The Swords of Cynalon
Introduction:
Welcome to the first purely historical tale in this section of the forum. Early in the New Frontiers game the adventurers encountered the Black Flame, a vile substance that burned only the soul, leaving the flesh and whatever the victim was wearing intact. Sherwood recalled reading something about this Black Flame in the texts of his ancestors. In those texts, they spoke of an a famous adventuring band known as the Swords of Cynalon and their encounter with the Cult of the Black Flame.
Not only that, but it turned out that the members of the Swords of Cynalon were ancestors of some of the better known party members. The Swords were led by a Sir Validar Van Arkus, Validar’s grandfather. James “the Red” Sculley was also a member of the group. This powerful sorcerer was Sherwood’s Grandfather, and Sharadin’s father. There was a Jalizar Sallavarian who was Jallarzi’s grandfather. Lastly there was a dwarven warrior by the name of Arak Stonehand. He had a daughter named Aria Stonehand.
Eventually clues in the texts of their ancestors led Sherwood to a place called the Lost Valley. There, he met up with an elf maiden by the name of Nightmist. Nightmist was also a member of the Swords of Cynalon, but unlike many of the other members, she was still alive. So it was in the 8th post of the Black Flame game, Sherwood sat down with Nightmist and she in turned told the story of the Swords of Cynalon and their encounter with the Cult of Black Flame. And she did that in a few paragraphs.
What follows is a greatly expanded upon retelling of that tale. Since this is a currently active story thread in the on-going game, this information will become important at some point. So collecting the whole tale in one place will just make it better for everyone. Plus it gives the players a chance to get a feel for these famous characters and the world that they lived. A few historically noteworthy things transpire in this story.
This particular tale will be told in three parts and then be finished. After this I have plans to write several similar historical tales involve Relon Van Arkus, Validar’s father. Unlike the stories with Argent and Stephanie, those ones will not cover his entire life, but rather will highlight important events, some personal, some historical.
In short, this is the tale of the grandparents of many of the important game figures. And with that, I’ll let Nightmist tell the tale of the Swords of Cynalon from some fifty-five years ago…
Swords of Cynalon
Swords of Cynalon
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
The Lost Valley:
Deep within the Lost Valley of the Hutaaka the adventurers lead by Sherwood had located Nightmist, one of the surviving members of the legendary adventuring band known as the Swords of Cynalon. What the legend had left out was that Nightmist was actually a drow elf, but one of the very rare good ones who had forsaken the ways of her race and choose to try and live on the surface once more. The history books had spoken some of the Swords conflict with the Cult of the Blackflame, but there were not enough details available. Thus they had sought out Nightmist to get the events from someone who had actually lived them.
While seated in Nightmist’ kitchen, Sherwood finally posed the question that had lead him to this desolate location. "It was our hope to locate you to learn more information about the Cult of the Blackflame as they appear to be active once more. What we need to know is everything that happened during your campaign against them. Can you help us?"
"The cult active again?" Nightmist repeated in surprise. "This is terrible news! Of course I will assist you. They must be stopped before they can grow in power."
Nightmist pauses as if bring back very old memories.
The cult worships the vile substance known as the Blackflame. It is literally a black fire that only burns living things. Specifically those beings that have souls. The fire burns the soul and leaves behind only lifeless flesh. It is one of the most horrid ways to die. For death by Blackflame is permanent and there is no eternal afterlife when the soul is destroyed.
The flames cannot be extinguished by any normal means. One of the most horrible things I ever witnessed was death by Blackflame. Poor Melchor was consumed by it in front of our very eyes. He writhed about on the floor trying to put the flames out but could not. I still have nightmares about it. Finally his screams stopped and his body ceased to move. The flame consumed his flesh and left behind his clothing and bones.
Anyway, our battle against the Cult was one of the final missions of the Swords of Cynalon as a group. The baby Crown Prince Victor the 6th had been kidnapped along with his older sister, the Princess Theandra. They were being held hostage by the Cult.
It was late in the year of 515 when this all took place. The Swords had done much adventuring and had done much good, but we were currently spread out each pursuing our own agenda’s. I had been working on setting up operations here in the Lost Valley in my spare time. I had fallen in love with James after our years of friendship. It was he who gave me a magic item that allowed me to appear as a regular elf instead of a drow. But it had limits as it was just an illusion. Magicks could pierce the illusion or remove it entirely, so I had to be careful.
Because of this, there were places I could not accompany James to. One such place was his family estate in Alexandria. The protective magicks there would remove my disguise and revealing my true identity to the world and that was not something neither one of us was willing to do.
James family had ties to the Royal Family, so he was at the palace frequently. The palace also had magical protections that would remove my disguise. As such, I was never able to visit James home or the royal palace of Cynalon. Because of this, James and I stayed at a out of the way tower built in a hidden valley southeast of Elcadan. It was cozy enough and it was our home for many years.
“I know of the tower,” Sherwood interrupted. “It is my home now. I don‘t care much for the family estate and rarely visit in in Alexandria.”
“I am glad that it is still being used,” Nightmist said with a smile as she continued on with her story. “As I said, James had strong ties to the King himself. He became the Archmage of Cynalon at some point.”
I was working in the Lost Valley when it happened. James appeared out of nowhere near me. I had sense that I was being scried and expected his arrival, but I didn’t expect just how upset he was when he showed. The Crown Prince and his sister had been kidnapped! It seemed that a Cultists of the Blackflame had wormed their way into the castle staff and vanished with the two of them. The Crown Prince was still a baby, but the Princess Theandra was in her teens. A clue at the scene pointed towards Elcadan as to where the children had been taken. James was rounding up the Swords of Cynalon to rescue them. So instead of the warm and tender reunion I had been expecting, I had to quickly gather my gear and teleported away with James. I had never seen James so enraged or focused as he was on this mission.
Deep within the Lost Valley of the Hutaaka the adventurers lead by Sherwood had located Nightmist, one of the surviving members of the legendary adventuring band known as the Swords of Cynalon. What the legend had left out was that Nightmist was actually a drow elf, but one of the very rare good ones who had forsaken the ways of her race and choose to try and live on the surface once more. The history books had spoken some of the Swords conflict with the Cult of the Blackflame, but there were not enough details available. Thus they had sought out Nightmist to get the events from someone who had actually lived them.
While seated in Nightmist’ kitchen, Sherwood finally posed the question that had lead him to this desolate location. "It was our hope to locate you to learn more information about the Cult of the Blackflame as they appear to be active once more. What we need to know is everything that happened during your campaign against them. Can you help us?"
"The cult active again?" Nightmist repeated in surprise. "This is terrible news! Of course I will assist you. They must be stopped before they can grow in power."
Nightmist pauses as if bring back very old memories.
The cult worships the vile substance known as the Blackflame. It is literally a black fire that only burns living things. Specifically those beings that have souls. The fire burns the soul and leaves behind only lifeless flesh. It is one of the most horrid ways to die. For death by Blackflame is permanent and there is no eternal afterlife when the soul is destroyed.
The flames cannot be extinguished by any normal means. One of the most horrible things I ever witnessed was death by Blackflame. Poor Melchor was consumed by it in front of our very eyes. He writhed about on the floor trying to put the flames out but could not. I still have nightmares about it. Finally his screams stopped and his body ceased to move. The flame consumed his flesh and left behind his clothing and bones.
Anyway, our battle against the Cult was one of the final missions of the Swords of Cynalon as a group. The baby Crown Prince Victor the 6th had been kidnapped along with his older sister, the Princess Theandra. They were being held hostage by the Cult.
It was late in the year of 515 when this all took place. The Swords had done much adventuring and had done much good, but we were currently spread out each pursuing our own agenda’s. I had been working on setting up operations here in the Lost Valley in my spare time. I had fallen in love with James after our years of friendship. It was he who gave me a magic item that allowed me to appear as a regular elf instead of a drow. But it had limits as it was just an illusion. Magicks could pierce the illusion or remove it entirely, so I had to be careful.
Because of this, there were places I could not accompany James to. One such place was his family estate in Alexandria. The protective magicks there would remove my disguise and revealing my true identity to the world and that was not something neither one of us was willing to do.
James family had ties to the Royal Family, so he was at the palace frequently. The palace also had magical protections that would remove my disguise. As such, I was never able to visit James home or the royal palace of Cynalon. Because of this, James and I stayed at a out of the way tower built in a hidden valley southeast of Elcadan. It was cozy enough and it was our home for many years.
“I know of the tower,” Sherwood interrupted. “It is my home now. I don‘t care much for the family estate and rarely visit in in Alexandria.”
“I am glad that it is still being used,” Nightmist said with a smile as she continued on with her story. “As I said, James had strong ties to the King himself. He became the Archmage of Cynalon at some point.”
I was working in the Lost Valley when it happened. James appeared out of nowhere near me. I had sense that I was being scried and expected his arrival, but I didn’t expect just how upset he was when he showed. The Crown Prince and his sister had been kidnapped! It seemed that a Cultists of the Blackflame had wormed their way into the castle staff and vanished with the two of them. The Crown Prince was still a baby, but the Princess Theandra was in her teens. A clue at the scene pointed towards Elcadan as to where the children had been taken. James was rounding up the Swords of Cynalon to rescue them. So instead of the warm and tender reunion I had been expecting, I had to quickly gather my gear and teleported away with James. I had never seen James so enraged or focused as he was on this mission.
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
Nemiston:
We traveled to Nemiston next. There, several of our Swords companions were deep in planning on a mission to rid the fallen City of Dolos of the orcs who currently held it. The orcs were part of a large horde that ended up settling in the forest city and laid waste to it. Only a few survived the destruction. I had heard that the Duke of Elcadan had withdrawn his troops from Dolos to better fortify his lands closer to his own capital. In essence, he sacrificed Dolos to spare his own lands.
The King of Cynalon, Victor the 5th, was enraged by such cowardice and took the land away from the Duke of Elcadan. A clue left behind in the Crown Prince’s nursery suggested that Elcadan was somehow involved in this. That this was retaliation for losing the Dolos lands.
The first name we sought out was Sir Validar Van Arkus. He was the leader of the Swords and a Knight of the Realm. He was in his mid-twenties and was a tall and powerful man. The Knight was very handsome and could have most any woman he wanted. But he only had eyes for one woman: the Lady Gwendolyn Pyris, the sole surviving noble of Dolos. The poor woman had seen entire family and friends wiped out in the orc attack. My heart went out to her. I could understand the horrors that she had witnessed.
The Lady Gwendolyn was the betrothed to Sir Validar and we interrupted a quiet romantic dinner between the two lovers. James barged in and demanded that Sir Validar go away with him immediately. Sir Validar was understandably cross at first, but once learning of the gravity of the situation quickly gathered his gear and roused the other Swords with him. The Knight said his goodbyes to his understandably upset fiancée and then collected his gear.
We overheard something about Sir Validar swearing that Lady Gwendolyn’s name would not be forgotten as James barged in. I didn’t figure it out at first, but later realized he meant her last name. She was the last of her family and when she married Sir Validar, her name would be changed Van Arkus. It was Lady Gwendolyn’s fear that the name of Pyris would fade into obscurity.
Where Sir Validar was, his brother Valerian was usually close by. All the things that Sir Validar, his brother was not. That’s a bit harsh, I suppose. Valerian was a fine man in his own right, but he couldn’t match the skill and power of his older brother.
The dwarven warrior Arak Stonehand was on hand. Arak was something of a berserker in battle. You quickly learned to keep your distance from him in a battle or risk being hit by one of his weapons. I didn’t know Arak all that well.
Melchor of Heironeous was a paladin of that god of good. It was only natural to find him here taking part in a battle to remove the orcs from the ruins of Dolos. Last and hardly least was Beleme, a woodsman and tracker.
Our friends were quickly rounded up and made aware of the situation. All agreed to the mission, naturally. It was too far to ride to Elcadan, and the High Road was too dangerous with the orcs inhabiting Dolos, so James teleported us all once more. This time to the Sallavarian Estate just north of Elcadan. The estate was the home of the last member of the Swords of Cynalon: Lord Jalizar Sallavarian.
We traveled to Nemiston next. There, several of our Swords companions were deep in planning on a mission to rid the fallen City of Dolos of the orcs who currently held it. The orcs were part of a large horde that ended up settling in the forest city and laid waste to it. Only a few survived the destruction. I had heard that the Duke of Elcadan had withdrawn his troops from Dolos to better fortify his lands closer to his own capital. In essence, he sacrificed Dolos to spare his own lands.
The King of Cynalon, Victor the 5th, was enraged by such cowardice and took the land away from the Duke of Elcadan. A clue left behind in the Crown Prince’s nursery suggested that Elcadan was somehow involved in this. That this was retaliation for losing the Dolos lands.
The first name we sought out was Sir Validar Van Arkus. He was the leader of the Swords and a Knight of the Realm. He was in his mid-twenties and was a tall and powerful man. The Knight was very handsome and could have most any woman he wanted. But he only had eyes for one woman: the Lady Gwendolyn Pyris, the sole surviving noble of Dolos. The poor woman had seen entire family and friends wiped out in the orc attack. My heart went out to her. I could understand the horrors that she had witnessed.
The Lady Gwendolyn was the betrothed to Sir Validar and we interrupted a quiet romantic dinner between the two lovers. James barged in and demanded that Sir Validar go away with him immediately. Sir Validar was understandably cross at first, but once learning of the gravity of the situation quickly gathered his gear and roused the other Swords with him. The Knight said his goodbyes to his understandably upset fiancée and then collected his gear.
We overheard something about Sir Validar swearing that Lady Gwendolyn’s name would not be forgotten as James barged in. I didn’t figure it out at first, but later realized he meant her last name. She was the last of her family and when she married Sir Validar, her name would be changed Van Arkus. It was Lady Gwendolyn’s fear that the name of Pyris would fade into obscurity.
Where Sir Validar was, his brother Valerian was usually close by. All the things that Sir Validar, his brother was not. That’s a bit harsh, I suppose. Valerian was a fine man in his own right, but he couldn’t match the skill and power of his older brother.
The dwarven warrior Arak Stonehand was on hand. Arak was something of a berserker in battle. You quickly learned to keep your distance from him in a battle or risk being hit by one of his weapons. I didn’t know Arak all that well.
Melchor of Heironeous was a paladin of that god of good. It was only natural to find him here taking part in a battle to remove the orcs from the ruins of Dolos. Last and hardly least was Beleme, a woodsman and tracker.
Our friends were quickly rounded up and made aware of the situation. All agreed to the mission, naturally. It was too far to ride to Elcadan, and the High Road was too dangerous with the orcs inhabiting Dolos, so James teleported us all once more. This time to the Sallavarian Estate just north of Elcadan. The estate was the home of the last member of the Swords of Cynalon: Lord Jalizar Sallavarian.
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
Elcadan:
We all arrived in what was called a Teleportation Tower on the estate. It was built to compensate for any potential errors that could occur when teleporting. We had traveled this way many times before, so this was almost second nature at this point. We made our way down the tower to the ground level with haste. The Sallavarian Estate was the most lavish placed that I had visited on the surface world. I am told that the Sculley family estate in Alexandria was even grander, but I found that hard to believe. The Sallavarian Estate was the home to Lord Jalizar Sallavarian and his wife Lady Brylonna.
Once out of the tower, we crossed the grounds to the main house of the estate. James barged in once more and was quickly taken to Jalizar. Lord Sallavarian quickly joined our cause. It was already late, so we shared a fine dinner and discussed how to proceed next. Jalizar had contacts in town, so he would go investigate as soon as we finished eating. He suggested that we not wait up, as this might take some time and that we be well rested when the time for action came.
Some of the men retired to a sitting room for a drink, but I was feeling tired and choose to turn in. James just stood there in the sitting room, intently looking out the window. I don’t think he even noticed that I had left the room. I had been to the Sallavarian Estate enough at this point to have a regular assigned guest room. I knew the way so, just wandered off on my own.
Jalizar had a magic item called a Hat of Disguise that the wearer could use to change their appearance. Using the hat, he was able to take up other identities and forge contacts with the shadier folks in Elcadan. I assumed that was what Jalizar was doing to while in Elcadan. Lord Sallavarian was also a mage, like James and myself, but was also a Priest of Mystra. He could certainly take care of himself.
I was awoken from my sleep in the middle of the night by James. Jalizar had picked up a lead and we were leaving immediately to investigate! I quickly got dressed and joined the others out in front of the main house. Horses were retrieved from the barn for us to use. Since we had teleported here, none of us had our regular mounts. We mounted up and rode towards Elcadan in the dead of night. Riding in the dark didn’t bother me, as I could see just as easily as in daytime, but it was annoying to those without special sight.
Jalizar had learned of a man who had boasted about getting even with King was hiding out in the Southern Slums of Elcadan. This seemed to support the idea that the rulers of Elcadan were somehow involved in all of this. Jalizar lead us south along the city until we reached the far southern road called Cut Throat Lane. The charming name did little to distinguish this run down area. It was the worst part of the slum.
Led by James and Validar, we burst into the house intent to rescue the missing Prince. Things became chaotic at this point as we split up to explore and encountered opposition. Fighting broke out, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. That was until the most horrible scream I had ever heard reached my ears.
Rushing to the source, I found Melchor on the floor being consumed by black fire! He rolled on the floor, futilely trying to put the fire out, but could not. He touched one of the enemy men and he too burst into black flames! The merest touch would transmit the fire!
For what seemed like an eternity the two men burned. Their death wails chilling us to the bone. Finally, they perished and I learned what had transpired. One of the men had drawn a sword and the blade was consumed by the black fire. The sword just touched Melchor to ignite him. One of our friends and comrades had just died in a violent and horrible way. The rest of the men surrendered rather than face our wraith.
After that horrible ordeal, we took stock of the situation. James ‘interrogated’ several of the men and was able to put together what had really happened. These men belonged to the Cult of the Blackflame and they were working with agents belonging to the Emperor Keln, the archmage who ruled the lands to the east of Cynalon. Elcadan being involved was just a ruse to send adventurers into this trap.
We learned one more important piece of information. Among papers found on the men was a marked location further to the south of Elcadan in the northern portion of the Great Swamp. Supposedly, this was the place where the missing Prince and Princess was being held. This place would be our destination as well.
We all arrived in what was called a Teleportation Tower on the estate. It was built to compensate for any potential errors that could occur when teleporting. We had traveled this way many times before, so this was almost second nature at this point. We made our way down the tower to the ground level with haste. The Sallavarian Estate was the most lavish placed that I had visited on the surface world. I am told that the Sculley family estate in Alexandria was even grander, but I found that hard to believe. The Sallavarian Estate was the home to Lord Jalizar Sallavarian and his wife Lady Brylonna.
Once out of the tower, we crossed the grounds to the main house of the estate. James barged in once more and was quickly taken to Jalizar. Lord Sallavarian quickly joined our cause. It was already late, so we shared a fine dinner and discussed how to proceed next. Jalizar had contacts in town, so he would go investigate as soon as we finished eating. He suggested that we not wait up, as this might take some time and that we be well rested when the time for action came.
Some of the men retired to a sitting room for a drink, but I was feeling tired and choose to turn in. James just stood there in the sitting room, intently looking out the window. I don’t think he even noticed that I had left the room. I had been to the Sallavarian Estate enough at this point to have a regular assigned guest room. I knew the way so, just wandered off on my own.
Jalizar had a magic item called a Hat of Disguise that the wearer could use to change their appearance. Using the hat, he was able to take up other identities and forge contacts with the shadier folks in Elcadan. I assumed that was what Jalizar was doing to while in Elcadan. Lord Sallavarian was also a mage, like James and myself, but was also a Priest of Mystra. He could certainly take care of himself.
I was awoken from my sleep in the middle of the night by James. Jalizar had picked up a lead and we were leaving immediately to investigate! I quickly got dressed and joined the others out in front of the main house. Horses were retrieved from the barn for us to use. Since we had teleported here, none of us had our regular mounts. We mounted up and rode towards Elcadan in the dead of night. Riding in the dark didn’t bother me, as I could see just as easily as in daytime, but it was annoying to those without special sight.
Jalizar had learned of a man who had boasted about getting even with King was hiding out in the Southern Slums of Elcadan. This seemed to support the idea that the rulers of Elcadan were somehow involved in all of this. Jalizar lead us south along the city until we reached the far southern road called Cut Throat Lane. The charming name did little to distinguish this run down area. It was the worst part of the slum.
Led by James and Validar, we burst into the house intent to rescue the missing Prince. Things became chaotic at this point as we split up to explore and encountered opposition. Fighting broke out, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. That was until the most horrible scream I had ever heard reached my ears.
Rushing to the source, I found Melchor on the floor being consumed by black fire! He rolled on the floor, futilely trying to put the fire out, but could not. He touched one of the enemy men and he too burst into black flames! The merest touch would transmit the fire!
For what seemed like an eternity the two men burned. Their death wails chilling us to the bone. Finally, they perished and I learned what had transpired. One of the men had drawn a sword and the blade was consumed by the black fire. The sword just touched Melchor to ignite him. One of our friends and comrades had just died in a violent and horrible way. The rest of the men surrendered rather than face our wraith.
After that horrible ordeal, we took stock of the situation. James ‘interrogated’ several of the men and was able to put together what had really happened. These men belonged to the Cult of the Blackflame and they were working with agents belonging to the Emperor Keln, the archmage who ruled the lands to the east of Cynalon. Elcadan being involved was just a ruse to send adventurers into this trap.
We learned one more important piece of information. Among papers found on the men was a marked location further to the south of Elcadan in the northern portion of the Great Swamp. Supposedly, this was the place where the missing Prince and Princess was being held. This place would be our destination as well.
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
The Great Swamp:
We left Cut Throat Lane with heavy hearts. Melchor’s body, physically untouched by the fire, was taken with us to the local Temple of Heironeous. It was there that we learned the horrible secret of the Black Flame. It burned and fed upon living souls, consuming them like wood touched by regular fire. With Melchor’s soul destroyed, he was lost forever and could not ascend to the afterlife. A most horrific fate.
It was near dawn when we reached the High Road Inn. Unknown to most, the Inn was owned by the Sallavarian Family. They used it to gather information and be kept abreast of what was going on in Elcadan. A young stable boy by the name of Gottman led our mounts away so that that could be watered and fed.
We had a quick consul over breakfast and decided upon our plan of action. Jalizar would stay in Elcadan for the moment to do research on our destination in the swamp. The rest of us would hitch a ride on one of the numerous barges transporting goods south to Athenos. Since we were going downstream on the Streel River, it would be faster then traveling by horseback. Jalizar would catch up with us later on.
Jalizar had business dealings with one of the barge masters and our passage was quickly arranged. We settled down on the barge as it sailed out into the fast moving Streel River. The barge moved down river at a steady clip. Not as fast as a horse could carry us, but unlike a horse, the barge didn’t need to stop and rest so we actually would cover more ground in a day then we could on horseback.
I found a spot in the shade amongst the lashed down cargo and caught up on my sleep. It was near midday when Jalizar rejoined us. He had scried James and then teleported to our location. As we ate, Jalizar told us what he had learned about our destination.
“Around six hundred years ago,” Jalizar explained, “a Lord Baltron built a small keep in the marshlands north of the Great Swamp. He purchased the land cheaply and planned to dam the waters that fed the marsh and convert it into farm land. His plan might have worked if draining the marsh hadn’t angered the hundreds of lizard men who lived there. They laid siege to his fortress, killing Lord Baltron and his family. Since that time the keep has been used by bandits and monsters as a lair as well as just sitting empty.”
“And now it is the home of this damned cult!” James raged.
“And our missing Crown Prince,” Sir Validar noted in a calmer tone.
Aided by the maps Jalizar brought, Beleme was able to figure out our destination. He estimated that by morning’s light the barge should be close to where we needed to get off. From that point on, we’d be on our own to reach Lord Baltron’s fallen keep. Our plan was to summon Phantasmal Steeds to use on this leg of the journey. Both James, Jalizar, and myself could cast this spell, so we had enough mounts for all. There was little left for us to do this day, but rest and prepare for the long ride to come the morning.
I was awake well before the dawn and I studied and prayed for my days magicks. The others were awake early and we had a quick breakfast in the pre-dawn light. We summoned the Phantasmal Steeds and quasi-real horses came into existence. But these were unlike any normal horse as they were like shadow made solid. They frightened the members of the barge’s crew, but we were quickly on our way.
James mounted his steed and simply rode it over the edge of the barge and into the Streel River. The magical horse easily rode across the water like it was dry land. The rest of us followed, with Jalizar pausing to thank the barge master for the lift.
Not only could the Phantasmal Steeds be rode over water, they also ran extremely fast, much faster than any normal horse. We would be able to cover much ground this day. Beleme led they way across the Streel River and onto the wooded far shore. He rode fearlessly in the light forest with the rest of us following him. The barge and the Streel River quickly faded away behind us.
It wasn’t long until the light forest gave way to marshy swamp lands. The swamp itself was a dismal place. There were small patches of moss coated trees and high grass, but much of it was mud and ponds of moss covered water. How anything could call this place home was beyond me. The stench was even worse in this dark and dismal place. Thanks to our magical horses, the worse places to try and travel through the swamp were now the easiest. The open water of the swamp led us forward.
Beleme paused a moment to get his bearings and then picked a direction for us to ride in. To the south and west was an area of hills emerging from the swamp waters. It was there that Baltron built his fortress.
As we rode on we quickly came across the numerous lizard men that lived here. Fortunately, we were able to just avoid them thanks to the speed of our mounts. We had to stop and fight a few times, but the swamp dwellers were no match for our skills.
“You do realize that they will be chasing us?” Beleme noted as we rode past another lizard man village.
“I’m counting on it,” Sir Validar answered cryptically.
We left Cut Throat Lane with heavy hearts. Melchor’s body, physically untouched by the fire, was taken with us to the local Temple of Heironeous. It was there that we learned the horrible secret of the Black Flame. It burned and fed upon living souls, consuming them like wood touched by regular fire. With Melchor’s soul destroyed, he was lost forever and could not ascend to the afterlife. A most horrific fate.
It was near dawn when we reached the High Road Inn. Unknown to most, the Inn was owned by the Sallavarian Family. They used it to gather information and be kept abreast of what was going on in Elcadan. A young stable boy by the name of Gottman led our mounts away so that that could be watered and fed.
We had a quick consul over breakfast and decided upon our plan of action. Jalizar would stay in Elcadan for the moment to do research on our destination in the swamp. The rest of us would hitch a ride on one of the numerous barges transporting goods south to Athenos. Since we were going downstream on the Streel River, it would be faster then traveling by horseback. Jalizar would catch up with us later on.
Jalizar had business dealings with one of the barge masters and our passage was quickly arranged. We settled down on the barge as it sailed out into the fast moving Streel River. The barge moved down river at a steady clip. Not as fast as a horse could carry us, but unlike a horse, the barge didn’t need to stop and rest so we actually would cover more ground in a day then we could on horseback.
I found a spot in the shade amongst the lashed down cargo and caught up on my sleep. It was near midday when Jalizar rejoined us. He had scried James and then teleported to our location. As we ate, Jalizar told us what he had learned about our destination.
“Around six hundred years ago,” Jalizar explained, “a Lord Baltron built a small keep in the marshlands north of the Great Swamp. He purchased the land cheaply and planned to dam the waters that fed the marsh and convert it into farm land. His plan might have worked if draining the marsh hadn’t angered the hundreds of lizard men who lived there. They laid siege to his fortress, killing Lord Baltron and his family. Since that time the keep has been used by bandits and monsters as a lair as well as just sitting empty.”
“And now it is the home of this damned cult!” James raged.
“And our missing Crown Prince,” Sir Validar noted in a calmer tone.
Aided by the maps Jalizar brought, Beleme was able to figure out our destination. He estimated that by morning’s light the barge should be close to where we needed to get off. From that point on, we’d be on our own to reach Lord Baltron’s fallen keep. Our plan was to summon Phantasmal Steeds to use on this leg of the journey. Both James, Jalizar, and myself could cast this spell, so we had enough mounts for all. There was little left for us to do this day, but rest and prepare for the long ride to come the morning.
I was awake well before the dawn and I studied and prayed for my days magicks. The others were awake early and we had a quick breakfast in the pre-dawn light. We summoned the Phantasmal Steeds and quasi-real horses came into existence. But these were unlike any normal horse as they were like shadow made solid. They frightened the members of the barge’s crew, but we were quickly on our way.
James mounted his steed and simply rode it over the edge of the barge and into the Streel River. The magical horse easily rode across the water like it was dry land. The rest of us followed, with Jalizar pausing to thank the barge master for the lift.
Not only could the Phantasmal Steeds be rode over water, they also ran extremely fast, much faster than any normal horse. We would be able to cover much ground this day. Beleme led they way across the Streel River and onto the wooded far shore. He rode fearlessly in the light forest with the rest of us following him. The barge and the Streel River quickly faded away behind us.
It wasn’t long until the light forest gave way to marshy swamp lands. The swamp itself was a dismal place. There were small patches of moss coated trees and high grass, but much of it was mud and ponds of moss covered water. How anything could call this place home was beyond me. The stench was even worse in this dark and dismal place. Thanks to our magical horses, the worse places to try and travel through the swamp were now the easiest. The open water of the swamp led us forward.
Beleme paused a moment to get his bearings and then picked a direction for us to ride in. To the south and west was an area of hills emerging from the swamp waters. It was there that Baltron built his fortress.
As we rode on we quickly came across the numerous lizard men that lived here. Fortunately, we were able to just avoid them thanks to the speed of our mounts. We had to stop and fight a few times, but the swamp dwellers were no match for our skills.
“You do realize that they will be chasing us?” Beleme noted as we rode past another lizard man village.
“I’m counting on it,” Sir Validar answered cryptically.
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
Lord Baltron’s Keep:
Night was beginning to fall when we reached Baltron’s Keep. We could see it lit up in the far distance. Sir Validar ordered silence as we rode along. This wasn’t an issue as the Phantom Steeds moved in complete, almost unnatural silence. So we just had to not talk.
Beleme lead us towards the Keep and very near the front gates, before circling around behind. With my enhanced vision, I was able to make out some details. The walls of the keep were at least twenty feet high with a small, circular thirty foot tall tower was set at each turn. I could see a taller, square shaped building in the back of the keep. It’s upper floors were easily seventy feet up. I noted a crumbling road that lead up to a gatehouse that gave entry to the Keep. The Keep itself was not in good shape. Much of it was crumbling, but I could see where the Cultists had tried to make repairs.
It didn’t appear that any guards noted our passage, but I noticed them walking on top of the outer wall. We rode several hundred yards past the Keep and then came to a stop. We were well out of sight from those watching in the Keep.
“I like this plan”, James noted, having figured out Sir Validar’s plan on his own. “Let the filthy swamp creatures do our work for us.”
Sir Validar filled the rest of us in on his plan. If we were to attack the Keep, and the Crown Prince was really here, then he could be used against us as a hostage. But if the Keep were to be attacked by something else, say a swamp full of savage lizard men, then the Cultists would loose their bargaining chip. We would move in once the Keep was under attack by the lizard men and rescue the Crown Prince before the Cultists even knew we were there.
James cast Polymorph on himself and went to take a closer look at the Keep. He transformed into the form of an owl. He circled us a few times and then flew off towards the keep. The rest of us stretched and quickly ate some food while he was gone. He returned about twenty minutes later.
“It’s working,” James reported as he changed into an elf. “The lizard men are attacking the front gate right now. It will give way before too long. I think I know where the prince is being kept. I heard a baby crying near the top of the main building. There were no windows in the area, so I couldn’t get too close to him. There is a balcony on the roof of the tall building. We can get in that way and fight our way down to the Prince. Most of the Cultists are to pre-occupied to bother us.”
“But there is more,” James said gravely. “In the courtyard, there is a brazier of that black fire. I saw Cultists dipping weapons into the fire and there covered in black flame afterwards. Just like what we saw back in Elcadan. Don‘t let it touch you or you are dead.”
A plan of action was quickly formulated. James produced his flying carpet from the portal hole he carried with him. It would carry most of the swords to the high balcony. I used a Fly spell to give me flight, while Jalizar also Polymorphed himself.
Sir Validar’s plan worked just fine. We arrived at the balcony James had discovered undetected. The area was deserted, but there were signs of guards being here before. They had gone below to help repel the attacking lizard men. A slightly open door lead inside. There were stairs going down within that room.
At the bottom of the stairs there was a landing. From the landing, more stairs led down beside the ones we had just traveled on. There was also a door. James estimated that this was the level he heard the baby crying on. The door was flung open and we burst into the area on the other side.
We emerged in a hallway to find several cultist guards present. They barely offered any resistance before going down to our blades and spells. Once the guards were down and no others seemed to be coming, we paused to take stock of our surroundings. Several doors lead to lead to more chambers in this level of the tower.
One was what appeared to be a mage lab of some type. Off of this mage lab was a small library. Another door lead into what must have been the main bedroom. By now we could hear the crying of a baby ourselves. It was coming from behind a closed door in the bedroom. We advanced on the door and opened it. We found a large closet and the source of the crying. Laying wailing in a crude bassinette was the missing Crown Prince!
James quickly made sure that the babe was the real thing and not some kind of cruel trick. Jalizar cast a Heal on the infant to cure him of any ill’s being in this damp place might have caused him. The baby stopped crying while being held by James.
“We need to get him out of here now,” James stressed. “I don’t want to take any chances with our future King.”
“Agreed,” Sir Validar said. “Take him back to the palace right now. I want to investigate this cult a little more before departing and if possible eliminate their threat.”
It seemed like a good solution all the way around. Make sure the Crown Prince was safe and remove a dangerous enemy. And so James teleported away with the baby and we continued to explore. Plus we would continue to search for the missing Princess Theandra.
There was another door in this bedroom and behind it was something very strange. Before us was a stone circular platform that very nearly filled the entire room. The rim of the platform was silver and there was what appeared to be a keyhole in the center. Five runes were spaced out evenly around the edge of the platform. We did not have time to fully investigate this strange platform and its purpose remains a mystery.
While Jalizar and I investigated the strange platform, the others made their way further down the tower. We could hear sounds of fighting as they encountered and defeated more cultists. From what I was told, the lizard men had broken through the front gate and were pouring inside in huge numbers. Satisfied that the Cult would be broken after this, Sir Validar suggested that we teleport away ourselves.
Since Jalizar and I were not as powerful mages as James was, we each teleported some of the group. Jalizar took Sir Validar and his brother straight to the Royal Palace. I teleported myself, Arak, and Beleme back to the Sallavarian Estate.
Night was beginning to fall when we reached Baltron’s Keep. We could see it lit up in the far distance. Sir Validar ordered silence as we rode along. This wasn’t an issue as the Phantom Steeds moved in complete, almost unnatural silence. So we just had to not talk.
Beleme lead us towards the Keep and very near the front gates, before circling around behind. With my enhanced vision, I was able to make out some details. The walls of the keep were at least twenty feet high with a small, circular thirty foot tall tower was set at each turn. I could see a taller, square shaped building in the back of the keep. It’s upper floors were easily seventy feet up. I noted a crumbling road that lead up to a gatehouse that gave entry to the Keep. The Keep itself was not in good shape. Much of it was crumbling, but I could see where the Cultists had tried to make repairs.
It didn’t appear that any guards noted our passage, but I noticed them walking on top of the outer wall. We rode several hundred yards past the Keep and then came to a stop. We were well out of sight from those watching in the Keep.
“I like this plan”, James noted, having figured out Sir Validar’s plan on his own. “Let the filthy swamp creatures do our work for us.”
Sir Validar filled the rest of us in on his plan. If we were to attack the Keep, and the Crown Prince was really here, then he could be used against us as a hostage. But if the Keep were to be attacked by something else, say a swamp full of savage lizard men, then the Cultists would loose their bargaining chip. We would move in once the Keep was under attack by the lizard men and rescue the Crown Prince before the Cultists even knew we were there.
James cast Polymorph on himself and went to take a closer look at the Keep. He transformed into the form of an owl. He circled us a few times and then flew off towards the keep. The rest of us stretched and quickly ate some food while he was gone. He returned about twenty minutes later.
“It’s working,” James reported as he changed into an elf. “The lizard men are attacking the front gate right now. It will give way before too long. I think I know where the prince is being kept. I heard a baby crying near the top of the main building. There were no windows in the area, so I couldn’t get too close to him. There is a balcony on the roof of the tall building. We can get in that way and fight our way down to the Prince. Most of the Cultists are to pre-occupied to bother us.”
“But there is more,” James said gravely. “In the courtyard, there is a brazier of that black fire. I saw Cultists dipping weapons into the fire and there covered in black flame afterwards. Just like what we saw back in Elcadan. Don‘t let it touch you or you are dead.”
A plan of action was quickly formulated. James produced his flying carpet from the portal hole he carried with him. It would carry most of the swords to the high balcony. I used a Fly spell to give me flight, while Jalizar also Polymorphed himself.
Sir Validar’s plan worked just fine. We arrived at the balcony James had discovered undetected. The area was deserted, but there were signs of guards being here before. They had gone below to help repel the attacking lizard men. A slightly open door lead inside. There were stairs going down within that room.
At the bottom of the stairs there was a landing. From the landing, more stairs led down beside the ones we had just traveled on. There was also a door. James estimated that this was the level he heard the baby crying on. The door was flung open and we burst into the area on the other side.
We emerged in a hallway to find several cultist guards present. They barely offered any resistance before going down to our blades and spells. Once the guards were down and no others seemed to be coming, we paused to take stock of our surroundings. Several doors lead to lead to more chambers in this level of the tower.
One was what appeared to be a mage lab of some type. Off of this mage lab was a small library. Another door lead into what must have been the main bedroom. By now we could hear the crying of a baby ourselves. It was coming from behind a closed door in the bedroom. We advanced on the door and opened it. We found a large closet and the source of the crying. Laying wailing in a crude bassinette was the missing Crown Prince!
James quickly made sure that the babe was the real thing and not some kind of cruel trick. Jalizar cast a Heal on the infant to cure him of any ill’s being in this damp place might have caused him. The baby stopped crying while being held by James.
“We need to get him out of here now,” James stressed. “I don’t want to take any chances with our future King.”
“Agreed,” Sir Validar said. “Take him back to the palace right now. I want to investigate this cult a little more before departing and if possible eliminate their threat.”
It seemed like a good solution all the way around. Make sure the Crown Prince was safe and remove a dangerous enemy. And so James teleported away with the baby and we continued to explore. Plus we would continue to search for the missing Princess Theandra.
There was another door in this bedroom and behind it was something very strange. Before us was a stone circular platform that very nearly filled the entire room. The rim of the platform was silver and there was what appeared to be a keyhole in the center. Five runes were spaced out evenly around the edge of the platform. We did not have time to fully investigate this strange platform and its purpose remains a mystery.
While Jalizar and I investigated the strange platform, the others made their way further down the tower. We could hear sounds of fighting as they encountered and defeated more cultists. From what I was told, the lizard men had broken through the front gate and were pouring inside in huge numbers. Satisfied that the Cult would be broken after this, Sir Validar suggested that we teleport away ourselves.
Since Jalizar and I were not as powerful mages as James was, we each teleported some of the group. Jalizar took Sir Validar and his brother straight to the Royal Palace. I teleported myself, Arak, and Beleme back to the Sallavarian Estate.
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
Pyris:
It was two days later when James and Jalizar returned to the Sallavarian Estate. Much has changed over those two days. The King was elated to have his son returned, but sad at the same time that his daughter remained missing. Divinations about her fate were most confusing. When asked if she was dead, the answer was no. When asked if she was still alive, the answer was also no. She was neither alive nor dead, so what else could she be? A most perplexing puzzle.
All of the Swords were rewarded for our parts in rescuing the Crown Prince. Those of us who were not nobles, were granted honorary titles. Thus, in Cynalonian circles, I can be called Lady Nightmist. Sir Validar received the greatest reward. He was granted the Barony of Dolos as his to rule, as soon as the orcs occupying it were removed.
In the weeks and months that followed, the Swords assisted Baron Validar in cleansing his new domain. It took nearly until early summer of the next year to complete the task. After that, Dolos would have to be rebuilt as the orcs pretty much destroyed everything.
Late that summer, Baron Validar was married to Lady Gwendolyn. It was right after the ceremony that Baron Validar made an announcement. He had decided, and with the blessing of the King, to rename the Barony. From then on, that land shall be called the Barony of Pyris. Thus did Baron Validar fulfill his promise his wives maiden name would not be forgotten. It was a lovely and touching gesture.
Time passed and I saw less and less of the other Swords. With Keln’s involvement in the kidnapping of the Crown Prince, the King considered it an act of war. There were always tensions between the two lands and this act just escalated things.
But first Cynalon’s western borders needed to be secured from those orcs who were not routed from Pyris. The Swords helped out as best we could, but we were now going our own ways. I spent more time in the Lost Valley and only saw James occasionally. Arak and Beleme I hadn’t seen since Pyris was liberated.
Three years after Pyris had been reclaimed, the main castle had been built and Baron Validar invited us to come celebrate. Much of the city had been rebuilt and I was greatly impressed with what they had done. I am told that are streets named after each member of the Swords in Pyris. While I have never seen it myself, there is supposed to be a Nightmist Lane there.
Baroness Gwendolyn was pregnant with their first child. A few months later she had a boy and they named him Relon. I am told that a few years after that, they had a daughter named Alisa.
Eventually the western borders were secured and Cynalon turned its full attention towards Keln. By this time, I was heavily involved in running Lost Valley. James keep me abreast of its progress during is now rare visits.
The last time I saw him was the night before a major battle. It was to be the assault on Keln’s own fortress, the so-called “Fortress of Black Magic“. We made love one last time and he was gone in the morning. I never saw him again. Later I heard that the fortress had vanished and so many of Cynalon’s key defenders were gone with it. I was devastated, but not long after that I found that I was with child.
I had a daughter that I named Jylsin later. Years passed as I raised my daughter. In that time the outside world had changed dramatically. All my friends were gone, so I just withdrew to the Lost Valley to raise my daughter and help those in need.
My best advice is to travel to this ancient fortress. If the cult has surfaced once more then perhaps it is their base of operations. We extinguished the Brazier of Blackflame. Jalizar crushed it underneath a Wall of Iron. Perhaps our efforts were not permanent as we thought.
It was two days later when James and Jalizar returned to the Sallavarian Estate. Much has changed over those two days. The King was elated to have his son returned, but sad at the same time that his daughter remained missing. Divinations about her fate were most confusing. When asked if she was dead, the answer was no. When asked if she was still alive, the answer was also no. She was neither alive nor dead, so what else could she be? A most perplexing puzzle.
All of the Swords were rewarded for our parts in rescuing the Crown Prince. Those of us who were not nobles, were granted honorary titles. Thus, in Cynalonian circles, I can be called Lady Nightmist. Sir Validar received the greatest reward. He was granted the Barony of Dolos as his to rule, as soon as the orcs occupying it were removed.
In the weeks and months that followed, the Swords assisted Baron Validar in cleansing his new domain. It took nearly until early summer of the next year to complete the task. After that, Dolos would have to be rebuilt as the orcs pretty much destroyed everything.
Late that summer, Baron Validar was married to Lady Gwendolyn. It was right after the ceremony that Baron Validar made an announcement. He had decided, and with the blessing of the King, to rename the Barony. From then on, that land shall be called the Barony of Pyris. Thus did Baron Validar fulfill his promise his wives maiden name would not be forgotten. It was a lovely and touching gesture.
Time passed and I saw less and less of the other Swords. With Keln’s involvement in the kidnapping of the Crown Prince, the King considered it an act of war. There were always tensions between the two lands and this act just escalated things.
But first Cynalon’s western borders needed to be secured from those orcs who were not routed from Pyris. The Swords helped out as best we could, but we were now going our own ways. I spent more time in the Lost Valley and only saw James occasionally. Arak and Beleme I hadn’t seen since Pyris was liberated.
Three years after Pyris had been reclaimed, the main castle had been built and Baron Validar invited us to come celebrate. Much of the city had been rebuilt and I was greatly impressed with what they had done. I am told that are streets named after each member of the Swords in Pyris. While I have never seen it myself, there is supposed to be a Nightmist Lane there.
Baroness Gwendolyn was pregnant with their first child. A few months later she had a boy and they named him Relon. I am told that a few years after that, they had a daughter named Alisa.
Eventually the western borders were secured and Cynalon turned its full attention towards Keln. By this time, I was heavily involved in running Lost Valley. James keep me abreast of its progress during is now rare visits.
The last time I saw him was the night before a major battle. It was to be the assault on Keln’s own fortress, the so-called “Fortress of Black Magic“. We made love one last time and he was gone in the morning. I never saw him again. Later I heard that the fortress had vanished and so many of Cynalon’s key defenders were gone with it. I was devastated, but not long after that I found that I was with child.
I had a daughter that I named Jylsin later. Years passed as I raised my daughter. In that time the outside world had changed dramatically. All my friends were gone, so I just withdrew to the Lost Valley to raise my daughter and help those in need.
My best advice is to travel to this ancient fortress. If the cult has surfaced once more then perhaps it is their base of operations. We extinguished the Brazier of Blackflame. Jalizar crushed it underneath a Wall of Iron. Perhaps our efforts were not permanent as we thought.
Try it and find out!
Re: Swords of Cynalon
Afterward:
And that is the full tale of the Swords of Cynalon and also how the Barony of Pyris came to be. While the story covered many things, there are some things that were beyond Nightmist’ knowledge. Such as James the Red was something of a womanizer. He has at least three children, Jordan who is Sherwood’s father, Sharadin, and Jylsin. All three of his children had different mothers and he never did marry. It his possible that he sired more children, but this are three known ones.
Jordan Sculley was the oldest of the three and was quite possible born around the time James first met Nightmist in the year 508. The Swords were formed in 510. Sharadin was born in 523, so is much younger than Jordan. Jylsin would have been born around 526 or so. While it was true that the Sculley Estate and the Royal Palace does have protections that would pierce Nightmist’ illusion, it was also a good excuse to carry on with all his other romances on the side.
The story started in 515 and it is that year where most of it takes place. The Battle of Shadow Keep was in 525, so in all the story covers a 10 year plus span. Dolos/Pyris was reclaimed in 516 and the wedding of Baron Validar and Lady Gwendolyn took place. It was in 519 that the reconstruction of the city was finished. Relon Van Arkus was born that same year with sister Alisa four years later in 523.
By the year 520 the orcs had been driven out of the western lands and Cynalon turned its attention fully to Keln. This all came to a head in 525 at the Battle of Shadowkeep. The finest warriors of Cynalon laid siege to the keep and fought their way inside. Shortly after that, the Shadowkeep simply vanished. There is a tale that Shadowkeep simply appeared one day hundreds of years earlier, so it is possible that its vanishing is not without precedence.
With the cream of Cynalon gone, the wives of the missing men struggled to hold things together. Make no mistake, these were very strong willed women and they did the best they can, but they lacked the resources to carry out their plans. The orcs invaded the western lands once more and for some sixteen years made life miserable in those lands. Ardelphia was the first to fall and many other towns and villages followed. It wasn’t until the year 541 and during the Fall of Tenobar that this horde was finally broken.
Queen Annadelle worked to hold her Kingdom together until her son was old enough to take the throne for himself. Likewise, Baroness Gwendolyn ruled Pyris until her son Relon became Baron. Lady Brylonna oversaw the Sallavarian Estate raising her son Jidaran who would one day have a daughter named Jallarzi.
With that we complete the story of the Grandparents of many important characters. The next series of tales to come will feature the parents and the important events in their lives. Not to mention a surprise or three along the way.
And that is the full tale of the Swords of Cynalon and also how the Barony of Pyris came to be. While the story covered many things, there are some things that were beyond Nightmist’ knowledge. Such as James the Red was something of a womanizer. He has at least three children, Jordan who is Sherwood’s father, Sharadin, and Jylsin. All three of his children had different mothers and he never did marry. It his possible that he sired more children, but this are three known ones.
Jordan Sculley was the oldest of the three and was quite possible born around the time James first met Nightmist in the year 508. The Swords were formed in 510. Sharadin was born in 523, so is much younger than Jordan. Jylsin would have been born around 526 or so. While it was true that the Sculley Estate and the Royal Palace does have protections that would pierce Nightmist’ illusion, it was also a good excuse to carry on with all his other romances on the side.
The story started in 515 and it is that year where most of it takes place. The Battle of Shadow Keep was in 525, so in all the story covers a 10 year plus span. Dolos/Pyris was reclaimed in 516 and the wedding of Baron Validar and Lady Gwendolyn took place. It was in 519 that the reconstruction of the city was finished. Relon Van Arkus was born that same year with sister Alisa four years later in 523.
By the year 520 the orcs had been driven out of the western lands and Cynalon turned its attention fully to Keln. This all came to a head in 525 at the Battle of Shadowkeep. The finest warriors of Cynalon laid siege to the keep and fought their way inside. Shortly after that, the Shadowkeep simply vanished. There is a tale that Shadowkeep simply appeared one day hundreds of years earlier, so it is possible that its vanishing is not without precedence.
With the cream of Cynalon gone, the wives of the missing men struggled to hold things together. Make no mistake, these were very strong willed women and they did the best they can, but they lacked the resources to carry out their plans. The orcs invaded the western lands once more and for some sixteen years made life miserable in those lands. Ardelphia was the first to fall and many other towns and villages followed. It wasn’t until the year 541 and during the Fall of Tenobar that this horde was finally broken.
Queen Annadelle worked to hold her Kingdom together until her son was old enough to take the throne for himself. Likewise, Baroness Gwendolyn ruled Pyris until her son Relon became Baron. Lady Brylonna oversaw the Sallavarian Estate raising her son Jidaran who would one day have a daughter named Jallarzi.
With that we complete the story of the Grandparents of many important characters. The next series of tales to come will feature the parents and the important events in their lives. Not to mention a surprise or three along the way.
Try it and find out!