PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty seven


Campaigns » PNP:The liberation of Osoerde » PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty seven

It is over at last, this business in Osoerde. And like most things in life, its conclusion is not what I could have anticipated. It has taken me many months to put pen to parchment about the final day of the battle against Jaison, but with the current course of my life I determined it is necessary.

The battle to Lightning Keep was not as fierce as we expected, perhaps because Jaison was rallying his forces to protect his own wretched hide. When we finally reached his blasted keep, again his forces were strangely absent. Rena took the form of a raven and flew inside to get a better look, and she seemed shaken when she returned. She said the inside support town was empty aside from dark pools of drying blood, and occasionally she caught the glimpse of movement but never could see the form of what lurked there. And there was an unnatural presence about the place, an unearthly chill that put fear deep in her heart. Whatever evil Jaison had worked sounded terrible indeed, but until his head was on a pike William would not rest so we gathered our troops and headed to the gates. The drawbridge was raised and the portcullis was down, but was it to keep us out or something else in? Rena and I made our way to the top of the gates to lower them, and found more signs of violence but no bodies. As we lowered the gates, we were both struck with a vision of the fates of the guards who once stood watch there. An affliction came over them, causing their lifeblood to pour from every orifice in a painful manner. But still, where were the bodies?

Leaving our troops at the walls, our band marched inside alone. We had been through much over our time together, and whatever bonds had drawn us together were frayed. William feared my betrayal and I think on some level he suspected the crimes that lead to the fracture of my being. Cerin watched Varg like a hawk, fearful of the wrath of the beast that lived within him now. And Rena had only joined us to get the peace of her forest home back, and she was ready to leave all this behind and go back there. Our own inner turmoil did not help as we remained on guard moving through the quiet, gore soaked streets. William worked some magic using his staff to turn the overcast day into a miserable and steady storm, saying that it would enhance his and Rena's storm magics. At that point it only served to make us more miserable. We soon learned the fate of some of the missing bodies when shuffling figures emerged from the rain. I recalled them to be ghouls, flesh hungry undead that could render a man immobile with a touch of their filthy claws. We laid into them ferociously, dropping them quickly before they could cause undue harm. But their presence was the first indicator of the darkness Jaison and the Iron Priest had unleashed.

Ahead we saw further creatures guarding the main gates of the keep and more lurking in nearby barracks. They were horrible things, not from this world and clearly summoned by the blackest of magics. William said they were demons, but they were just another obstacle in our way. William tried to reason with them, attempting to convince them he could free them from their servitude if they allowed him to kill Jaison. They were bound to serve though and attacked. But we had determination and the fury of Varg on our side, so they were banished back to their own realm in pain. We made our way through the main keep swiftly, finding no resistance on our way to the throne room.

Once we arrived, we saw an armored figure on the throne and standing beside him was the Iron Priest, but he had changed significantly since we last saw him. He still wore his helmet but had on priestly robes instead of his telltale armor, and he was much larger in size than before. And the cold in the room was pronounced, bringing a chill to our bones. He addressed us in his typical arrogance, but his voice had a different quality. Almost a crackle in addition to the echoing hollowness his helmet caused. He demanded our surrender, and when William called out Jaison for his crimes the priest gave a chuckle. He asked Jaison to remove his helmet, and underneath it was unexpected. Gone was his flesh, leaving only bleached white bone. He wore a crown of red flame and matching pinpoints filled the empty sockets of his eyes. He gave a deep chuckle to match his master, and he stood from his throne and readied a black blade. The priest took off his own helmet, revealing his flesh had turned to pure ice. This transformation was the result of his sacrifice of Jaison's forces, granting him dominion over cold. He demonstrated this by summoning brutish creatures made of pure ice from nothing at all. With that, the final battle had begun.

The priest and Jaison unleashed devastating magical upon us, and William blasted back with his most potent spells. Varg let his beast self loose and savaged them with tooth and claw while Cerin's arrows flew true. Rena worked healings magical to counter the harm our foes caused. Reluctant as I was to take the priest's soul and give the dark part of my soul control, I was also intent on slaying this dark priest once and for all. I was wounded gravely by Jaison's black blade but decided to go down fighting for these allies I fought beside for so long and through so much. And then in the midst of battle, Varg turned away from the priest and attacked me. All grew black.

I woke to the familiar warmth of Rena's soothing spells, and as I got my bearings I saw a blackened spot and blasted bones where Jaison once stood. I saw the melting remains of the priest and his elemental servants. And I saw my 'friends,' locked in a stalemate over Soulreaver. Cerin had it in his hand, and a fully beastial Varg demanded he hand it over. William asked for it as well, and behind him Rena looked uncomfortable at the whole affair. By Cerin's words, it was clear that Soulreaver had revealed my role in the death of William's family and he wanted my blood. I sometimes forget that he and William are half-brothers. Varg had changed even more in his wolven form, and it seemed he had more control now. I rose weakly, asking for the blade so I could free my soul. Cerin responded with several arrows fired at me. One caught me in the shoulder and my other wounds threatened to put me back in blackness. Instinct took over and I ran from the hall, slipping into the shadows as soon as I was out of sight. My former allies hunted me, seeking my death, but I managed to escape the keep and the town.

I found a safe place to heal and let my anger rise. I knew deep down that serving William's cause would not be sufficient penance for killing his family all those years ago, but I hoped for some mercy for helping him. I don't know if Cerin and Varg would find measure of solace, but he did kill Harker Graywind at Lightning Keep. That part of my soul full of guilt and remorse died when that arrow hit me, leaving behind the man I was and the darkness inside me. Even though he was fiction, Rudolph had gathered a network of allies, contacts, and those who feared his wrath over the years. I called upon them. I gathered all my letters, journal entries, and personal knowledge from my time with William. And then I went to work.

Embracing my other side allowed me greater mastery of my shapeshifting abilities, and I walked among the people of Osoerde and learned all I could. I learned that Rena returned to her woods and solitude. I learned that William kept Varg by his side, and Varg was always a beast now. I learned how uncomfortable it made people that the young duke kept a monster as a bodyguard. I learned Cerin was not seen with William, perhaps off hunting me or just uncomfortable with Varg.

And then I traveled and told people what I knew. I told Lady Almondier of her new Duke and his allies. I told the loyalists to Jaison of William's weaknesses. I told men of power in Ghoere how William let his half-blood elf hunt prisoners from their land like dogs. I told the paladins of Elinie how William kept a dagger that could drain souls and had an awnsheghlien as his personal bodyguard. And then I left that area and vowed never to return to Osoerde. I leave William to his own fate now. Perhaps he will lead his people well, perhaps he will be no better a tyrant than Jaison was. Perhaps his loyal dog Varg will eat his heart. It is not my concern now.

As for me, I have a plan taken from my own delusions. While the Velvet Night never existed, telling my truths about William showed me how valuable information can be to the right people. I shall gather those to me that can find secrets that are valuable, and turn them into profit. And no one will ever know me, the real me. Harker is dead. Darkon is no more. Rudolph is a faded memory. I will be a whisper. A rumor. A shadow in the dark of night, forever.

Tags for this Page

Similar Pages

  1. PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty four
    By AndrewTall in forum Main
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-24-2021, 10:33 PM
  2. PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty three
    By AndrewTall in forum Main
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-24-2021, 10:29 PM
  3. PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty two
    By AndrewTall in forum Main
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-24-2021, 10:25 PM
  4. PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty one
    By AndrewTall in forum Main
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-24-2021, 10:22 PM
  5. PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty
    By AndrewTall in forum Main
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-24-2021, 10:20 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

Posting Permissions
  • You may not create new articles
  • You may not edit articles
  • You may not protect articles
  • You may not post comments
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your comments
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.