- Local time
- Today 5:43 AM
- Messages
- 956
- Age
- 34
- Pronouns
- He/Him
An Azerian Tale - The Fall of the Highlord
By TrashPanda
By TrashPanda
"What I am about to share with you, is the reason I took the Oath of Vengeance in the first place." Lee Starwarden took the flagon of ale in one hand, brought it to his lips and took three heavy swallows of it. The large flagon he held dwarfed the size of the man. Lee was a human that stood from floor to the top of his head at a skyscraper height of seven foot eleven inches. He had on a simple cloth shirt and pants. No part of him would give off the fact he was indeed the prince of New Haven. Sitting within a tavern of the very city he was to in time to rule.
Turning to look at his companion, Valenne. He said. "If you wish to hear the tale that is?"
Her brown hair is done up into wonderful curls and hair accessories. Round soft face that always held a very stern look. She however wasn't afraid to hide her appearance of nobility. Fancy red dress. Silk black gloves that Viscera, a tiefling companion they had a while back ago, had given her. She was the daughter of a noble family in the main part of Shara. Her father being one of the Grand Dukes. The Loray family tended to the transport of all goods and very logistical record keeping of it all. Plus they owned the majority of the docks in which would house many of the ships that would pull into port.
She looked up at him since even sitting down he was still much taller than her. "When have I ever turned down a chance to hear a tale from you. Hell, if I didn't like to hear them. Why would I have stayed around in the first place?"
Lee laughed out loud. "Well I thought I was just an interesting man to be exact but I see that my stories are what you're really into me for." He took another drag of his ale and set it down with a satisfied sigh. His face then fell back into the serious one he always held.
"Oh stop it, Lee. You know better." She slapped his shoulder hard. He swayed with the strike to make it seem like she had hit him hard enough to move him. Valenne had proved to be a very valuable companion to him.
He signaled to the bartender for two more ales as he set down two gold. Overpaying for the drink sure, but he didn't care. As the two large flagons were brought to him. He started to tell his tale.
"It all started one morning ten years ago….."
Lee stepped from the tent early that morning after waking. As prince he was excited to be out and about on an adventure with his mentor and his troop. At the time Lee was a squire to the Highlord himself. Alaunius Silverhand.
Taking the time to help fuel the fire with logs of wood. Lee has always been the kind of man that likes to earn every bit of respect and praise by being a decent human being. He was never snobby or known to be the lowlife like princes that needed to be waited on hand and foot. His mentor always taught him what was good for all people. Never for himself.
Lee had started the fire and was about to get to work on the morning breakfast. When he heard the flaps of his mentors tent open and out step Alaunius. And behind him was Alannah. Alannah was a warlock that was really good with puppeteering and found a way to utilize her patrons magic within wooden dolls to do her bidding. Alaunius and her were a couple. Lee smiled as he saw them exit and waved. They waved back and started towards the fire.
"What's for breakfast boy?" Alaunius walked over and ruffled Lee's hair. "Awe come on. You know I'm taller than you." Lee said with a jokingly hurt voice. "Also Ollie is still on the hunt for this morning's breakfast. Hopefully she will be back soon?"
Alannah sighed and with a small complaint. "I bet it's venison again. Just make sure you cook it right again Lee. I hate when the meat is a little pink on the inside." Alannah always had that very uptight snobby attitude. Lee never liked when she was around. Always gave him a weird chill when she would laugh at Alaunius' lame jokes or having to always open her mouth to ask if they were ever not going to be camping in the woods or in a field.
"Lee is a strong man." A voice came from behind them. A female orc was walking up to the camp and set down the morning's kill. This was Ollie. Indeed it was a deer. Which earned a disgusted sigh from Alannah. "A woman who wants to complain about food that Lee makes. That just means more food for me." Ollie said with a gruff voice as she sat down next to Lee.
Lee and Ollie had become amazing companions together during their travels. One day Lee and her, decide to do a friendly duel. Lee for sure thought he was never going to beat her in a spar. But one day he did. Taking all that he had learned from his mentor and all the duels with her. Thus had earned her respect and in a way she was drawn to him a bit. Since she had declared that she indeed loved strong men.
Two more people had joined the crowd around the campfire from their tent. It was the Cleric of Bahamut, Seraphina. And an elf known as Zackereth Hiltail. They smiled at Lee as he waved to them. These five people were heroes to Lee.
After the deer had been skinned, cut, cooked and served. They ate. After about 2 hours they had all packed up and were on the move once more.
Valenne interrupted the story. "Wait, you knew Seraphina as a mortal?" Lee laughed and said. "Yeah that was back before she ascended to godhood. Now known as the Goddess of Light. I only became a paladin of hers after she was ascended. But that is another story. Shall I continue?"
"It was a question that needed answering and it was gonna bug me. Please continue." She said with a smile.
"Ok so we found the cave where we were supposed to find and retrieve something from it…."
Coming upon a large cave opening in the side of the Shara's Spine. The party each took up their weapons and began to enter. Ollie was positioned up front along with the Highlord. This was a rather dark cave tunnel. Seraphine had taken the opportunity to use her magic to touch Lee's hammer. Which would allow him to raise it and give light to the others that couldn't see within the tunnels. Ollie put a hand up. Everyone halted as she moved forward. With her natural darkvision she could scout ahead and still be able to see.
Lee gripped his warhammer and raised his shield as he stepped up next to Alaunius. His mentor then spoke to him directly. "If anything gets too dangerous. You throw up your shield and command the others to move out of the cave. Alaunius looked at the group. "Make sure Alannah is ou-.... Wait, where did Alannah go?" Everyone was still there behind him and shrugged. "She was right next to me before, I moved up next to you." Lee said very confused about where the woman that was standing right next to him had vanished off to.
"Damnit!" His mentor whispered. "Hopefully she didn't go ahead of us. She might have turned back due to the dampness of the cave."
Ollie had returned and said low and quiet. "Come, something weird is happening up ahead."
Moving forward slowly. Lee could feel his heart beating more intensely as they were nearing where Ollie had stopped to scout. Ollie moved to a rock crouch low and pointed ahead. There was a flame of light up ahead. Like from a candle of sorts.
Moving silently now they came to the bend where the light was wrapping around. Eyes adjusting to the light.They could start to hear voices not only in front of them but also from behind. Zackereth whispered to Alaunius. "Seraphina and I will take a look at the sound coming from where we came from. You three be careful." Alaunius placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Remember to aim first then fire, my friend."
Zackereth scoffed and started down the tunnel. First whispering to his friend. "Oh shove off, get yourself killed and I'll have to hunt your spirit down."
Alaunius shook his head then whispered to the rest of them. "Stay together and be ready to fight." Lee nodded then looked to Ollie who also nodded.
They moved into the room and could see that the area was furnished and they could see a table and books stacked on it. The voices were starting to get closer and now they were close enough for him to understand.
Out from a small built in door. Alannah and a half skeletal man, stepped from the door and into view.. This man was known across Azeria as Joyrot. He was a lich known for his particularly evil actions, he was regarded by many schools of magic as powerful and gift as a wizard. There seemed to be a disagreement about something between the two.
"You need to pack up and leave at once before….." Alannah said before a voice caught her off guard. It was Alaunius who confusingly stepped out from the wall and said. "Before what… We came here. What is going on here Alannah?" Lee stepped from the spot as well and started to approach. Ollie followed behind him.
"Nothing darling." She stammered as she tried to step up to Alaunius. But he had put his hand up to stop her. He was clearly angry at this little detail. He then spoke in a demanding voice to her. "You sold us out. You knew he was here. After you told me that you were no longer in dealing with the lich. You lied to me. To all of us."
"Al, I didn't mean to. I was….." She tried speaking.
"You were doing what! Attempting to get your powers back! Bring the sheep to the slaughter! So you can feel powerful again!..." He was growing really aggravated at this point. His knuckles around his own hammer were turning white from his grip.
That's when the lich spoke. "Maybe she was looking for a man with more Magical prowess." He started to cackle.
That seem to trigger something in Alaunius' brain. "I WILL SMITE YOU WHERE YOU STAND YOU SON OF A BITCH." and he moved forward. His hammer started to glow the multitude of colors from signifying his devotion to his deity that was always a secret to all. He was mere feet from Joyrot with a mighty warcry when it was cut short.
"NO!" Came from Alannah's mouth. He stopped with a large intake of breath. He looked down to see her hand pressed to his lower abdomen. And there was a large pump of necrotic damage pulsing from her blacked by magic hand into the Highlord.
Lee yelled out as he watched his mentor fall to a knee in extreme gasps of pain. And began to rush to his side when a large wall of prismatic energy separated the two. He could see passed the wall of light and could see Alaunius trying to fight off the pain of the spell that was pulsed into his abdomen. Alannah looked to them through the wall and then started to attempt to mold the earth above him and Ollie.
She was attempting to start a cave in. Ollie grabbed Lee by the arm and said. "Lee, we must go now!" Lee responded as he tried to break from her grasp. "No, we have to save him!" He watched as the pulse of the spell started to push into Alaunius more. Which caused the paladin to drop his hammer. Zack had run up and seen what was happening and tried shooting into the wall with his bow. The arrows would burn up before even breaking through the first two layers of the complicated wall of magic. They could all see as Alaunius raised a weak hand and they could see him mouth the words run through the now mouthful of blood that he was starting to build up.
Zack then began to help Ollie with pushing Lee back and out of the cave. Rocks started to fall and hit the cave floor with a loud crashing noise. Soon it was really going to cave in on them. Lee couldn't fight the two anymore and started to run with them out of the cave. Then dread started to build within him as they ran. Made him feel like he had failed his mentor.
Once clear from the cave. Everyone looked back to the entrance where Lee was standing.
He fell to both of his knees and started pounding into the ground with his fist. Tears of anger and hurt were starting to overcome him. He stood and readied his hammer and started to yell to the mouth of the cave. "YOU BITCH! I WILL HAVE YOU HEAD FOR THIS. THIS I SWEAR YOU CUNT! YOU GODDAMN TRAITOR!"
With another bellow from his lungs he slammed his hammer into the ground which had given off a small spark of a divine energy. It hit with a thunderous sound that quaked the ground beneath them. His breath becoming heavy, his tears of anger flowing from his eyes. Ollie walked up to him and took him into her chest and hugged him as he let go of his hammer and just let it all hit.
His mentor and father figure was dead in the mountain. He could feel it in his heart that he was gone.
"Come on now, love. Let's go home." Ollie said as she held him. "We will find a way to get revenge on her. You'll see."
"... We then returned back to New Haven. We held a funeral for him. Years later we picked up a trail. Ollie, Seraphina and a wizard named Alister. Went to hunt her down. I was tied up in kingdom affairs. The three never returned. Zackereth, who had become Lord of the Elves on Homlet and was a father, stayed home to tend to those things as his wife Seraphina went off. He had a local cleric attempt to scry on each of the three and found out Seraphina and Alister had perished. Ollie was able to escape after successfully placing Alannah into a slumber within her tower. Killing her was out of the question at the time. Since they were all sure that Joyrot would just bring her back. Placing her within the room and giving the bed protective warding. Joyrot couldn't wake her himself. Now she is on the loose again within Azeria due to Zackereth's daughter and a Goblin named Gar. That was the last I heard of it all. Seraphina was made a goddess of light. Alister was wished back to the living to attempt to recreate the slumber spell. And from all that. For some reason, the gods have turned their backs on simply wishing Alaunius back to life. They all say that he doesn't exist." He picked up the second flagon of ale and just chugged it down.
Wiping the excess Ale from his mouth. Valenne looked at him and said. "Lee. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Lee smiled and looked to Valenne. "That day was the Fall of the Highlord, Alaunuis Silverhand."
Little did they know somewhere in Azeria a goblin was learning about a very strange secret about himself.
To be Continued......
Last edited: