A Ranger's Reverie

[Shadow Clan]

He sat at his desk, at the bedside, sinking into the memories of the past, as he wrote them out in books. How had he come to these lands? If he searched for a way back home, would he be able to chart it? Would his home even still be there?

The Order of the Crimson Flame was a religious sect, who proclaimed to follow the will of the All-Father. Many had believed that the All-Father abandoned the people, and left them to rot at the hands of Morloch. Mallorn, a prophet of the Order proclaimed that the All-Father had not abandoned the world, but the people were deep in so much sin, that the All-Father had turned his back on them. They were Zealous in their actions, and quite heretical. They quickly cast blames of sin on those who weren't human, simply because of such fact.

The Aelfborn. They were cursed, truely, but also said to be with sin, simply because they were born of a human - elf union. Elves were corrupt beings that had enslaved the humans in Aerynth, and because of these vile ways, they were sinful. Anyone tied to an Elf was sinful, simply due to association.

Shades, a breed of human whose skin was deathly pale. They were sinful, for communing with the undead. Shades earned their name this way, but were simply humans with a bit of abnormality in their blood, making their skin paler then normal.

Irekei communed with The Dragon, a foul beast that pillaged the lands many a year ago. They were also considered a sect of the Elven Race, whose skin turned red due to life in the deserts.

Suffice to say, there were plenty of people in the lands of Aerynth that despised the Order, and their ways. I myself, am the son of one of the Order's Confessors. Confessors were Healer Mages. They controlled flame and used it to slay the wicked, as well as cure the corrupt. I didn't know at first, that both acts were handled the same way. When I was young, I trained in the battlefields. I was not the type to be a mage, and so I was trained in swordsmanship, and some spells, in order to become a Templar when I was older.

That's when it all really began. I was well on my way to becoming a Templar. A group of Fae assaulted our castle, in the desert lands, in a city called Redemption. On that day, I would learn what the Order truely was, and I would start my life, apart from them.


[ To be continued... ]

[Bloodwild]

* Wow this brings back memories ... *

[Shadow Clan]

[ figured the Sanguine Wild here was the same one I remembered. ]

Alek stood, and walked to the kitchen. He retrieved a mug, and retrieved himself some water from the well outside. When he sat back down at his desk, he looked over what he had written, and continued...

The Fae came with a purpose. What it was is still a mystery to me. They split into many groups, dividing out forces. Masters of magic, they handled the confessors with ease. It took some doing for them to hold off the Templar. Amidst it all, a small group got within the castle.

I remember, my father told me to return to our chambers within the castle, to protect my mother. I was just a child, surely he couldn't have thought I could protect her, but I rushed off to her, only to find a trio of the Fae there with her. They were only talking, but I rushed to her side, and pulled out my training sword, to protect her.

Everyone looked at me, but there was no hostility in the room. I could feel it. I don't know how, I had not heard a single word that was spoken before my arrival, but I knew, there was no hostility. One of the fae looked at me in disgust, as if though he had never seen me before, he despised my very existence. I did not know why, I was only a child. After a moment though, I felt weariness wear away at me, and soon, I passed out, falling into the arms of my mother.

The fae left that night. They had not been fended off, they simply left. I knew this, thought I was unconscious. Many told me the Fae were defeated, and their retreat was a grand sight. I knew better. When I awoke, I was no longer in my mother's arms. Instead, she was in chains, beside me. My father sat on an alter, his body blackened. He had just been "cleansed". I was laying on the ground when I awoke, and looked around as I stood. They charged me with sin. They told me my mother was impure, and due to her sin, me and my father were corrupted. Flames still licked at my fathers body. He was already dead though, I could just tell. Fury built up within me. I could feel it. My mother's dress was charred, slightly, black in some areas. She looked less beautiful because of it, but her face was still it's perfection. They had tried to cleanse her. It failed? She was exiled, put on a horse, and sent off, with no way to control where the horse went. I rebelled, as much as I could. I told them they were blinded by evil. They called me a blasphemer. Some sort of power built within me, and as they tried to "cleanse" me, I escaped.

I still have no idea where my mother is to this day, if she is even still alive... Perhaps, one day, I can find her...



[ To be continued... ]

[Shadow Clan]

Today was Rayne's wedding. Between the rehersal and the actual cerimony, Alek was out patrolling the streets, killing some of those errant Angry animals. After some time, he stood, and stared into the distance. Suddenly, his eyes swirled with that dormant magic within him, and memories flashed into his mind....

- - - - -

My wandering never had a true destination. I searched for any place that I could settle down, and rest. No place was safe for long. The armies of the Templar were always hot on my tail, searching for me, ready to slay me. Some sort of magic that I don't understand always seemed to swell up within me when I needed it. It always faded away when I managed to fend off whomever was after me. My wanderings took me amidst other people quite often. Some chased me off, because they did not want the Order interfering in their own affairs. Others joined me in the fight, and actually helped me turn back some Templar. One day, my travels brought me to a town on the outskirts of an Elven kingdom. Just west of the Eglan Berriador, I met with Feylan Trynthlas, and his sister, Inyri Trynthlas. The two were Aelfborn, also oppressed by the Order. They had with them a bunch of others were in similar trials as I.

There, I met many, even rogue Templar, who were opposed to the ways of the Order. I found a family there, in a way, and finally ceased my wanderings. The Order would be fended off countless times, but now, they were not the only ones that were worried over. The Elven nations that remained after the fall of the Deathless Empire still despised Humans. They had enslaved humans once, and any elves that mated with a human were outcast, especially when an Aelfborn offspring was born of such union.

Irekei clans seemed to bear a hatred for what they called Fira'khar. They had more in common with the elves then they would ever accept. In fact, Elves and Irekei both denied the common trait between them. They denied their kinship. Regardless, they fought against not only the Elves, but anyone from the green lands. The Order's home of "Redemption" was in the desert lands that the Irekei called their home, and were often in skirmishes against the Shadow Clan Virakt.

Enemy to all, Morloch was ruler of the underworld. He called all demon-kind to his will, and sent them out to do his deeds. Morloch commanded a Lich, expert in the arcane works, to raise the dead in a charred island. With those raised dead, he commanded the "Undead Legions" to bring chaos across the lands of Aerynth. Hordes of Undead, and legions of demons known as The Nephylim, roamed the countrysides, reigning terror on the Guardians of Aerynth, and their allies.

The Order rode into the countrysides, and hunted down any and all demons. Flames would eat away at the forests, and all Rangers in the lands would feel the weeping of Braialla. A War was on the brinks, but it would be one with more sides, then there were contenders...

[ To be continued... ]