Author: The DM

Krethial, Waltz, and Nix decided to follow the wizard back to a cave further north of the mansion. They ran into a group of highway robbers, which Waltz convinced to let us by paying them 25g for each person. We continued on and found said cave in which the trolls were originally in. The trap was not reset so going into the cave was fairly easy. Once inside the cave though, we were immediately attacked by more slaver handlers, which were easily dispatched except for one. A sharpshooter was teasing the group of three and keeping them trapped inside the cave. Krethial sent a Sending to his girlfriend back in Saltmarsh, Lacy Bandin, for help in rescuing the slaves. She come to the rescue with her mother and Tristan in tow. Together the group got the slaves out of the cave and back to Saltmarsh as well as dispatching a few highwaymen in the process. Once back and taken care of, the slaves provided a little bit more information on the slavers. The cave in the bog between Berle and Sylus has been confirmed, the caravans they use to transport the slaves seem be enchanted by some silence spell, and the slavers are using a poison of some sort to knock out the slaves. The investigation continues as the group now takes care of the boat that should be ariving at the mansion within the next couple of days.

Prior to the Great War, religion had a very large place in most humanoids life. Attending church, temple, shrine, or whatever their religion demanded was often a daily occurrence for the vast majority of people.

Then the Great War started as skirmishes between baronies, fiefdoms, and kingdoms over trade routes, land borders, and trade. As the skirmishes intensified, more groups became involved. Larger clashes ensued, and soon racial groups began choosing sides. Over a period of 13 years, various groups chose sides.

The first large battle and ensuing atrocities occurred during the 14^th year of the war, the battle of Hasford Shire. Human forces, along with orcish and dwarven allies, clashed with human forces, allied with dwarven and golaith troops. The three day battle saw no clear winner, no side for “light” and over 50,000 dead. During the battle, fighting spilled over into the Hasford Shire, home of the halflings, who had stayed neutral. When the battle ended the Shire had been razed, with only a handful of halflings escaping into the Wild Lands,the others having been killed or taken in as slaves.

The church had stayed neutral to this point, not outwardly choosing sides and condemning the fighting. In reality, the church was playing both sides against each other, using the conflict to increase the influence of the church across the continent, and thereby increasing the church’s land holdings and wealth. Individual leaders in the church, and even low level clergy in remote areas, expanded their holdings and wealth. Often, atrocities were overlooked as commanders committing the atrocities payed a “tithe” to the local church.

After the Battle of Hasford Shire, things changed. Both sides payed “tithes” in land and wealth to the church to atone for their armies atrocities. The next day, clerics lost their spells. Clerics were heavily used on the battlefield to heal wounds, give buffs to special troops, and to keep their leaders alive. All of that went away. Bards, Rangers, Druids and any other spell casters capable of healing lost their ability to heal humanoids, but could still try to repair the widespread damage done to the land and its non humanoid denizens. Instead of sending the message to end the war, it had the opposite effect. Both armies saw it as an opportunity to eradicate the other side, as no longer could healing change the tide of battle. More atrocities ensued, and more and more races and factions were pulled into the war. After 17 years of fighting, virtually every square foot of the continent had suffered the devastation of war. After 22 years of war, Firbolg, Lizard Folk, Kobolds, Aarakocra , Gnomes and Halflings were on the verge of extinction. The population of Galismar had been cut by more than half. The land wept, and stopped producing. Numerous plant species were also on the verge of extinction.

In the meantime, many people abandoned the church. Church hierarchy were seen living in luxury, their holdings being protected by both armies, well fed and dressed, while a million starved. Eventually, the peoples attacked these “representatives” of Eldar, burning them at the stake, beheading them, hanging them, or just slitting their throats. The amount of wealth these “godly” men had obtained was staggering.

But the some of the common folk did not abandon their Gods, just the man made institutions that were purportedly the word of Eldar on Elisar. While many abandoned the Gods, not all did. Some folks did what they did best, prayed and worshiped in private, or in cellars, barns, and groves in small groups.

During the 23rd year of the war, a Knight came from across the sea. A former Knight’s Templar, now leading a handful of Knights called the Knights of Delaria. Six knights, who landed in the south and began preaching ending the war, forgiveness, loving thy brother, taking care of nature, and treating others the way you wanted to be treated. The Knights of Delaria were comprised of two humans, a half elf, and aquatic elf, a halfling, and an aarakocra.

Humanoids began flocking to them. The Knights, often called the Six, cured the diseased and wounded, healed the land, and fed the hungry.

Both commanders of the opposing forces sent “hit squads” to eliminate the Delarian Order, as the commanders were concerned that these “upstarts” may take control of some of the lesser populations. The hit squads were never heard from again.

As the war raged in the middle and northern part of the continent, more and more of the south was pacified by the Delarians. Humanoids began to rush south, to join the Delarians. The land in the south was renewed, plants began to thrive. Eventually, the Army of Neck, one of the two factions at war, marched south to deal with the Delarians.

The Army of the Neck arrived on the field of battle, the Battle of the Arbor, 55 years ago, the 24^th year of the war, expecting to find a rag tag army, underfed, under equipped, and few in number. The Army of the Neck boasted 27,000 troops, including 1000 of the Elite White Knights, who had never been beaten on the battlefield.

While the Delarian’s allies were not as well equipped as the Army of the Neck, they were better fed and well trained, numbering 22,000. The armies clashed, but soon it was seen that the Delarian’s allies, known as the Army of Common, had healers! Hundreds of healers, running among the fighting healing the Common. Soon the White Knights were ordered to charge the flank of the Common. The White Knights charged, but cavalry the Brunswick Uhlans, known as the Black Brunswickers, along with the Scots Greys, slammed into the White Knights. After a few minutes of vicious fighting, the White Knights broke. When the White Knights broke and fled the field, the remainder of the Army of the Neck routed.

While thi fighting was going on, the Delarian Knights sought out the Neck Army’s command group. Finding it, the Delarian Knights, outnumbered 4 to 1, slammed into the King of the Neck’s personal body guard. Again, terrifying fighting ensued, and the bodyguards were defeated. The King of the Neck, a huge golaith barbarian, refused to surrender and kept fighting. The King lost his head to Leodawnas, paladin and leader of the Knights of Delaria. After the fighting, two of the Delarian Knights were down. Witnesses to the fight and its end claim to have seen a female Angel, in shimmering golden samite armor descend from the heavens. The Angel gathered the Delarian Order around their two fallen. The Angel touched each of the four remaining standing knights and an orange glow engulfed each knight. Then the four knights knelt, one each at the head of a fallen comrade, one each at the foot of the fallen comrade. The Knights and the Angel sang a song and touched the two fallen knights. Both knights had orange light flash thru them, and they arose. The six knights knelt, holding hands, praying. The Angel again touched a knight, and shimmering green and yellow light engulfed the six. They six stood, turned, the six in unison shouted Elisar! A green and yellow shock wave radiated out in every direction for 100 miles. All of the fallen from either side were consumed by the wave, and where ever a body lay, a bush, tree, flower or plant sprang up.

The Knights of Delaria and the Army of Common rested at the field at Arbor. The Knights and many of the Army of Common spent a day and a night praying for salvation for the land, redemption of the folk, and for the dead of both sides.. On the third day after the battle ended, the Knights formed a circle, holding hands with a representative of the Halflings, Lizardfolk, Firbolg, Aarakocra, Kobold and Gnome races dispersed between them. The 12 sang a song, which started quietly, and expanded quickly to be heard by every folk across Galismar. The song, Love Train, drove tens of thousands of folk to the Arbor, where they were welcomed with open arms, any sins forgiven. The population of the Arbor soon grew to over 150,000, and the Army of Common grew to 30,000.

Constantine Fireking, a human wizard, self proclaimed King of the North, Ruler of the Great Galismar Mountains, and Protector of the Peoples of Galismar, and General of the Army of the Grey, was not impressed. His Army of 37,000 controlled the North and the Neck. Initially, Constantine dammed the Falspar River at the Neck, cutting off much of the freshwater supply to the south, and especially to the Arbor Forest and the Breadbasket, the most fertile land in Galismar. The land in the south began to suffer once again. The Army of Common and the Knights of Delaria marched north, to break the dam. In the Neck, the Battle of the Adams Apple Bog ensued 54 years ago, the 25^th year of the war. The Army of Common attacked and quickly units in the Army of the Grey, starving and shivering from the winter, began to break, many surrendering without swinging a sword or loosing an arrow. In three hours, the Battle of the Adams Apple Bog was over. The dam was taken down, and the Falspar River flowed south once again.

Constantine and 1500 of his fanatics, known as the Immortals, retreated north. Constantine hatched a plan to reactivate the four inactive volcanoes in the north. Constantine had his fanatics capture tribes in the north, and began sacrificing them in the volcanoes, attempting to summon Aldolphus Franciscian Hitleren, Arch Demon, known as Hitler, Representative of Set on Elisar. Constantine’s plan was to have Hitler cause the four great volcanoes in the north erupt simultaneously, melting the ice and snow in the north, including the Great Sliver Glacier. The ensuing flood, rushing down the Neck, would destroy the Army of Common, the Delarian Knights, and the defiant folks in the south, providing millions of souls for Hitler to feast on.

Leodawnas, when made aware of this news by defectors from the Army of the North, gathered the Knights of Delaria and raced ahead of the Army of Common, marching north up the Neck. The Six arrived at the first volcano and dawn, and were attacked by a quarter of Constantine’s Immortals. Armed with heretofore unknown martial skills and the power of Light, the Six cut down the Immortals with blade, arrow and magic. The warhorses of the five of the Six, were touched by magic, their hooves not touching the ground, rode through the Immortals, with their riders cutting the Immortals down like wheat. Raclaw, the Aarakocra, flew ahead, her magic bow humming, as she obliterated any spell caster foolish enough to cast. Once again, the power of the Grey forces was unable to stand before the Champions of Light.

Entering the caldera of the first volcano, the six interrupted the ritual executions. Enough of the summoning ritual had been completed though, and the demon known as Hitler, although in a weakened form, for the ritual was not complete, stepped out of the summoning circle. He screamed in triumph, having arrived on Elisar for the first time in centuries. The Six launched their most devastating attacks, all casting Sunburst on the Demon, doing massive damage to him and temporarily stunning the giant beast from the Abyss. Lewdawnas, Leader of the Six and a paladin, along with Yort Sho Jr. Human samurai, charged Hitler, cutting into his putrid body. Ichor, the essence of souls Hitler consumed, spewing out, burning the two heroes, killing both of their chargers. Yonathan, halfling rogue, worked around the flank and plunged his two short swords into the demons lower back, covering him in spewing ichor, killing his horse. Bey, aquatic elf arcane archer, and Rayclaw, the Aarakocra ranger, pummled the demon with Holy Arrows of Light from their magic bows, searing great tunnels into the demon’s flesh. Orsiville, Half Elven warlock, used the power from his patron, the Arch Angel Delaria, to pound the demon with sunbeams. The demon Hitler struck back, sensing that Leodawnas and Yort Sho Jr. were severly injured, struck at both. Yort took two claws to the chest, the second blow tearing off his breast plate. Hitler then sent two vampiric blasts at Leodawnas, but Yort stepped in front of the blast, absorbing the necrotic damage. Black tendrils of life sapping energy wrapped Yort, extinguishing the spark of life that was Yort Sho Jr. Orsiville, upon seeing his half brother killed, called upon his patron for the power of Light. A blinding light shot out of Orisivlle’s finger tips and eyes, striking Hitler in the chest, a flash and a clap of thunder found Hitler writhing on the ground, howling and writhing in pain, wrapped in a glowing cocoon of silver blue light. Rawclaw and Bey calmly put 3 holy arrows each in Hitler’s eyes, his head crumpling, again howling as he was sucked back to the Abyss.

Constantine, standing on the lip of the volcano watching, turned and ran. Constantine gathered his personal body guard and teleported to a waiting ship at Borealis, fleeing in to the Ocean of Ice. The remaining Immortals fled north, and were eventually destroyed by the Army of the Common. The Immortals asking for and giving no quarter.

The remaining Six attempted to bring back Yort Sho Jr. to no avail. The remaining five prayed, asking for salvation for Yort and thanking the Entities of Light for defeating the demon Hitler. As they prayed, Delaria once again descended from the heavens, and touched each of the remaining Six, healing them. She then went to Yort’s body, and prayed. The remaining Six stood in a circle around Yort’s body, holding hands with Delaria. Yort’s body twitched, and a ghostly image of Yort, shimmering in blue robes, arose, hugging each of the Six. The soul of Yort Sho Jr took Delaria’s hand and ascended to the clouds and disappeared.

The war was over. The remaining Six, with Yort’s body, returned to the shambles that was Agincourt. In a proclamation heard by all folks on Galismar through divine magic, Leodawnas announced the abolishment of feudalism, royal titles, and outlawed racism. Land would be redistributed. Wealth would be redistributed. Leodawanas supported worship of your chosen religion, but warned about the power of the earthly church.

Over the nest 3 years, The Knights of Delaria, with representatives of all races that cared to participate, created the government as it stands today, The Commonwealth of Galismar. A Commonwealth wide election was held, electing the Prime Minister, the Senate, the Representatives, along with city, town and village elections.

The newly elected Prime Minister, a gnome, Fagen Stonebreaker, named the Knights of Delaria Heroes and Protector of the Realm.

After the formation of the government, Orisiville and Bey left to search for Constintine. It is not known if they have been successful. Leodawnas, Raclaw, and Yonothan passed on, and are laid to rest next to their comrade in arms, Yort Sho Jr.,in the crypt next to the Monastery of Light in the Great Walled City of Agincourt.

Originally posted by Nix

When she was just 5 years old, Nix was already aware of how her ability worked and her parents have given her her first job. Her family wants to take over an elven family of royalty for the wealth and power. Nix was groomed from birth so that she can take the place of the youngest daughter. As night falls on the day of the switch, Nix is ready to please her family. Quiet and small, Nix slips in undetected right behind her older brother who has learned to be the master of stealth. Her brother quietly incapacitated the target and Nix changed into her and took her place in the bed. Over the next few years, Nix would gather information and relay it back to her family in the middle of the night. The plan to assassinate was soon. The closer the day grew though, the more Nix was having second thoughts though. She had actually grown to like the elven family. So much that Nix had started to report back to her family less and less. One day, an entertainer had come to the family estate. The sound of laughter filled Nix’s ears and it filled her with joy. Joy that made her forget her own family. Nix loved this feeling. She started delaying the assassination by giving false information. Finally she decided to leave her elven family at the age of 15 and joined the college of bards. She learned to play many instruments and perform many talents, she got very good with her words. During one night at the college, Nix heard a bump in the night and she immediately sprang out of bed just to come face to face with a quick dagger. Her reflexes have improved to keep up with the elves and she was able to dodge the attack just in time. She couldn’t see her attacker, but she had a trick up her sleeve that she had already learned. With a wave of her hand 4 lights lit up the corners of her room just enough so that she could see it was her own mother. She had found Nix and was taking her out for treason. Nix had learned another trick that helped her though, cutting words. She simply told her mother that she was a bad parent and her mother stumbled on the next attack which gave Nix the opportunity she needed. She lunged for an attack with her own dagger but missed, catching her pendant instead and ripping it off. Scared, her mother quickly escaped leaving Nix alone. She took the pendant to a wizard that she had become friends with and he enchanted the pendant to glow if her mother was to ever get close to her again. She left the bard college and used her skills to keep on the move as best as she can. Several more years past and Nix decided she wanted to do something better with her life and decided to be an adventurer. She signed up with the handlers and was sent on her first mission. She knew she would have to face her family one day but hopefully not alone.

“Denizens of Galismar; we gather today, not to mourn the passing of our fellow folk, but to celebrate the lives they lived. To honor the sacrifices they made to preserve our way of life….the people of Vegas did not choose to become the epicenter of this great catastrophe, it was through a series of unfortunate circumstances that led us to this calamitous end, but those self same circumstances showed the enemies of the light just how strong our will is.

Despite immeasurable odds we were able to secure the position of the Archdruid, and lay the body of Phlildaeus to rest. But these achievements came with a cost…a cost any of us would have paid just to lessen the burdens left on those who were remain. But fate had a different design, and the lives that were lost may never be reclaimed, never be exchanged, and from henceforth…never be forgotten.

Let this tree remain for all to see, to memorialize the people of Vegas, the warriors who fell, and the sacrifices made here in the Name of the Light.

Let any who wish to speak of the dead speak now. But let your stories be fond memories, remember them as they would wish to be remembered.

(People take turns telling stories of people who passed, anecdotes and funny tales. Feel free to insert any roleplay here)

Thank you all, know that from Talon our friends and families are smiling down on us in this moment. They hear our words and know in their hearts that we are safe.

Go forth from this place secure in the knowledge that our loved ones will forever be in our hearts and memories. Drink for them. Live because of them. Go at peace. And may Eldarr walk with you.