[Karazhan's Story] 2.17: Unholy Alliance

      "I'm taking the fight to Jakub and he will be vanquished once and for all!"

     There was a momentary stunned silence after my declaration, where everyone in the command tent stared at me in varying degrees of amazement. I fidgeted slightly for a few moments.

     "Well..." began March Warden Denegar after an appraising look at me. "If anyone can defeat this undead abomination that Jakub has become, it would be you, Ascended. If Jakub has again seized the Iron Fortress, then he must have corrupted the altars we had set up in the four points of the towers to cleanse the evil from the place. If he was able to tap into the power behind the altars, it would grant Jakub strength beyond our ability to defeat him ourselves. One of my spies reported to me that the reason the flames in Smith's Haven burn so persistently is because they come from a magical object that an Endless Court mage carried. My informant followed this mage to a watch tower up the hill but he wasn't able to retrieve the box safely. To destroy Jakub, you need to destroy those altars first, and if the box contains a magically burning fire that reduces anything it touches to cinders, that might be the key to destroying the altars! Besides, it's probably not a good idea to let the cultists have it." He quirked a smile as he said the last part and I grinned back.

    "Yes, that's true. I would hate for what has befallen Smith's Haven to happen elsewhere." I said, sobering. "Okay, head up the hill to the Iron Fortress, steal a box of magic fire, destroy altars, and kick Jakub's undead tail. Just a day in the life of being me!" The others laughed in a subdued manner. Denegar cocked his head and gave me an admiring glance.
     "You are definitely not like anyone else I've ever met, Karazhan." He admitted, and he looked pleased. "It was an honor to get to meet you. When your exploits and deeds become known throughout Telara, don't forget us March Wardens back home eh?" He reached out a hand and I shook it warmly, then bowed in the custom of the Kelari. "May we meet again." I said seriously, and left the command tent.

     I gazed up the trail that led to the dark and foreboding Iron Fortress. Was I nervous? Yes, I actually felt acutely aware of how alone I was, out here going to face the most infamous despot Freemarch had ever known. I was reasonably confident in my ability as a machineborn Ascended, but I was more acutely aware of what was at stake should I fail. I had been told repeatedly by Sylver and others that my soul was immortal. They hadn't gone into the specifics of it, but in essence, if I was slain, my soul would not be completely severed from my body as in the case of any other Telaran. Instead, I'd have a tether back to my body and to the material plane. The specifics of how I should re enter my body again after that were never really mentioned so I'd have to hope I could figure it out. But if I was indeed slain by Jakub, I had no idea how long it would take for my "resurrection", and in that time frame, who knows what horror that monster could unleash on Freemarch in retaliation for my attack. That's what really worried me. I couldn't mess this up, for the sake of all the innocent people living here in the march. Responsibility was a heavy weight, I was finding. I took a deep breath and headed for the overgrown highway that wound it's way up the mountain. The closer I came to the branching off point leading up, the more I was aware of eyes on my back, following my movement. I wonder what they all thought of me heading up here. That I was crazy? Suicidal? Brave? Probably a combination of all three.

     Despite the somber situation this was, I couldn't help but admire the ancient flagstones under my feet, and the even older stone walls and watch towers that rose up along the path. This was an actual piece of history. My favorite part of my lessons was history, and here I was actually living it. It felt so...I couldn't even describe the emotion I was feeling. The other souls inside gave the impression of warm agreement, and I huddled that feeling close. I wasn't as alone as I'd thought, I guess. There were definite good points to basically being a living container for the souls of others. Every so often, I'd turn and stare at the towering walls that surrounded the top of the mountain, behind which the Iron Fortress itself waited like a sinister black carrion bird. The fortress was in good condition for being so old, and I idly wondered what kind of stone it was, and how they'd built it. No doubt magic was involved, and I'd heard somewhere that the stone had been carried out of mines in Stonefield, the rocky plains up north of Meridian. I would definitely be interested in visiting those mines at some point, just to witness another famous part of history.

     The hill was eerily still, but not silent. What was a gentle breeze down below at the camp became a strong, cold wind up here, whistling between cracks in the mortar and rustling along the knee-length dry grasses that grew between the cracks in the flagstones. If I was more artistic, I'd be tempted to paint a canvas of a scene from the hill overlooking the towers and the town of Smith's Haven. Of course, preferably without depicting the town in flames...

     Now where was that troublesome mage and their magic box? Mages I could definitely handle in battle. A magic user always knows how to handle other magic users in combat. Which reminded me of my extra Ascended senses. I stopped beside a low wall that crumbled slightly when I leaned against it, and closed my eyes. I slowed my breathing and reached deep inside to my inner magic, dipping into the seemingly bottomless well of my magical abilities, augmented by my new unique status. With a firm mental hand, I pushed out my magic, blanketing the area around me with a net, trying to sense any signs of life, or unlife nearby. I found a distressingly large number of signs behind the high walls of the Iron Fortress, but I knew that Jakub would have his army camped out there so I ignored that, moving instead to specific corner towers. Nothing seemed to stand out to indicate another magic user. I moved down the hill more, toward my own position, and got a ping in a small squat tower not far from my own position. Huh, the mage was closer then I had thought. Of course I knew that he or she would sense my magical probe and would probably know I was coming for them, but from what I've seen so far of the rabid followers of the Blood Storm, they were hardly a threat; half trained, mindless, fanatical lordlings and farmers who were tricked or tortured into believing that the dragon god they worshiped was the only way of existence.
     I gathered my magic back up and blinked open my eyes, taking a few moments to clear up the dizziness of using magic in such a specific focal way. The more fine and exact the magic, the harder it is on the mage. Anyone can throw out an explosion of raw magic with the right spells and guidance, but accurate, specific types of magic in specific locations takes a lot more work and effort. Years of study and research has to go into that. Even I still had years left in my training when my mortal death had occurred.

     I unslung my staff from my back and clenched it in a tight fist as I made my way toward the tower that I'd felt the mage in. Of course it was just as easy to fake a magic signature or plant one to trick someone, but I was fairly confident that this mage didn't have the ability. After all, they had to use an artifact to set fire to Smith's Haven instead of their own pyrotechnic abilities.

     As soon as I entered the tower, magic assaulted my senses. It wasn't active magic, but a residue of a strong casting that had taken place here not long ago at all. It was so strong, even now, that instantly alarm bells went off in my mind. A very powerful spell had been cast here. Too powerful for even one such as I to pull off solo. So a coven of mages had done...something...here. And I had to assume that the mage with the twisted fire artifact was one of them. What on Telara had they done? The magic tasted evil, wrong on so many levels. And rotten. Instantly I was on the alert for anything out of the ordinary. The watch tower was actually quite small, as it was designed specifically with practicality in mind, as a look out for scouts to report if there was any enemies coming at the fortress from the one road that led up to it, thus giving the fortress time to scramble a defense. It was a popular form of architecture in the time that this fortress was built. The bottom floor was round like the tower's shape, and contained nothing much of interest. A thick layer of dust coated the entire room and the air was cold and heavy. A few tables were shoved up against the wall, with some dusty scrolls decaying on top. Just from the layer of dust I could tell there wouldn't be anything of important in the scrolls. From the entrance to the winding stone steps that led to the second floor, I could easily see where the dust had been disturbed by many feet coming and going. So whatever had been cast here, it was done up above. Feeling vulnerable, every sense on high alert, I slowly ascended the steps. I wasn't able to contain a shiver as a spiderweb brushed my arm.

     As I came around the final corner, I stuck my staff up high in front of me, in case there was a magical trap or the mage was laying in wait for me. Nothing happened, so I cautiously stepped up into the second floor room. It was round like the first, and empty as well, although there was significant disturbance in the dust on this layer and the taint of rotten magic was much stronger. It was almost like a physical presence assaulting my senses, and I had to actually dampen my own magic senses in order to tolerate it.

     There was a small porcelain altar on this level, but no dust anywhere on it, and a scroll rested on top, completely unfurled and weighted down on the corners. Immediately I knew that whatever spell had been cast, this was where it was written, so I cautiously walked over and peered down at the words, which to my horror were written in blood. Filthy cultists. After reading the entire document, I realized it was a discourse on planar entities and described, in disturbing detail, a ritual to summon a greater demon from the plane of fire. It even mentioned the demon's name-Legul. It didn't take any great leap of the imagination to guess from there that Jakub was planning on either using or allying with this demonic creature to gain more power in Freemarch. If he had a greater demon at his side, especially one from the fire plane, he could cause even greater disaster. Since I had no idea where this demon could have gotten to after being summoned to the material plane-and I have no doubt they'd succeeded in summoning it-I grabbed up the scroll, rolled it back up, and stuffed it in my belt pouch to take back to the Unseen agency in Meridian so they could have one of their agents hunt the creature down and banish it. I had to stay focused on my goal.

     Since the mage was nowhere on this level, I had to assume he or she was up on the roof. So I continued my way up the stone steps, climbing ever higher and acutely aware that I was wasting time hunting down this accursed mage, which gave Jakub more time to put his nightmarish plans into action.

     Again I stuck my staff up first before exiting the hatch onto the roof, not wanting to get my head blown off by some spell, and it was almost torn out of my grasp by a flame blast for my efforts. I jerked the staff back down and eyed it's smoking ends. Thankfully I'd chosen very well for my weapon and it wasn't damaged. The varnish was singed and the crystal embedded in the top to help focus my magic was dulled slightly from the magical attack, but as a lightning rod for my abilities, it was still functioning perfectly.

     I cast a shield of water around myself, taking a brief moment to enjoy the soft rippling feel of the magic as it settled around my form, before stepping up onto the roof. A low parapet lined the round tower roof and several crates of old weaponry stood against the wall. The spellcaster who'd so readily attacked my staff was standing off to one side, glaring aggressively at me. It was a woman, with long lank hair and the crazed empty eyes I'd come to associate with the more fanatical of the cultists. Honestly, it was hard to tell if she was living or undead from the way she looked, and her snarl of fury at seeing me didn't help matters. Her teeth were yellow and crooked and just by looking at her I could tell her magic, though strong, was unfocused and untrained. Likely she hadn't known she had the innate ability to touch and manipulate the natural energies of magic and had been recruited or tricked into the cultist ranks for just that reason. I almost felt sorry for her, lost as she was to the mindless empty promises of power the Endless Court had lured her with. Of course, this didn't prevent me from defending myself when she again shouted words and threw a blast wave of fire at me. I braced my feet and let the fire roll off my water shield, confident it would hold against her magic. It did, but I could feel the protection weaken significantly around the edges. Since she seemed to be only attacking with fire based attacks, I struck with a lethal icicle bolt. Opposite elements always seemed to be more effective against enemies, and I was stronger in weather magic than other forms anyway.
     The icicle sheered off at the last moment and I was impressed that she had the foresight to shield herself. I hadn't even sensed that. I struck out with forks of lightning, intending to wear down her own shield, all the while dodging the flames that she assaulted me with. At one point she nearly got me. I could feel the heat of the spell against my face and smelled burning hair, cursing myself for not moving fast enough away from the path of the fire. Magical fire was far more dangerous than your average, naturally created fire, and I had to waste precious seconds casting a small heal spell to relieve most of the damage. While yes I'd prefer not to have a scar on my face, I did it because the sting of air against the raw burn was incredibly distracting so close to my eye. Thank the spirits I had moved enough to avoid damaging my sight.

     One of my well placed hail bolts slammed into the woman's shoulder and she fell with a cry of fury, throwing another bolt of fire at me as she flailed at the air. I held my breath, horrified, as she tripped over a crate of weapons and toppled over the low parapets surrounding the roof. Even though I'd had every intention of slaying her to get the box, I wouldn't wish her to fall to her death. I dashed over to the parapets myself, thinking maybe I could reach her in time, even though I knew it was a foolish hope and being the enemy, she'd probably refuse my aid anyway. I swallowed bile as I saw her broken body lying at a crooked angle on the side of the hill. I averted my eyes and wished her soul a speedy journey to the Soulstream, though I doubted her afterlife would be peaceful, considering how she'd led her mortal life. I was really hoping she hadn't kept the box on her person since I had no desire to go down there and riffle through her remains, so I was exceedingly grateful when I spotted a small, ornate black box with magical runes carved into the lid sitting on one of the stone crenellations. I strode over and reached for the box, then pulled my hand back and warily cast my magical senses over the box, looking for any traps or hidden springs. Finding none, I scooped the box up and opened it, not knowing what to expect.
     Inside, a tiny red stone was nestled among dark purple silk. The stone seemed to roil and shimmer to the eye, as if something was alive inside, and I shivered at the sheer unnatural evil of the thing. As soon as I used it to destroy the altars and could lock it up, the better.

     I glanced up and to the right. From the top of the watch tower, I could see the Iron Fortress more clearly and made out shambling sentries of undead patrolling the ramparts. The central towers and spire stood out stark and sinister against the ironic blue sky, as if spiting gods and men by standing.

     "I'm coming for you Jakub." I swore in a whisper. "You'll pay for all the lives you've taken, now and in the past. I'll make sure you stay dead for good this time." Even though I knew no one could hear me, least of all Jakub the Tyrant himself, I felt infinitely better just saying the words. Pride in myself and in the Defiants surged through me and I was glad that I had the power and ability to make a difference in Telara.

[Karazhan's Story] 2.11: Worth a Thousand Words

   "Ho the camp. I'm a friend." I said as I approached the watchtower where the Defiant men were located. It had taken a bit of effort to get through the sea of undead that milled around the tower, and I was a bit worn out from all the spells I'd used both against them and against Xalos earlier. Two men at the top of the half toppled tower leveled crossbows at me as I approached, suspicion and awe fighting for dominance in their expression. No doubt they couldn't believe I was able to get through the mass of undead unscathed. Well, one of them had managed to slice open my arm with a rusted sword, but that had all but healed by now and nothing but a thin line of blood gave any indication of the wound ever being there.

    "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Demanded one of the crossbowmen, giving me a hard stare. His companion nudged him and added, "And how'd you survive getting here too!" I hesitantly lowered my hands, feeling weary of keeping them in the air but not wanting to become a pincushion by my own allies out of fear.

    "As I said, I'm a friend. Have you a leader or a commanding officer I can speak to?" I offered this in a civil, calm tone, and the men finally lowered their weapons to my relief. They seemed reluctant to do so but when I offered no violence, they took that to mean I wasn't going to cause trouble. The first man nodded down below. "Yea, Optio Kerrick is in charge of our battalion. Or what's left of it anyway." He seemed saddened and bitter. In the shadow of the ruined tower, a few other men watched me curiously. Behind them, a tattered banner waved gently in the wind, proclaiming the colors and insignia of the Defiant legion. I waved a thanks at the lookout men and approached the legionnaires below. I could pick out their leader, Kerrick, easily by the officer's dress and his bearing. I bowed formally before him and he raised a thick eyebrow curiously.

     "My name is Karazhan Anthanos, a machine-born Ascended created by Sylver Valis. I'd like to offer my services here to help you with your....undead problem." I felt my lips quirked as a I said this. Not only was "undead problem" a bit of an understatement, but I had no doubt that being isolated way out here, they hadn't heard about the success at creating all powerful magitech beings yet. I watched as all the men stared at me open-mouthed and I wondered if I should mention that they all look like I'd hit them with a stun spell.

    "Great Sun! An Ascended!" Was the eloquent response my speech. I grinned openly and huffed out a low chuckle. "Yep, that's me." I replied, waving a dark skinned hand casually. They all stared some more. "Soooo, what is going on here? Why are the undead here in such numbers? And what is that?" I pointed at the dark forbidding castle in the backdrop as I said the last. As one, they all swiveled around to look where I pointed. Than Kerrick seemed to pull himself together, shaking off the dazed look. He still looked like a startled deer, but his military training was overriding that now.

     "Right! Am I glad you are here Karazhan. We have some serious and grim news. We've discovered a pretty damn big problem here, but those accursed undead won't let us through to warn General Catari and we've lost good men trying." I frowned. Grim news? I had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with Alsbeth. "Brianna here seems to be on to something for getting rid of those undead monstrosities, but she's also pointed out a few other things that don't bode well for Freemarch. Do you know who Jakub the Tyrant is?" I paused at this. Jakub....

    "Wasn't he the one who ruled over Freemarch unjustly years ago?" I replied slowly as I remembered talking to the gentle old nobleman at King's Retreat about Eliam and Freemarch. Kerrick nodded, looking proud that I knew Freemarch's past. "Yes, that's right. It wasn't until the common folk united under Eliam and attacked the Iron Fortress that Jakub was overthrown." He gestured behind him as he spoke and of course I realized that the giant black castle must be the Iron Fortress then. What a dark and evil name for a dark and evil castle. "The battle was bloody and grim," Kerrick continued, and I felt myself drawn into the story. "I'm ashamed to admit that those who participated on our side seemed to lose all concept of mercy and morality when fighting back against their oppressors, striking down even those who surrendered. The graves and the statue are all that is left to mark the final horrors of that battle. It's all that has remained, until recently..." He trailed off ominously and I felt a prickle of unease in my belly. Not to mention the picture he painted of those long ago people of Freemarch wasn't exactly the honorable, brave, and strong willed people I'd thought them to be. True, in battle one's blood became heated and you became lost to the craze and blood, but to slay even those who surrendered themselves? I could never condone such an action. What would make them do that? Was this Jakub that horrendous that letting even one of his ilk survive was too much to risk? I wish I knew what had happened. That might give us a clue as to why it seemed that this place was an interest to the planar creatures and to Alsbeth. As if reading my mind, Kerrick spoke again.

     "Brianna is our magitech expert." The woman in question blushed at the attention, but nodded. "She's devised some way of being able to see a few specific moments of history. Don't ask me how, I'm not savvy in that sort of thing. It's important that we can find out what happened on the day of the battle so we can see what these undead are looking for around here and maybe be more prepared for what's coming. But we can't get out to the damn field where the tyrant fell because of all these bloody zombies! Seeing as you had no trouble getting to us, do you think you'd be up to a little historical investigation?" He lifted and waggled an eyebrow, as if suggesting I'd like to go play a fun game. I snorted. True, the undead weren't a real threat to me, but it wasn't like I relished the idea of rushing into their midst and fending them off left and right. But on the other hand....I cursed my insatiable curiosity as I turned and regarded Brianna.

     "That actually sounds very tempting. How exactly does it work then? Do I need to do something specific?" I tried to keep the eagerness from my voice, but Brianna grinned at me, as if sensing a fellow scholar and knowledge seeker in me. Her voice, warm with the passion of her trade, drew me in.

     "Moments in time have an energy of their own. Important moments leave strong imprints on their surroundings across time and space. The more important the moment, the stronger the impression. Especially if violence or strong emotion was involved." I nodded when she paused to regard me, as if to make sure I was following. It made sense and followed along some of the same teachings and techniques I'd been taught in the temple. Brianna's smile grew as she finally found someone who actually understood what she said. "Meridian had issued us a special experimental machine called a Chronolink that can view brief, historically potent incidents in this area to  better understand what we are facing. That's the whole reason our battalion was out here in the first place actually. We'd received reports of increased interest in this area by the Endless Court and came to investigate. We were only given the device under the strict assurance that it wouldn't fall into enemy hands and that we'd record all data pertaining to its use so they can analyze it back in the city. Of course, now we're stuck out here and this thing's pretty much useless since we can't even safely use it!" She sighed as she bent and picked up a small circular object with little wires sticking out of it. It had a foldable stand attached to the bottom and a whole slew of lenses on a metal arm that extended out to the side. It was a very strange looking device, but I couldn't wait to try it out. To actually see a part of history, even a violent one? That would be something truly amazing!

    Both Brianna and Kerrick gazed at me hopefully. Well...I did offer to help didn't I? And they did say there working on a way to neutralize the undead so they could get back to their command unit. It wasn't my job to babysit or escort half a dozen grown soldiers, was it? And I felt it was my duty to discover what I could of what Alsbeth's plans were. Who was I kidding, I felt like a kid at Yule. I eagerly reached for the large device and found it much lighter then I expected. Maybe there was a charm on it or something?

    "Thank you...Karazhan was it? As much as I envy what you will see out there, I know I need to focus on getting rid of those undead. I had an idea to engineer a modified defense drone so that it will attack any undead and..." she walked off, muttering to herself and drawing several magitech paraphernalia to herself as she went. As interesting as her new project sounded, I couldn't wait to try out this Chronolink.

     Kerrick placed a hand on my arm and gave me a concerned look. "Just be careful okay?" He said gravely. "No heroics, and don't go getting distracted by this shiny gadget that you let the undead sneak up on you. Who knows what they'll make of you running around in the Mire." I have him a firm head bob, feeling warmed by his obvious concern. "Thanks, I'll be careful." I replied, holding the Chronolink close. "Oh...was there any specific place I should activate this thing, or just at random intervals?" I glanced out at the mire, as if I could find the most potent historical spots just by staring hard enough. Kerrick blinked and cocked his head.

    "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Hey Brianna!" He yelled loudly and the woman popped her head up from a great pile of glowing sourcestone and magitech. She shielded her eyes against the sun. "Yes sir?" She called back, then walked over when he beckoned.
     "The lady here would like to know if there is any specific spot you want this thing planted." Kerrick said. I felt my eyes crinkle at his address. Lady. I liked it. Brianna frowned thoughtfully, and scratched her nose, leaving a smudge of oil behind. "Well, me and Dell discussed where the focal points of the battle were likely at. Of course, it's hard to say. It was a chaotic time, back than, and no one really kept records of the battle, or where Jakub actually fell. But here." She drew a faded piece of parchment out of a belt pouch and handed it over. I took it and unfolded it, instantly recognizing a detailed, but unprofessional map of the immediate area surrounding the Iron Fortress. Several little red circles stood out starkly against the faded black ink of the rest of the map and I nodded in understanding. Brianna waved again and eagerly jogged back over to her pile of parts. Remembering the orb of charged sourcestone I'd taken from Xalos's body, I walked over and handed the glowing orb to her. Brianna's eyes lit up with awe and she carefully took the tiny powercell from me.

     "Wow! Thanks Karazhan. This has amazing power in it. Where did you get it? Wait never mind, I don't want to know. Knowing you, it was somewhere scary." She laughed, a soft warm sound, and gently placed the plane-touched stone down next to a pile of weaker stones. She treated the sourcestone with the respect it deserved, which was good enough for me. I refolded the Chronolink map and slipped it into a pocket of my Defiant robes, making an absent note to see about finding myself some proper attire while I was out looking for a weapon, and stared thoughtfully into the mire. I wonder what information I'd learn from watching the Chronolink. Would it change how I felt about Freemarch being a new home for me? I hoped not. I also hoped that I could learn something about this Alsbeth that kept popping up everywhere and maybe a way to finally pin her down for some answers on why she betrayed Port Scion and joined Regulos. Oh yeah, and put a stop to her plotting too of course.

      The Scarred Mire definitely lived up to its name. I wrinkled my nose at the dead, lifeless expanse of field before me. What a waste. The grass crunched beneath my feet as if it had been frozen, and the air felt lifeless, like the undead abominations that seemed to infest the mire. As I meandered through the mire, with the occasional glance at my map, I noticed odd little magitech devices cleverly hidden among the rocks and tall grasses. By now I could easily recognize defense mechanisms that had no doubt been placed there by the occupying Defiant forces. But why weren't they firing at the myriad undead that were loitering in the Mire? I stopped to consider one such device and was quite proud when I was able to figure out what was wrong and correct the anomaly. After I'd attuned the device properly, it immediately emitted a bright red beam of light that pierced through the nearby undead shambling creatures. I only hope that their souls have moved on and found peace in the Soulstream and haven't been tethered to this horrible half life.
     I veered to the left where the map indicated, and quickly found the monument that was mentioned. I studied the large stone statue with interest. It was fascinating to actually see a piece of history with your own eyes. I could practically feel the importance of the day it was erected. I couldn't wait to activate the chronolink and actually watch the event happen!

     The statue represented a man in full armor bearing a sword and a large shield full of arrows. Another arrow pierced the stone man's leg. The statue was weathered and pitted, and there was no plaque or identifying feature, but I just knew this was a likeness of Eliam. It was just a bit sad that the statue was way out here in the middle of nowhere, and behind all these lines of undead. I think something should be erected in a more protected and populated area so the citizens of Freemarch could pay their respects. They were a people who valued their freedom after all, and Eliam was literally their savior from oppression. I knelt in polite reverence as I placed the chronolink. I pressed the little silver button to turn it on, and stepped back cautiously. With machinery it never hurt to err on the side of caution. Two metal bands began twirling around the central sourcestone power core and it emitted a gentle hum. I kept my eyes on the device, but also kept my magic senses aware of the area around me, since I wasn't exactly in friendly territory. Thankfully the defensive devices I'd activated were still doing their job shooting down any unwary undead who ventured too closely. Serves them right!

    Transparent shapes slowly came into view, shimmery and wavering, as if unstable. Well that stands to reason, this was a prototype experiment after all. I was just surprised it had worked at all. The shapes became more distinct and I recognized the man wearing the same armor as the statue. Eliam. The other being had to be Jakub in dark, sinister looking armor that obviously portrayed him as the "bad guy" in this scenario. How cliché. I snickered.

     March Warden Eliam pointed his sword at his foe. "You're reign ends here, Jakub!" His voice was tinny, echoing, and....odd, coming from the device. I took a few steps closer to hear properly. I definitely didn't want to miss this. The other figure, Jakub, scoffed. "I should have killed you long ago, Eliam!" Then the two closed in battle, and I watched in fascination as a mini dance of swords and wits played out before me. I felt myself cringe a few times when Jakub landed blows against Eliam and I felt a bit foolish for wanting to help him, even though this battle had taken place long ago. The two began to tire. Eliam thrust his sword at the sky and cried, "Gods grant me the power to defeat this evil!" A bright golden light seemed to bathe his ghostly figure, and Jakub shrank back from it. "What sorcery is this?!" He exclaimed in horror as Eliam's simulacrum struck true, slaying the tyrant. I cringed, and shifted. It just didn't sit right with me to watch someone's death, even a villain who deserved it. Eliam stood over his foe, sword pointed down, and said "At last, the March is truly free." Shortly after, the figures faded from view and I blinked, realizing the vision, or experience, or whatever it was, had ended. That was definitely interesting! But I knew there had to be more to the story. I suppose that explains why they wanted me to witness another vision at a different location. Where was this one, then? I eyed the map, than glanced around. It looked like it was...in a crypt? How pleasant. I'm not overly fond of graveyards. I wonder how well the chronolink took to modifications? Perhaps they would let me tinker with it. Imagine if I could see events surrounding the exodus from the Isles! I might even find out what happened to my family. I shook my head ruefully. Despite my determination to start anew and put the past behind me, it was hard to forget my previous life.

     As I left Eliam's statue behind, I patted the darkened stone and whispered, "May the Spirits watch over you in the afterlife," and it made me feel a little better. The second location was actually a bit out of the way, inside a little niche in the walls surrounding Jakub's old keep. Great, a graveyard for his people. In fact, from what the markings on the map indicate, I was to activate the chronolink at the grave of Jakub himself. I won't lie, I definitely felt a bit uneasy entering such an unhallowed place. The air felt heavy with death magic. Powerful, necromantic death magic. That can't be good. I had a sinking feeling I already knew what had happened here, but I walked up to the large, darkened crypt that was supposed to house Jakub. The grate across the tomb was broken and thrown to one side, and it looked recent. I quested outward with my magic, trying to sense any threat nearby, but it seemed the place was empty now. Uneasily, I set down the chronolink, quickly pressed the silver dial, and stepped back. No lingering here. And I had no desire to show respect for Jakub.
     At first, nothing happened, and I absently rubbed my arms as I waited, wanting to get it over with so I could just leave. The longer I was here, the more jittery I felt. Suddenly, I saw a flash of red and spun around, already calling up a spell of air and water, which died on my tongue when I recognized the shimmery look of the chronolink vision. This was actually a person I recognized instantly, without having to guess. It was that wretched backstabbing woman, Alsbeth! Somehow I couldn't find it in myself to even feel surprised at her appearance. Of course she'd be involved with this. The image of Alsbeth lifted up her staff. Her voice, dark and cold, made me jump when she spoke. "Arise, Jakub the Warlord. Regulos has need of you!" She began chanting a strange spell that I wasn't familiar with but which was definitely dark magic. She sliced her palm and held it out. Blackish mist seeped up from the ground where the blood fell, coalescing into a tall humanoid shape wearing dark, sinister looking armor and carrying a long sword. The same figure I'd seen fighting Eliam in the previous vision. I gaped. She wouldn't....

    "This new life, that I have granted you, has a price, Tyrant. Welcome to your rebirth." Sure enough, the black smoke quickly solidified, taking on the appearance of Jakub the Tyrant, but not as he was. The man was now nothing more than a skeletal remnant of his former glory, looking more like the shambling shells that wandered the Mire than the man he once was. "I live again!" He roared, shaking his sword triumphantly. He shambled up to Alsbeth and I wondered idly if he was going to attack her. Would serve her right, meddling in necromancy. Instead, he swiftly knelt on one knee and offered his sword to the red-robed woman. "I offer my services to the mighty Regulos and to you, Alsbeth!" He then stood and they both walked out of the tiny graveyard. Alsbeth's parting shot left me feeling cold. "Come, we must discuss the future of your realm."
     After the vision faded and the real world intruded in upon me again, I still stood there staring. This was bad news indeed! I snatched up the chronolink, stuffing it in my pack as I ran back through the Mire, barely able to keep my balance on the uneven ground, but knowing I needed to warn the Defiants. The sooner they heard this news, the faster they could track down and stop both Jakub and Alsbeth. The Legionnaires gave me questioning glances as I ran back into the Mire camp, but I ignored them, stopping in front of Brianna. Quickly, once I'd gotten my breath back, I explained everything I'd seen. It took a bit longer then I thought, since I kept getting distracted by the details I'd seen, and by her eager questions. As I spoke, I handed over the chronolink, a bit reluctantly. I would love to have one of my own someday.

     "The scene at Eliam's Monument is one with which most of us in the March are familiar with," Brianna said gravely. "But the other is grave news indeed. Reports have led us to believe that Alsbeth is the mastermind of the invasion of Freemarch. It now seems that she is planning on resurrecting Jakub and his army to further ensure victory." I nodded in agreement.

     "I thought as much myself." I admitted. "We need to let command know as soon as possible. You'll send a courier right? Someone who can make it safely to the Defiant leaders and let them know all that's going on?" I gestured around me as emphasis. It was imperative that the Defiant leaders focus their efforts into locating Alsbeth and Jakub. Legionnair Brianna nodded. "Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we have no one to spare here. We are just a small outpost and we simply cannot afford to lose even one man. If the undead spawn find out we are weakened, they could overwhelm us. I think you should go yourself and alert the Defiant High command in Meridian. You have firsthand knowledge, and of all of us, you would have the best chance of surviving, not to mention with your status as Ascended, you would be admitted to an officer right away, if not Asha Catari herself." Brianna nodded vigorously the longer she spoke, and I nodded as well. It made sense. Besides, this was the opportunity I was waiting for to finally see the famed Meridian. I couldn't help the delighted grin that spread across my face, and Brianna grinned back, knowing what I was excited for.

     "Ask for Asha Catari directly when you arrive. She oversees all of our operations and coordinates efforts of those in the field. She'll be able to make the best use of your information immediately." I nodded. I'd already intended to tell Asha myself. I felt a thrill at finally meeting the famous Defiant general that had defied Regulos twice. She was like a hero to me. So brave and selfless. Definitely someone I could easily admire. Unlike that rat, Alsbeth. Despite the gravity behind my task, I felt almost giddy as I turned and put the Mire behind me. I couldn't wait to visit Meridian for so many reasons! And maybe I could find a good price for the various objects I'd gathered on my travels and have enough coin to buy myself some actual mage-crafted robes. Of course, I'd always preferred stitching and spelling my own vestments, but I wasn't familiar enough with the land, its materials, and its prices. Not to mention I just felt like I haven't had the time to sit down and actually do anything yet, other than that brief and enjoyable time at the Kelari refuge. I was definitely going to have to visit my new friends there again at some point. After I'd helped Asha beat up Alsbeth. Again...

     I kept my eyes glued on the distant spires and rooftops of majestic Meridian as I made my way there. It was actually quite a distance from where I'd been in the Mire, deceiving me into thinking it was closer then it was. I'd been so excited to actually visit the city that I hadn't quite thought about how far away it was. So unfortunately, I found it getting dark before I'd reached the main road that led into the city's outskirts. Reluctantly, I slowed my fast pace and began looking for a spot to safely camp for the night. A large tree backed against a cliff did the trick and I smiled as I used the method I'd been taught at the Kelari refuge to make a fire and heat the leftover smoked fish. That was the last of it though, so I made a mental note to myself to try my luck at catching some more the next time I came across running water. In fact, all my provisions were running low, so it was good I was visiting Meridian tomorrow. Ruefully, I counted out my silver coin, and found it wasn't nearly as much as I hoped. Oh well, couldn't be helped. I could only hope that being Ascended meant something even in such a large city as Meridian and I could get some good deals on supplies and armors. Apparently being Ascended didn't exclude me from the inconveniences of living, including eating, drinking, and doing my "lady's business". 
     The night sounds were still something I wasn't used to, so I slept restlessly, half expecting some nightmarish creature to descend on my unprotected camp and try to eat me alive in the middle of the night. By morning I was stiff and feeling irritable.

[Books and Artifacts] VI: Liberation of the March

This book describes the retaking of Freemarch from the Warlord Jakub in the point of a view of a citizen of the March:

From the papers of Dunbart's Guide to Telara: Freemarch

The Freemarch took its name when Jakub the Tyrant was overthrown as ruler of the March. When the Eth Empire fell in the Convocation, many local rulers rose up to the fill gaps in leadership, squabbling to carve up the world. Few were just or kind. The people of the March, however, overthrew their warlord and instituted a system of elected leadership known as the March Wardens, which survived the rise of the Mathosian Empire and still flourishes today.

The following is a recently discovered account from the perspective of one farmer who survived the slaughter of the final battle against Jakub:

"The way I remember it, and I am a very old man now so am sure these things have gone fuzzy with time, but I remember that we had almost no trained soldiers left on our side. They'd all been bought by Jakub or died in the early fighting. What stood before Jakub was nothing more than the small folk armed with whatever they could find. But we were fighting for more than they were. We were fighting for the right to live with our bellies full, to choose how we would live, who to live it with and where our steps could take us. We were fighting, in short, for everything. Dying didn't matter, cause there was nothing to live for if we lost. In the end, I can think that's the only reason we won. We had a will to win. That and Elliam. Without Elliam none of us would have had the courage to rise up to begin with."

 

    According to a different artifact set, Eliam set some fair and reasonable laws down after becoming the first March Warden of Freemarch. The artifact set "Scrolls of Eliam" reads that Warden Eliam put down edicts of social justice into scrolls for future Wardens to follow to keep Freemarch safe:

• Scroll of Consent
• Scroll of Liberty
• Scroll of Justice
• Scroll of Consanguinity
• Scroll of Peace
• Scroll of Happiness

I think I could live with those edicts.

 

References: This is taken from the book "Liberation of the March" found in Freemarch. The information belongs to Trion and is not mine in any way or form!!!! I think it's an interesting look at the history of the March, which by the way, used to be called Emerald March.