don't worry, I'm not a cultist, or anyone wanting to cause trouble! I was sent here by the Faceless Man in Meridian. Are you Ziara? He said he had a contact out here that I should collaborate with on the investigation of Lakeside." I bit my lip as I waited, hoping I didn't just blurt this all out to a member of Lakeside instead of the spy. The woman eyed me up and down slowly, as if taking my measure, before her gun slowly lowered, and I felt myself relax. Staring down the barrel of such a device was pretty intimidating.

     "Prove you are who you say you are." The woman demanded, backing up a step but still keeping me in sight. I licked my lips and frowned. "Well, my name is Karazhan and I was granted a new body after being raised from the Soulstream by Sylver." The woman didn't look impressed and I realized that didn't exactly prove anything. "Oh and um, Sylver really fancies Asha, even though she's really in love with Zareph Mathos. It's all rather tragic really." I trailed off as I indeed thought it was tragic. Poor Asha. The woman finally relaxed and nodded.
     "I suppose that will work. You said your name was Karazhan? I'm Ziara. And I was indeed set up here to watch Lakeside. I don't really care about whatever special abilities you got from that crazy scientist Sylver, I just want to make sure you can handle yourself in a fight and you won't end up a liability to me." She gave me another once over, and I resisted the urge to fidget.
     "Rest assured, I know my way around a battlefield." I replied, feeling slighted. If she only knew! And Sylver was a brilliant man!

     Ziara smirked, as if she knew how much her words needled me, and set her gun down. She rubbed her chin and turned to gaze down at the village beyond the crossroads. I cautiously came up and stood beside her. From here all I could see here the straw and thatch roofs of the village. Since Freemarch was quite far south, the climate was quite humid and warm and there was no need for fires, so I could see no smoke. I opened my mouth to ask for details about the situation when Ziara started speaking, as if sensing my curiosity.
     "Something strange is certainly going on here. The way the Abyssal works, though, makes it difficult to tell if there are actually cultists stirring up trouble in the village or if it's just the villagers being their usual hostile, mysterious selves. Everything the cult does is hidden beneath layers of secrets and occult mysteries. I've seen...very strange things here of late. I don't even want to understand what I've seen because when I try, it starts nagging at me mercilessly, like a voice in my head that won't go away." As she finished speaking, Ziara began rubbing her temples and wincing, as if just the reminder caused her headaches. I gazed at her curiously. Maybe her solitary position was getting to her?
     "The Faceless Man seems to think the Abyssal is operating here, do you have any proof of that?" I asked finally when she wouldn't say anything else. Her words just sounded confusing, and I wanted to make absolutely sure before I went and confronted and/or possibly maimed someone for being a cultist. Ziara hesitated, and dragged a hand through her hair.
     "It's hard to say. I was definitely skeptical at first, but people seem to be acting really strange in the town lately. And I always feel like I'm being watched by unseen eyes. I need a fresh face to look at the situation and analyze it better. Sorry I can't offer more than that." She did indeed look sorry for not having any concrete information, and I just shrugged.
  
     "That's fine, it might be better if I went in without any bias coloring my investigation anyway. I'll go talk to some of the villagers and see if I can find anything suspicious or overtly cult-like." She raised an eyebrow at my words and said "Cult-like?" with a chuckle. I grinned. The tension between us seemed to dissipate and I relaxed more. "But hey you know, I haven't had lunch yet. How about we eat and than I'll go snoop around?" I offered, and started to open my pack. "I have quite a few tasty treats packed from the markets in Meridian that I bet you don't get way out here." Ziara's eyes lit up with excitement and she practically started salivating.
     "You bet I don't!" She exclaimed, laughing. "Thank you Karazhan, for sharing."

     We settled down on the ledge and shared a meal of mild cheeses, boar sausages and a chilled berry wine. It was quite satisfying, as was the expression on Ziara's face when she ate. It felt good to help someone out, even if it was something as simple as sharing a meal.

[Lore] XXVI: Meridian

    

 

     A majestic city located in the heart of Freemarch and backed by imposing mountains, Meridian is the capital and headquarters for the Defiant faction's offensive war against the planar evils that threaten Telara. The main faction and racial leaders for the Defiants can be found here as well. Meridian prides itself on its soaring towers and technomagical constructs as well as a strong sourcestone-fueled defense system that rivals that of the Guardian's holy city. Scholars and scientists are continuously coming up with new experiments and research into the planes is an ongoing project filled with risk, but also great reward. Mortal and Ascended alike call Meridian home. Portals located in the Plaza allow for instant travel to other regions of Telara and there is a wide variety of services offered for the intrepid adventurer, whether they are looking for new and powerful armor, ancient relics and artifacts, or companions in their aid against the many dangers of Telara.

 

     Meridian was built over a conquered Abyssal Cult site, ruled by a high ranking Abyssal cultist named Tidelord Brenin, who captured the position when it was a famous college and library. Meridian the college and learning center had been around for hundreds of years, as long as Quicksilver College in fact. It had been erected by the Mathosians long ago as a holding tower for all the old and ancient forbidden tomes full of powerful spells and instructions of the Ethian magitech that they didn't want to fall into the wrong hands but was just too valuable and potentially powerful to destroy (or so I assume is in there. They don't actually mention what forbidden knowledge is sealed in the tomes). The tower had been taken and converted into an Abyssal nest after spies and traitorous cultists infiltrated the tower, corrupting the scholars and knowledge protectors with temptation to open those forbidden books and read them. Thus the great Telaran Library (who knows what it was actually called) fell under the sway of the Abyssal cult. Tidelord Brenin and Tidelord Faceless Man (since he says he doesn't have a name anymore that's what I'm calling him) were gifted the tower as reward for their efforts in securing it for Akylios. After some time, the Faceless Man "woke up" from the evils that the cult perpetrated and approached Orphiel and his Defiants with the promise of giving them the means to take the nest from the cultists and make it their home, in exchange for amnesty and a position high in the Defiant ranks. Orphiel agreed and together they successfully launched an attack on the Abyssal base, swiftly and violently removing all cultist presence from the area.

     After Meridian had been won from the cultists, Tidelord Brenin was able to secretly escape, to later cause more trouble and mayhem in Moonshade Highlands. The successful taking of the cult nest was only made possible by the betrayal of the Faceless man, this ex-cultist oversees the spy and mission network of the Defiants' stratagems now and employs several deadly Ascended assassins and spies such as Kira Thanos the Azul Viper, in his special task force called The Unseen. He and his officers can be found in the central section of the city, in one room of the tower that leads ever upward to Orphiel's Spire. Orphiel himself, the infamous founder of the Defiant and designer of the Failsafe Device, never leaves his tower and can be seen standing at his impressive balcony peering through the largest telescope ever known and muttering strange things.

     For Defiants, Meridian is a place to call home, a sanctuary from the constant strife and hazards of the wild and evil choked regions of Telara, as well as a place to gather supplies, meet friends, and form guilds to take on challenging foes with. For Guardians, Meridian is a threat, both to their armies in a literal sense, and to their spiritual campaign to free Telara from the corruption that the heretics spread by refusing to relinquish their research into Sourcestone as fuel. Meridian stands as a sore thumb that the Guardians find an aggravating insult to the Vigil, at best. Technology is used freely and openly in the streets of Meridian, experiments and research are performed daily, and sourcestone constructs stalk the stone walkways between the different levels of the city. If one looks closely, one can even see the remnants of the Abyssal's presence in the city; otherworldly weapons carefully sectioned off in the research center, crates of exotic, bright blue Sourcestone canisters that seem to ripple like the plane of Water they were created in.

 

     If you're looking for Sylver Valis and his trusty companion Stavel, enter the left archway in Meridian where the College of Planar Studies diligently works toward further understanding of the Planes and their denizens. Sylver can be found there in the thick of things, trying to perfect the art of engineered Ascended and thus prove himself in this timeline as worthy of the title of inventor. As for Asha Catari, she is located in the opposite direction, on the far right in the Command Center, trying to keep peace among her fellow Defiant commanders: the illustrious High Priestess Anthousa Mona, unspoken leader of the Kelari, and Chieftan Rhan Chuluun, the appointed leader of what is left of the Bahmi tribes. Individually, the three races that comprise the Defiant faction are so different that it would seem they would never trust or tolerate each other for long, but the threat of annihilation and total destruction that the planar forces promise Telara has drawn them all together to save their beloved homeland from eternal darkness and slavery.

 

     Interesting Side Notes:

• The guards that stand at the door to the Foyer (the room that leads to the Faceless Man and Orphiel's Spire), are called Praetorian Guard. This is curious, as it is different than any of the other guards and soldiers around Meridian. When researched, Praetorian means bodyguard or protector of a powerful, high ranking general in the Roman Army. I can only assume these guards are there because of Orphiel, and are his to command specifically.
•  

 

 

References: Well, Meridian is definitely an interesting and fun city to learn about, but it's frustratingly mysterious and backstory on it is very hard to come by. For instance, I would love more information on what stood in Meridian's place before it. I heard it was a college first, and had been corrupted by the Abyssal. I would love to hear more on this, or to even have it confirmed. The information behind this post is gained from doing the introduction quests when first entering Meridian, as well as reading the old lore pages that Trion had up on their Rift site and looking over every artifact set related to Meridian that I can find! If anything else relevant becomes known I'll add it in at the end. All lore belongs to Trion and isn't mine. I only play with it!

[Karazhan's Story] 2.9: What You've Sown

     I had so much fun in the Kelari refuge, and learned many new things about survival, and the present day circumstances in Telara. I'd never really spent much time outdoors until my resurrection as a machineborn Ascended, so the concept of fishing, cooking, and survival skills were a bit foreign to me. In Atia, one had whatever one needed by simply going down to the market. And my days were always filled with scrolls, study, and magical application. I quite like the idea of catching and cooking my own food. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to make a fine meal for myself or someone else. Not that I have any real friends or even acquaintances really in this timeline. Perhaps I should go look up Sylver Valis.

     "See, you're a natural!" Acacia praised, coming up beside me. I had just finishing successfully starting a small fire on the beach for myself to cook my latest catch, a rather large minnow. I grinned at her. The breeze coming off the sea soothed the sweat on my neck from my efforts and I straightened and shielded my eyes against the sun. I'd been here in the refuge...what, two days now? It felt like a lifetime already. But there was always a creeping sensation in the back of my mind that told me I had important tasks to be attending to. Like keeping the world safe from the Blood Storm and their accursed cults. It was nice to have a few days of carefree happiness though. "I have a message from Attis, by the way." Acacia spoke up again, sobering. The smile left my face as well. Here it was. I'm sure there was some danger or trouble they wanted me to see to because of my enhanced abilities and magical skill. Not that I minded. I was far more suited for combat and defending people then any of these lot. Even the Defiant soldiers weren't as adept as I was in battle anymore. I suppose that was the idea, though. I grinned suddenly to myself.

    "Thank you, I'll go see him right away. You're welcome to the fish I caught!" I called the last comment back to her as I took off for the docks, confident in myself and my surroundings by now. I actually liked Freemarch. It was a beautiful seaside field. As I strode along the wooden walkways I couldn't help but catch the tag end of a conversation that had me very intrigued so I slowed to subtly eavesdrop. I'm not above a little eavesdropping to catch some juicy information. It's how I learned what each of the priestesses at the temple was looking for in a student.

     "I heard it's true. The Defiant have actually ascended the Azul Viper!" Said a young Kelari man, making dramatic hand gestures to go with his words. Nothing if not dramatic, we Kelari. I wonder who the Azul Viper is? "I used to hear stories about her when I was just a child on the island, Leander. You wouldn't want to be on her bad side." The man continued earnestly to his friend, named Leander apparently. The other man gulped and glanced around, as if expecting this Azul Viper character to suddenly spring from the shadows. Even though I knew better, I couldn't help reflexively glancing around as well, before scoffing at myself.

    "What, Kira Thanos, resurrected as Ascended?!" Leander exclaimed timidly. "They say she assassinated a High Priest in front of his entire congregation!" Interesting. Kira Thanos...that name did sound familiar. I think I'd heard stories about a famous assassin by that name as well. She'd been nearly legendary with the street urchins and rogues that prowled the streets of the city. Since it would look far too obvious I was listening in if I just continued to stand there, I continued on my way reluctantly. Finally, I actually knew the identity of someone else who has the same affliction as me. Well, affliction is a bit harsh, but I couldn't think of any other word more fitting. She may be a hired assassin but we were fighting for the same team and I would love to have someone else to talk to about my personal experiences so far. I wish I had someone in this time that I could call friend, that I could trust. I sighed heavily as I finally walked up to Attis, who was whittling something out of a piece of driftwood. He looked up and gave me a questioning look, no doubt curious about my heartfelt sigh. I shrugged.

     "Acacia said you wanted to see me, sir?" I asked. Before he could speak, a young, agile Kelari swaggered up, daggers swinging off her hips. In each hand she carried a tiny cage containing a fire squirrel. By the stars, I hadn't seen a fire squirrel since I'd still lived at home on the family estate. Without even thinking, I stepped forward eagerly, leaning down to peer into the cages at the beautiful creatures. Fire squirrels are something that I'd always thought were native to the Isles. They hadn't been found anywhere else in Telara. At least, until now.

     "Where on Telara did you find these?!" I asked, feasting my eyes. Seeing them made a nostalgic pain go through me and I wished so very much that I was naught but a 50 year old girl again, running along the hedges at the estate, laughing and playing with my older sisters and not a care in the world.

    "Oh, we brought them with us on the ships. Of course we couldn't let such beautiful creatures be abandoned on the island. We brought the best breeding pair that Kosmos here could find." He nudged the large man next to him. "Unfortunately, they bred rather quickly once we arrived and a few of the young managed to escape. This kind lady agreed to round them up for us!" I stopped to actually look over the young rogue who brought the fire squirrels. She was very pretty, with large expressive eyes and long bright blue hair. Just by looking at her, I could tell she had an attitude bigger then she was. There was also something else about her that seemed to call to me....something. I gasped.

     "An Ascended!" I cried. She was like me! I was so delighted. "Hello there! I'm an Ascended to! Sylver created me. Well, I guess he created all of us. Did you come from an alternate future too? How was it?" I realized I was babbling and felt my dark skin heat up. Well that was embarrassing. But still. I waited expectantly, smiling at the shorter girl, and she gave me cool, distrustful eyes. Then slowly, obviously, she raked her eyes over my more bulkier and muscular form, and a sneer came over her lips. I felt my own smile fall. There was a moment of awkward silence as the rogue just stared at me and I shuffled my feet. I was just being polite! Surely she was just as excited to meet a comrade as I was? Or maybe Ascended were meant to be solitary? Was something wrong with me that I desired kinship and friendship among others like me? I bit my lip. Great, an anomaly on all accounts. The souls inside swelled up, filling me with positive, warm emotions and I felt better. Maybe it was just a rogue thing. I never really liked rogues anyway. Always skulking in the shadows and thinking they were better then everyone else. Finally, the girl turned away from me and handed over the tiny cages. The squirrels squeaked happily when they saw Kosmos and I smiled again. They were just adorable!

     "Oh yes, where were we? Kara dear, I have a small request for you if you don't mind?" Attis said, turning his attention back to me. I straightened up. I wonder what he wanted me to do. Maybe I could go catch adorable little critters for him like that stuck up rogue. Or maybe I could help cull some of the predators that always seemed to stray too near the refuge. The howling of the marsh wolves at night was particularly alarming.
  
     "When we first landed, looking so outlandish and different and unnatural, as you well know by now." Attis began, quirking an eyebrow at his own ceremonial warrior robes. I giggled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the rogue snort and saunter off. Fine, I didn't need any other Ascended anyway. I was doing fine on my own. And I had been easily welcomed here at the refuge.
     "The locals distrusted us, I'm afraid. They had their Wardens keep us contained in the refuge. We weren't allowed to leave or venture out past a certain point. Thankfully, our first commander, Cyriac Leighton, made certain we were not mistreated. Times have changed and he has been transferred but I would love to give him a letter of thanks for looking out for us, even though he had no reason to." Attis reached into his robes and pulled out a folded, well worn piece of parchment. It had creases in it where it had obviously been opened and closed many times. Several of the refugees had told me of how it was when they first arrived, how everyone was suspicious of their dark skin and exotic accents. It was good that this Commander Leighton treated them fairly. It made me think highly of him already.

     "I would love to deliver your letter. Commander Leighton sounds like a good man and I would like to meet him. Do you know where he was transferred to?" I took the offered letter and tucked it away into one of my many belt pouches. As a spell caster, you never know when you'll need something, so I tended to carry all manner of things around with me. And now I carried fishing line and tinder around too, so I could fish and cook my own meals when I was out in the wilderness. A fantastic idea that I was glad I'd gone with. I'm also glad I pride myself on being a patient individual, because fishing was a skill that required it in spades.

     "Ah yes, he was sent to....Eliam Fields, I believe it was called. Apparently its a prominent farmstead that was having some trouble. The commander didn't say what kind, but I'm sure it's nothing you couldn't handle, being Ascended and all." Attis waved his hands at me, and I felt my cheeks turning hot, although I welcomed the praise. It was nice to hear kind words about my skill instead of all the harping I'd listened to when studying at the temples.

    "Eliam Fields, eh?" I mused. Interesting! Lord Nicols had mentioned a man named Eliam in his story of Freemarch. I love history. Maybe I'll find out more about Eliam and the March Wardens while I'm at it. I looked around, took a deep breath of salt air, and nodded decisively. I enjoyed my time here immensely, but the itch inside told me that it was indeed time to move on. Maybe I've become somewhat of a traveler. An adventurer. Yes, I dare say I liked the sound of that.

     I  bid everyone at the refuge farewell, promising to come back and visit some more, and Acacia demanded that I tell her in great detail about all the exotic fish I was going to catch in far away lands. Ha, far away lands. I've never even explored all of Freemarch, let alone the distant Iron Pine Peaks or some such place! Although, the idea of visiting those places was very appealing. Maybe, once I'd had my fill of Freemarch and made sure it was safe from the Endless Court and Regulos, I would visit all the various exotic locales that Telara had to offer. I would love to actually see Fortune's Shore, for instance. I'd heard all about it from traders that visited Atia.

     I turned my back on the Kelari refuge and headed down the Longshore Highway once again, this time heading in a westerly direction. Attis had said that Eliam Fields was to the northwest a ways. I was also looking forward to putting my new skill in cooking and camping in the outdoors to use tonight. The souls inside chimed in amusement at my thoughts.

 The Green Hills of Freemarch" was rather catchy, dare I say. I did also meet another Ascended along the road, who was much friendlier then the cold rogue I'd met at the refuge. This one said she'd trained to be a warrior, and was now heading for Meridian to rendezvous with a companion before heading north to investigate some kind of mystery. It sounded dreadfully interesting, and we chatted politely for several minutes before she realized that she was going to be late if she didn't leave right away.
     The weather was beautiful as I finally came within sight of Eliam Fields. There were a few puffy clouds here and there, but the sky was blue and warm, with the sun shining down on Longshore Highway as if reading my cheerful thoughts. As much as I miss my family and friends from...before, I have to admit that I am loving my new "lease on life" as it were. The freedom to go where I please, do what I want, and the magical potential at my fingertips had me veritably skipping down the highway, nodding a greeting to every Defiant soldier or Freemarch citizen I saw. Maybe they thought I was mad. Did I care? Not one whit! Even the knowledge that Telara was facing terrible danger from the return of the Blood Storm and other ilk couldn't dampen my good mood, and I found myself whistling a sea shanty that one of the Kelari at the refuge had taught me. "

     Even though it seemed an ordinary farm from the highway, once I'd gotten closer I realized that this place too, had been touched by the misfortune of the Rifts as well as the tinkering hands of the scientific Eth. The buildings dotting the farm were surrounded by various magitech devices and the telltale blue glow of sourcestone canisters and weaponry lit up the wide porch steps on either side of the main house. Instantly I was curious as to what those machines were for: what could they do? How much sourcestone was used to power that many, and for how long? How effective was it? Why was it better then the hard labor and usual traditions that the peoples of Freemarch always used? Eldritch technology was just so fascinating! With everything on the Isles being Spirit-powered, there wasn't much call for learning how to craft magitech unless simply for scientific curiosity. I suppose here on the continent, where I've heard the Spirits are rare, unapproachable, and weak, the application of magitech was that much more useful.

     A man in military dress carrying a long wickedly curved sword cleared his throat behind me as I stood peering at a particular magitech device. I admit I jumped a bit, than turned around and smiled politely.

     "Greetings. What is your business here, lady Bahmi?" The man asked kindly, but with authority. I blinked, and scrambled for my brains. "Oh, hello! My name is Karazhan Solanta, Ascended from the future. I was recently a guest of the Kelari at the Kelari Refuge and I've brought a message from their leader for a man named Cyriac Leighton. Are you he?" The man nodded, relaxing a little, although still eyeing me. I can't exactly blame him. I stand out just a bit with my coal-dark skin and tall muscular body. It's still taking some getting used to for me after all, and I'm the one with the body! I fished the envelope out of my pouch and handed it over, than waited silently while the man took his eyes off me, opened it and read it.

     "A letter from Attis Resta. Hmm." Leighton muttered as he read. "Oh yes, I remember him. I appreciate his gratitude, but I did what any decent man would do. The refugees were starving and sick. They needed aid, so I supplied it." He shrugged, but pocketed the letter carefully, and I hid a smile. Even the most surely of people like to know they are appreciated. He raked his eyes over me again, this time with a thoughtful gleam, and I stood a little straighter, wanting to appear capable. Since I seem to just be drifting around, I figure I would gladly lend aid where I could as I adventured. If Sir Leighton needed help, I would gladly provide it, not only because it was the right thing to do, but as a silent thank you for helping out the stranded remnants of my former people when they needed it most.

    "Well, since you're here Ascended, perhaps you could help a guy out?" He paused, and I nodded earnestly. "I'm concerned about an expedition that recently went to investigate some strange goings-on at Todrin Estate down yonder. There were rumors of Endless Court activity in the area. I fear that Bintley and his men may have discovered something they couldn't handle. They left yesterday so maybe there's still hope that it's nothing, but better be safe, huh?" He strived to put on a hopeful face, but I knew that he knew that something indeed had gone very wrong with that expedition. I sobered, feeling a dread sink into my belly. It always seemed to hurt seeing death that could have been avoided. Needless death just for the sake of it. That's why I hated Regulos so much and eagerly went out of my way to seek out and destroy any of his zealous followers. How could anyone willingly follow something made of death? Shaking my head to dispel such dark thoughts, I nodded firmly at Leighton.

     "I'll investigate it for you, sir. It would be my honor." I seemed to say the right thing, for he actually softened and smiled at me. "You're a good one, Karazhan. Don't forget that." He said to me. Feeling awkward now, I asked something that had me curious for a while now. "Just what is the deal with the Endless Court here anyway, sir?"

     Leighton waved a hand at me. "Enough with the sirs, young lady, you're making me feel like my old man! It's Cyriac. And what's not with those crazy cultists? The damned cultists think they can take everything I've worked for and use to despoil everything I've ever known or loved. I'm glad your here Karazhan. We could sure use your help in taking back Freemarch. As to the Endless Court themselves. I don't rightly know much. I know they worship Regulos. They have been infiltrating Freemarch and causing nothing but trouble for years now. They take what they want and kill all those who oppose them. In fact, if they want your corpse, they'll take that too!" He gave a dark chuckle, and I politely grinned back. "Be warned, they are involved in the darkest acts that have been committed on Telara, past and present...future too from what you've said." He added the last with a nod at me.

     As Cyriac was speaking, I noticed movement behind him by the building and before I knew it, my staff was in my hand and I was between him and the threat in a blink of an eye, a spell on the tip of my tongue. Cyriac made a strangled sound of protest, than pushed my staff away. The glow that had suffused it slowly dimmed as I relaxed. "Hold on there lady, don't shoot first and ask later, as much as I appreciate you defending my honor and all." Cyriac joked. He waved at the figure on the porch, who appeared to be an older man in farm clothes and carrying a shotgun hung loosely in his arms. His mustache bristled with insult at my stance and he turned an accusing stare onto the soldier beside me. "What's the meaning of this, Leighton? Who's that?" The old man demanded, sounding like every crotchety old farmer the world over.

    "Ah calm down Weaver, she's here in peace. Even offered aid against those damned cultsists! Came from the Refuge, she did. Says she's Ascended." I gave a polite bow, wondering if this 'Weaver' was a relation of Adriana Weaver and dying to ask. Weaver gave me a suspicious once-over, looking skeptical.

    "And you believe everyone who tell you they Ascended?" He scoffed, finally leaning his shotgun up against the doorjamb.

     "Arnold? I heard voices. Who are you lot talking to?" And from around the corner of the building came yet another man, this one a tall, handsome Kelari elf in moss greens with pale skin and wide almond-shaped eyes like all of our race. Well...former race now. Cyriac rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. He gestured to the elf.

     "Karazhan, Jaren. Jaren, Karazhan. There, now we all know each other." The soldier said bluntly. Jaren dipped his head politely, and held up a small circular disc that was emitting a soft pinging noise. "Pleased to meet you. Cyriac, could I trouble you for a moment? I was wondering about the difficulty of setting up a special irrigation system that would help drain the excess life energy from my latest crop." As he drew closer to us, he held up his disc and his words became increasingly hard to follow as they delved into technical babble I knew nothing about. From the looks of it, neither did Cyriac, who just stared blankly. When Jared finally wound down to a halt, blinking expectantly, Cyriac rubbed his face. "You know I don't understand a word of that technobabble you yammer on about. If you can't speak plain Common, I can't help ya." He snorted and stomped off, complaining about crazy scientists that were worse then cultists. Weaver went back in his house, and left me standing with Jared, who turned hopeful eyes on me. I smiled awkwardly.

    "I'm sorry, I don't know much about magitech either." He looked crestfallen, and I added, "yet! I am willing to learn though, if you want to explain it to me?" I tried to appear merely willing instead of incredibly interested and eager. "Weeeeellll." Jared tried to keep skepticism out of his voice. "I'm a fast learner, I promise." I declared to help sway him. Even getting a glimpse into the wonder of magitech would be quite fascinating. "Actually, I do have a bit of a problem, if you wouldn't mind helping out with that." He said, seemingly warming to his idea. I nodded encouragingly. "What do you want me to help with?" He cleared his throat, and I suddenly had the feeling he was going to launch into a lecture. Maybe he was a teacher before being shipwrecked here in Freemarch.

     "Freemarch is a fertile land, but the Endless Court has ravaged the current crops of vegetables in an effort to drive us to desperation. There isn't going to be enough of a harvest to feed the local populace, much less the growing Defiant bastion that Meridian is. We are trying to do what we can to increase the yield from the fields, but the current experiment is clearly out of hand. I am now more concerned that those plants will eat us rather than feed us." He stopped and chuckled, rather nervously in my opinion, and gazed out the dark patch of what was obviously a large garden off by the trees. I turned to look as well, and my eyes automatically adjusted to the distance, bringing into sharp clarity the rich brown earth of the vegetable patch. To my alarm, instead of neat rows of carrots and turnips and pumpkins, I saw snarling, overlarge bulbs of the strangest color, throbbing and pulsing with an inner life. As I watched, a long vine seemed to snake outward onto the grass at the edge of the garden and then suddenly recoil back inward, the panicked form of a rabbit clutched in its coils. I turned a shocked face to Jared, who nodded forlornly. "Yes, it has gotten a bit out of hand, hasn't it?" He lamented.

    "You think?" I blurted out, then blushed. "Sorry. But...what did you do? How did that happen??" I flailed a dark-skinned arm at the garden of flesh-eating plantlife. Jared winced. "Yes well, some experiments are less successful than others." He said, picking at a fingernail. It was now my turn for skepticism. I put my hands on my hips. This is exactly the kind of risks we couldn't afford to take with this power. It was all well and good to have this vast potential with magitech open at our feet, and with the rediscovery of the old Eth knowledge, so much was now available, but we couldn't just rush ahead full speed. Caution definitely pays off, or we'll doom ourselves before Regulos even gets a bite. I said as much out loud and Jared nodded gloomily. "Yes, that's exactly what my superiors told me. Although Sylver Valis told me not to give up, at least." I perked up at the mention of my creator and one-time comrade.

     "So let me get this straight, you have a rampaging harvest out there, and yet you want to create more experiments? I caught the gist of that conversation with Cyriac at least. No more tests until this garden is under control. How do we stop it?" I scowled. It must have worked, because Jared gulped and immediately set aside his contraption. Instead, he went back around the side of the house, and I followed him to find a whole smorgasbord of magitech gadgets and devices. Spinning and whirring cogs and wheels determined the position of metal alloy needles, while tubes snaked through the grass and hooked up to various glass canisters, and jars full of different plants were lorded over by tiny discs that emitted brief bursts of green light. Life energy. That must have been what went wrong with the garden of horrors out there. I amused myself with my own little hypothesis as I watched. He'd obviously injected the seeds with energy from the plane of life, which caused the plants to mutate out of control and take on a "life" of their own, to pardon the pun. They'd obviously done so quite suddenly and quickly, for no one to have stopped it before they grew too big and aggressive. Messing with life magic could be seriously risky. It was the most volatile of all the planar magics.

     "This fumigator should destroy those overgrown spores. I've been working on it ever since they starting taking on a life of their own. But every time I try to get close, they try to eat me. It's just too dangerous! I don't know what to do. If I can't get this under control, Cyriac is threatening to have my research here shut down. This is my life's work! I know I can do good here, if given the chance." Jared hefted a large machine with straps and a metal tube. The tube ended in a nozzle. He clicked a button to demonstrate and a spray of dark mist showered one of his plant experiments, immediately causing it to shrivel up and die. "Looks promising," I replied, taking it from him. "You just leave this to me. I want it done right." I continued, giving him a sharp glance. He looked sheepishly at his now-dead plant. Yes, I can just imagine why his attempts at killing off his erstwhile creations were less then effective. Who take this reedy little scientist seriously? I huffed a low chuckle. He has heart though, I'll give him that much.

     With the ridiculous machine strapped to my back, I strode out to the large garden, praying to the Spirits I wouldn't become plant food. I had to stop and take several deep breaths to push back my new Ascended senses. The reek and taint of planar magic was so strong it was overwhelming me, causing me to feel faint and sick. Some deep rooted instinct that came from some place I didn't even know I had was clamoring for me to destroy. Destroy it all, planar energy everywhere, leaking into my eyes. I shook my head, concentrating on suppressing my powers. It was strange having to reign all that power in, and my head was beginning to ache from it. Quickly, I strode through the garden, easily avoiding the grasping tendrils and spraying anything that so much as twitched. When I reached the end of the area of brown earth, I turned around and began again, making sure I thoroughly saturated everything that grew in the garden. Best not to take chances.

     I felt quite sweaty when I was finally finished and headed back to the house. Funny how they never mention what hard work all this adventuring was in the stories, or how hot and uncomfortable it was. I gladly peeled the device off my back and dropped it by the porch with the other magitech tools scattered there. Jared tisked at my careless handling of his precious machine, but I was tired and thirsty. I plopped down on the steps and took out a waterskin, gulping the cool liquid. The advantages of being a spellcaster: permanently cool water.

     "Your assistance is...appreciated." Jared finally said after inspecting his gear for damage. "I shall have to start my research anew, hopefully with less...exuberant results." He pondered the garden thoughtfully, then considered an overly large boar that lazily wandered onto the tilled earth, rooting among the plants I'd fumigated. The pig, it seemed, had some sense, and left the dying vegetation alone. "It also seems....that the Life Energy Infusers used to grow the experimental food is also affecting the local wildlife." Jared commented after a moment as we both watched the boar. He was speaking slowly and quietly, as if remarking to himself, and I wondered if he even remembered I was here. Scientists weren't called absent-minded for nothing, I supposed. "It's causing them to become very aggressive and grow overly large. The wild boars and wolves native to Freemarch are particularly affected because of their close interaction with the vegetation. We need to find a way to also avoid affecting the wildlife." He turned around seemed to sprout a quill and ink, after which he promptly began scribbling away in a small leather-bound journal perched precariously on the edge of one of the glass canisters. Well alright then. I mumbled, rather loudly, something along the lines of 'You're Welcome', with a huff, and Jared glanced at me, looking puzzled. And hey, he said he'd explain his magitech gadgets. Not that I don't enjoy destroying man-eating plants as much as the next person, but I'd only done it so I could learn something about his work. I glanced across to a smaller building nearby, where Cyriac was conferring with another man in military dress, and sighed forlornly. I really wanted to know more about the technology the Defiants were using, but I gave my word that I would see if Bintley and his men were okay. I hope for Cyriac's sake they were! I poked my head into the house, where after being threatened by Weaver again, I was given curt directions to the Estate I needed to investigate.

     Not long after I'd found the estate (rather hard to miss, I admit) and cautiously approached the outskirts, I had my answer to Cyriac's pressing concerns, and it wasn't pretty. The Todrin Estate was surrounded by a low wall made of firm gray stone that looked similar to that of the rocky shoreline that lined Freemarch. In two places, the wall was bashed in, giant gaping holes making it obvious that something sinister had happened here. Feeling severe trepidation, I eased myself through the large opening in the wall, making sure I stayed on the alert. Something bad had happened here. I knew it. I could feel it in the air. The spirits of the other mages who shared the soul matrix with me were restless. I could almost feel it like a physical sensation. Like spider hairs crawling along my arms and legs. I firmly wrestled myself back in control, relegating the other souls to the far back of my mind, where they were less of a distraction.
     Movement to my left had me flinching back, a shield of solid, shimmering magic bursting into the physical plane to protect me from any harm, but it was only a small blackbird, hopping along the ground, pecking vigorously at a pile of rags amid some churned up earth. The longer I watched, the more I became certain that this wasn't just some random pile of rags. Realization was swift. That was a body. Torn nearly beyond recognition as such, but a body nevertheless. I breathed in my shocked cry and nearly choked on the sudden smell of cloying meat that hit me in the face with the turning of the wind. Oh Spirits. My feet led me to the side of the body, and even though I knew it was rather obvious what his state was, I still mechanically leaned down and pressed two fingers to the figure's mangled throat. The poor man's sightless eyes stared in frozen terror at something he could no longer see, and I silently closed the stiff eyelids. After a few moments, I located his arm, which was several feet away, and from there, I found the second body. And the third. All were mangled nearly beyond recognition. Unfortunately, the red and gold attire that adorned their desecrated bodies made it glaringly apparent who they were. This was Bintley and his lost squadron.

     My shoulders shook and I felt wetness prickle at my eyes. I hadn't even known these men, never met them, and yet, I shared the pain of their tragic passing. They were noble fighters in what was now my fight as well, and they didn't deserve this end. My hands were trembling as I collected their military insignias and badges as something for any family they may have. I think this is actually my first close up look at violent, bloody death. Since my resurrection into the chaotic apocalypse, I've killed, and seen men killed, but never have I witnessed the aftermath. The silent stink of the corpses, the faces of the victims, full of fear, determination, resignation, courage. Death wasn't pretty, and I hoped it wasn't something I'd grow immune or accustomed to. If I'd been here earlier, I might have been able to prevent their deaths. I could have protected them. I clenched my fists as I stood and brushed grass stains absently out of my linens. I can prevent the deaths at least. As soon as I had a chance to visit a town, or even better, Meridian, I was going to train myself as a field medic. I've thought it before of course, but the more death and destruction I saw on Telara, the more determined I was that I wanted to find a way to counter it, however small my contributions were. Even one person can make a difference. And being Ascended had to count for something right? With heavy sadness, feeling the entire world was weighing me down, I trudged back to Eliam Fields to deliver the bad news to Cyriac.

     "Bintley is dead? His entire squad?" Cyriac looked grim but unsurprised when I delivered my report of what I'd found at Todrin Estate. I nodded sadly and handed over the effects I'd taken from their mangled bodies. Cyriac seemed to know what they were for, as he gave me a grateful look, before reverently placing the items behind him on a low table up against the cabin's wall on the porch. He turned back to me, and he looked to have aged five years in the past five minutes. I'd never experienced it, but I can well imagine the sadness he must be feeling at having lost men under his command. I just hope he didn't blame himself. I placed my hand on his shoulder in silent support, and he took a deep breath, before straightening up and giving me a hard look.
     "We must strike back quickly, for Bintley and all the others whose lives were lost. We can't allow those bastard Endless Court monsters to get away with this!" He slammed his fist down on the table, and I jumped slightly at the loud sound.

    "I agree." I said softly. "But we can't just go rushing off to the Estate in revenge. They will no doubt be anticipating retaliation and will probably have a trap set up." He blinked at me, as if startled that I could have thought that far ahead, and I shrugged, somewhat embarrassed. "Or...so I assume anyway. I've never actually had any experience with military tactics and suchlike." I waved my hand, and felt my cheeks warming. Cyriac smiled. "No, no, you're right. It just makes me so damn furious. They were good men. They didn't deserve...that." He took a deep breath, and growled. "I've sent a messenger to Meridian requesting aid, but it will be several days, at the earliest, before we receive any reply about what actions to take. Without orders, I can't act against the citizens at Todrin Estate. They are lawful citizens of Freemarch, and it's touchy enough as it is between the Defiant militia and the Wardens, that if we attack one of their prominent holdings, who knows what kind of uprising will happen. Freemarch is a proud state. Sometimes I wish I was younger.....bold and rash." He chuckled, then turned a discerning eye to me, and rubbed his chin. I raised an eyebrow.

    "Ya know...."He trailed off, and I rolled my eyes. I bet I knew what he was thinking. But I stayed quiet, waiting to see what he'd say. "...you are Ascended, right? Kind of like a....wild card, you could say. Someone who's part of the Defiant by default, but a free agent in a way. When it comes down to it, you answer to no one but your own conscious." I tilted my head. I hadn't really thought about it in those terms before, but that summed it up, actually. I nodded thoughtfully, as I considered the possibilities behind those seemingly innocent words. I knew he wanted me to take action on his behalf against those murderous cultists holed up at Todrin Estate, but his words affected me more deeply than that. I've been operating all along as if I owed the Defiant this entire time. True of course, if it wasn't for them, and for Sylver Valis in particular, I would still be nothing but a bodiless, consciousness entity bobbing along in the endless Soulstream, or worse, food for Regulos, but I was my own person. Well, except for having about eight or nine souls sparkling inside this machine-made body of mine. I was exactly what he said. A free agent. I could do what I desired. Of course, what did I desire, exactly? To help these people, certainly. Especially Cyriac now that I've met him, and seen the bodies of those men. To help the Defiant? Well, I didn't really have much choice in that did I? It was either that, or strike out on my own, and I've learned that no matter how powerful you were, you always needed allies at your back. And from what I've learned so far, the biggest players in Telara right now were the Defiant, who had caused my rebirth and new empowered existence, the Guardians, who would no doubt happily roast me on a spit or throw me to the cultists just for existing, and the cultists themselves, who were so completely opposite from what I believed in and knew to be right that I couldn't even pretend to consider joining their horrendous nightmarish cause. What it all came to was yes, I could go about my merry way as I pleased, enjoying my newfound lease on life, adventuring, exploring, soaking up all the wonderful new things of this era, but I'd always remember what I'd seen of the war-torn future I'd been born into, and I'd always remember the hungry promise of death in Regulos's eyes as he stared me down, and I knew that burying my head in the sand wasn't going to work. So, fight it was.

     Cyriac was staring at me with an open, hopeful expression, as if mentally urging me to go slaughter all those cultists. It did sound tempting. I was torn. I didn't want to end up like them, killing because I could, but I couldn't just let them get away with that kind of act, especially with the awareness that they weren't going to stop, and might even become bold enough to attack innocent travelers on the road, or even strike here. So I nodded. I wouldn't kill them in cold blood, but I would go investigate the deaths more fully, and if they attacked me, I would defend myself. It made me feel better, at least.
     "Thank you, my lady." Cyriac said solemnly, as if he knew my inner struggle. "Not only for them, but we need to find a way to stop them before they get out of hand. I've no doubt they have something planned, and Todrin Estate is a rather key feature in this area. If they continue to occupy it, it will be a matter of time before they feel bold enough to attack other settlements and farms of innocents. I have an idea, actually. Todrin Estate is known for their prize beef. They keep a number of steers on the estate that they send off to the sea market. We could cause a considerable amount of trouble if say, those steers were to stampede." At this, he winked at me and gave a wicked smirk, and I could see the little boy inside who had a love of blowing things up and making trouble.
     "What do you say, my lady, feel like causing a little chaos?" I laughed at the phrase, and how he uttered it, with evil glee.