The Frozen Expedition

[El Ricktador 1394]

 

           The Frozen Expedition

 

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20th, of Harren's Folley 1684

 

A forgotten land just before a wall. A valley frozen and cold with a story to be told to only the few chosen.

 

The wasteland stretched out around them for as far as they could see. Weak sunlight peeked through a perpetual blizzard and gray cloud cover.

 

Augustus Horen and Rhys var Ruthern pressed onwards despite the elements that sought to push them back, away from the secrets they held. Around them, their followers leaned forwards to force themselves through the endless storm.

 

The expeditionary force was one of many but one that Augustus hoped would stand as a pivotal group responsible for southern expansion.

 

“The stronghold is just ahead!” Rhys barked above the decibels of the blizzard. His black fur pelt blew all around him, struggling to free itself from the shoulders of the Haense Marshal.

 

Despite the strongest winds imaginable, the expeditionary force eventually made their way before a seemingly old but broken bridge. There weren’t many things that surprised Augustus but seeing the mass of the ice wall with a stronghold within it was one of them.

 

“Your Imperial Highness,” said Ser Seth, the Imperial Knight, as he returned to the party from ahead. “The bridge is collapsed, and the keep impenetrable, sturdy ice blocking its entryways.” He turned, peering up at the gargantuan ice barrier. “It’s become one with the wall.”

 

Even with no immediate threat in sight, lesser men would have turned and gone home then and there, but the Imperials were steadfast. They had a purpose here amongst the ghostly white winds of the southern wastes.

 

They stood at the edge of a bridge high above the ground, close enough that a powerful enough breeze could push them off.

 

There is something more at play here than just mages, Augustus thought.

 

“We are going to look for a way in, your Imperial Highness,” said one of the prince’s knights, Ser Seth, as he turned and ran down the bridge alongside Demetrius, a man of Haense.

 

Augustus and Rhys discussed potential ways into the keep for some time before eventually turning around and returning to an empty valley.

   

 

“There is almost a strange beauty to it, isn’t there?” Augustus asked Rhys and those who had come with them: Demetrius, Seth, Mason, Aldrick, Quillian, and Almisael.

 

“Agreed, sir,” Ser Seth responds. “Like a still, piercing image gazing back at us.”

 

“It’s a frozen hell,” answered Almisael.

 

“In a brutal, horribly uncomfortable sort of way,” said Rhys of Haense.

 

Augustus watched the winds blow over the dune of snow for some time longer before his face, just as frozen as the wasteland around, broke into a smile.

 

“I shall give it a name. I will name it after the coldest person I have ever known,” he began. “The Frozen Valley of Ophelia.”

 

ENTRY FROM THE JOURNAL OF AUGUSTUS HOREN

20th, of Harren's Folley 1684

 

I have gone and seen the wall in the wasteland. The world that far south is truly dead and ravaged by attacks and assaults by the Vaeyl. Even still, I know it in my heart that it is proper for the Empire to expand into the wastes. It is our Divine Right to claim all of the frozen wasteland for the Imperial Crown and her people.

 

Yet, I have laid eyes upon the expansive wastes and seen a snowy mirror. It showed me a reflection of myself and seemed to challenge my very existence that far south.

 

ENTRY FROM THE JOURNAL OF Rhys var Ruthern

20th, of Harren's Folley 1684

 

As we came closer to the Last Hope, the ice and snow felt like knives piercing our skin. We finally reached the end of the bridge, hardly could see much in front of us, besides the looming wall before us. Last Hope was built into the wall, and with the bridge collapsed, so was the only hope of entering. The castle stood before us, taunting us.

 

The Wall rose up above the clouds, none of us could see the top. It almost seemed to be watching us, as we approached Last Hope.

 

Last Hope, itself was silent, empty. . . but we knew what laid inside, our enemy waited for us. Knowing we would have little hope seiging in this GOD forsaken waste.

 

[Imperium 3495]

Rhys warms himself by the fire, reading over reports and maps, outside his tent the Brotherhood sets up camp for the coming siege. The men are ordered to get it ready for the Imperial legions arrival, together they'll assault Last Hope and finally crush the Red Vaeyl.

[MunaZaldrizoti 8037]

Emma Ludovar would sit in her office within the Krempost, an object enclosed in a thick leather wrappings sitting before her on the desk. Her pale green gaze would stay affixed upon the item as she pulled back the leather, revealing a bow carved with lightly-glowing runes, gifted to her by a dying friend and taken from the body of a corrupted wyvern.

 

Based on what knowledge she had on it, she knew that the bow might help in the wars to come with the Vaeyl, so the young Princess sought to begin penning her cousin Robert a note.

[GDPR 014 48]

"Ah, ****." Says Klaus, calling out to his fellow R&D members, seemingly only Nero and Codename: "Hick". "We got to make those weapons of war! Anti-Vaeyl ****."

[osumanduas 1442]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.