Welcome adventurer!
I am the Lady Emerald, First Knight of the Royal Knights of Britain and Personal Advisor to our beloved King of Britain Thogaf Mensk. Welcome to the realm and make yourself at home. I see you have traveled long and hard so please rest and let me tell you of our world as you feast and drink.
Our story is long and full of twists and suprises. *Raises an eyebrow to your leaning closer* Ah, interested in a good story then? Very well. How about a story of ultimate good vs. evil with a mix of ultimate love and sacrifice? I see you may be intrigued..... *smiles thoughtfully and takes her own mug of ale and sips it* Let me see..... where should I begin? Ah, yes it would make sense to start from the beginning wouldn't it, you are so correct.
It all began a mere 30,000 years ago. Two mortal men at odds with eachother. One, pure and virtuous, while the other evil and malicious to the core. The evil of the two was the General of the giant armies of chaos. The gentle brother was the High Priest of God. There were cold long winters way back then.... snow had fallen heavilly and the wind was chill. The General of Chaos started to move apon the City of Virtues which is nowadays called the City of the Dead. Leading the massive armies through the snow the High Priest followed his brother in hopes to yet try again to save his soul from the evil that entwined it's blackened fist around it. His prayers fell on deaf ears as the general marched on. The General's second in command,Gladius Maximus, grew weary of the Priest's attempts to reach his brother and decided to take matters into his own hands. As soon as the messanger of God fell far enough back away from all the others,Gladius withdrew his blade and ran it home into the priest's side, giving him a mortal wound. Looking down apon the bleeding man Gladius in a simple and cold tone said, "You are dead Enkil." then turned his back and left him to die. Enkil struggled to keep up with the armies but his wound was bad enough that soon he realized he had to find shelter. Enkil prayed to God for a sign, someone to help him so that he could try and stop his brother. Climbing up the mountain path, Enkil was met by a pack of dire wolves. Smelling the blood that seeped from him, the wolves thought they would have their first easy meal of winter. They were almost right. Attacking him fiercely it was all the strength and prayers to fight off the wolves. Unfortunatly he was not completely victorious. One of the wolves had managed to grab a good enough hold on Enkil's leg that it knocked him back and down into the snow and as he fell the wolves pulled him in every direction to the point that one of his legs was ripped away from his body. In agonizing pain and loss of blood by this point, Enkil managed to fend off the pack and drag his near lifeless body up the rest of the mountain side and find a cave that he could try and rest in. Dragging himself in, Enkil layed there silently praying to God to grant him help to save his brother. There Enkil could carry on no further and fell to the dirt and rock floor and let oblivion take him, passing out he was now completely defenseless. There, not a servant of God but a servant of the shadows answered Enkil's prayers. For in that very cave in the shadows was a vampire. She was the soul vampire of the realm and seeked to turn this mortal into her slave and equal. Stealthfully moving to the hapless man she embraced him and turned him in a fail swoop from the realm of light. Enkil awakening to this, in turn fought with the she devil but not in time to save himself. Feeling himself turn immortal, with his last breath prayed to God once more, this time not to ask for absolution for himself but with the utter most sacrifice asked upon God to allow himself to carry his brother's sins and allow his brother Thogaf to be pure. With that prayer, God answered Enkil's plea and took all the pain, hate, anger and evilness within the tragic soul of Thogaf and placed it upon Enkil, which split his soul from his body. Enkil became a spirit to wander the lands and the echo of the man became the Arch Nemisis Lord Shadow. The vissage that is known as Lord Shadow in turn with all of Thogaf's evil killed the woman and took her place as the lone vampire of the realm. (All vampires that you will see from here on out are all begotten because of Lord Shadow.) As this was all comming about, Thogaf had converged on the City of Virtues and all but destroyed it and it's entire population. Only a few survived, but that is another story to tell... Thogaf faced Lord God after the slaughter and was told he would be redeemed. There and then God placed the decision upon him to undo all the evils he had done and showed him the ends to his choices. Yes, our Majesty Thogaf faced the fires of Hell and chose to mend his ways and there and then became our Avatar of Light. For thirty thousand years these two immortals have combatted eachother, each vieing to destroy one another to end the eternal struggle. But as you know the Wheel of Time has its own purpose and the battle rages on. We are near the ending and the beggining in this chapter of the book of life.... You have come in our most darkest hour and yet also our brightest moment. The moment at hand has come upon us and I sence that M'lord needs me so I must depart. *Places many gold coins on the table* Please eat and rest here good traveler and if you need of me just ask any of our residents of the town and they will direct you to the War Castle where I reside guarding over his majesty. *Takes one final swig of her ale and sets the mug down upon the wooden table gently. Standing gracefully, swiftly and silently donning my cloak pulling the hood over my head with a final smile turns and goes to the front door of the inn. Pausing with my hand on the knob turns and flashes a small smile.* Rest easy traveler for you are safe here and may the light shine upon your path. In the immortal words of my clan, Wind to thy wings. *Gives a deep nod and turns and exits the inn quietly.*
Some Time Later
*Feeling the cold damp mist surround the darkened ground and wrap itself around the warmth of her body, Emerald looked upon Britania mounted on her steed atop a ridge from nearby. She wrapped her cloak tightly against her body to keep the night chill from her. A twig snaped from behind and she quickly turned around to see a man stealthfully approaching her calmly* "Hail and merry met good sir." *He nodded back to her with a deep bow* "Forgive me m'lady," he cautiously added, "I have heard that I may ask you what happened here." *With a heavy sigh and even heavier heart and a tear threatening to fall from her eye, she nodded slowly* "Aye, I know exactly what happened here.... Come and I shall retell the tale." *She urged her horse slowly to the path that lead down the ridge after taking one more glance back at her once proud home, then slipped into her own memories.* "I have not spoken of the events since they have happened... I have called the last many years of conflict and agony The Shadow War. I was there that fateful day... *wipes her tears as the distant memories come as if they were yesterday* As always, I was at my King's side defending him and keeping my vow that I would make sure his fate was completed. *looks at the knight quietly trying to regain her composure* For what few people knew was that it was Thogaf's wish to finally rest in peace when all was said and done for he had lived too long. I promised that vow that he would have his eternal rest and that I would carry out that wish if it came down to it even if it killed me in the process. It finally came down to this... I made his majesty walk his brother Enkil's path. Thogaf learned what happened those last days before he became the Avatar of Light and the Evil Shadow had come into exhistance. He learned of his brother's sacrifice and what he had to do in order to end this bloodfest. He met with Shadow atop of a mountain in Delucia for the final moments... Thogaf my beloved king gave up all to free his brother Enkil and to save his people and kingdom. On that very day he looked at Shadow with a quiet reverence and then behind him he saw the spirit of his brother Enkil smiling to him knowing at last they would be free. At that moment he gave up his Avatarship, threw the four kings items to the four winds praying to God that they be kept safe and defeated Shadow. Shadow's evil perished that day and with that Enkil's soul was released and rejoined with his body. Enkil then dissapeared without a trace. Some say he is still alive waiting for his time to return. As for My King... one of the people he had wronged so many centuries ago was there that day in the final destruction of Shadow. Thogaf gave his life to this man in recompense for the death of his wife and family at his hands. Apoc, the last remaining virtue knight, looked down at Thogaf when he kneeled before him, and felt some satisfaction but then walked from Thogaf and told him where and when to meet him for his fate and to come alone. I do know that several days later, Apoc came to me with the ring I gave to Thogaf as a token of my loyalty to him and said, "It is done." *looks down again with tears in her eyes staring at her king's ring next to her wedding band* He walked away from me without another word and has not been heard from since. I believe he still roams the City of The Dead searching for his family that were so violently taken from him. I know how he feels. My husband Palin once was a follower of one of Shadow's forms named Andarian and in Andarian's steps Palin is now the Arch-Mage of Britania and his duties keep him from me. My daughter whom I haven't seen since she was born is out there somewhere. I had to hide her from Shadow to keep him from using her against me, Palin or Thogaf since he was her God Father. *realizing she had mentioned her daughter she looked around the countryside cautiously out of habit for Shadow's spies knowing they may still lurk in the deepest part of the realm. seeing that all looked well, she looked back to the man riding next to her* "Forgive me, old habit that will take many cycles of the moon to break." *He nodded back and stayed silent listening to the accounts of before his time here in the realm* Things have been very difficult in the year and a half since Thogaf's death and the end of the Shadow War. The Sentenal's, whom Thogaf created just before his death, have been working hard to keep the realm together and in tact. I myself have become an Avatar to follow in Thogaf's footsteps. And even now, remenants of Shadow's armies still linger throughout. I can feel that once again this world will face great evil although I cannot say from whom or what." *slowing her horse down Emerald looked around noticing that they had entered the city limits and was nearing the Travel stone that would take her back to Nujhelm.* If you would please excuse me the night and cold has taken its toll on this battle worn body and I must rest. I hope I answered some of your questions but I am sure there are more questions that have been brought up that you want answers to as well. I shall return first thing in the morning and will tell you all you wish to know if that is acceptable." *The man nodded still in silence reflecting on the seemlessly ageless woman before him yet reflecting the soul as ancient as the great Wyrms that fly in the mountains not that far away. She bowed gently in her saddle and turned her mount twords the Travel Stone* "Emerald," he said gently, "Thank you for keeping this in your heart and telling those who would listen. This history will live on I will see to it." Emerald nodded with a hint of exhaustion on her face but a small smile danced upon her features and with a crack from emotion in her voice she added, "Thank you your majesty for returning a law here and I will aid you as I did my beloved king, he would want me too." with one more nod of respect she dissapeared in a poof of smoke as the newly acquired King pondered the thoughts of the female warrior. Returning to his castle he looked around the walls seeing in a new light the shadows of things past dancing on the wind as a feather would do when released from a bird's wing. He sat on his throne and there remained until the wee hours of the morning gathering the realization of his newly acquired station. Could he handle the weight of the burden he was to carry? Could he measure up to the men that came before him? Only time would tell......
What's next in the realm? Return soon to find out what evil is rising in the mists and who they are.......
