THE CAVERN ACCOUNT

[Cheese 8883]

 

THE CAPTIVE IN THE CAVE

From Ashes, We Rise

EST 143 E.S. - Present | 1590 A.H. - Present

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ISSUED BY THE

 

ON THIS 18TH DAY OF JOMA AG UMUND OF 534 E.S. 

16TH OF THE AMBER COLD,  185 S.A.

 

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IN THE MONTH OF Msitza ag Dargund, 534 E.S. I, Esfir Artemisia Amador, had been forcefully taken from my home by servants of Iblees. Dark beings, one of whom had risen from the dead. Here, I recount my captivity and urge both the Brotherhood of St. Karl and the Holy Canonist Church to act upon these evil miscreants.

 

“I cannot undo what has been done – I can only ensure it does not happen again.” 

– HENRIK III AMADOR, “WHAT DARKENED OUR DOORSTEP” 

 

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THE EVENT TOOK PLACE in the early hours of that Saint’s day. I had been within my home, the Barony of Mondstadt, when I heard a call at my gates. When I answered there was a lone traveler who had coppery-red hair with a scruffy beard, green eyes, and a scar across his right eye. There he had asked me directions to a place where he may peddle his wares. I stepped outside to properly give directions, and we engaged in brief conversation. 

 

IT WAS DURING THIS conversation that I had briefly mentioned the Veletzian War, and how my grandmother, the Bl. Queen Amaya of Venzia, was a veteran of such. Upon learning of my heritage, the man had said he was lucky, and that was when a second approached. An incredibly tall figure clad in armor, armed with an axe, came from behind and killed all the plant life around it. Dark magic of sorts, without a doubt. I had of course initially planned on fending off the foes, of course, but I was outnumbered and outmatched, and was thus struck over the head and knocked out.

 

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I HAD SPENT THIRTEEN days in the captivity of these dark beasts. Upon awakening, I noted my surfaces - a dark cavern, dimly lit by soulflame. It was then my captors introduced themselves to me: The undead self-proclaimed King Jormunharr, and his ‘Chief-Killer’ Verethingarr. The latter then left to the kitchen to prepare a most foul meal, which I will describe in more depth later. Meanwhile, Jormunharr told me a story of a former interaction he had with my own father, the then Baron Henrik III Amador, also at the Keep of Queen’s Crossing.1 He revealed to me during such the decapitated head of the late William Temesch whom he had slaughtered in place of my father. It was around this time that Verethingarr had returned with a wretched bowl of stew, grotesque in both appearance and stench. I was then forced to eat this ‘meal’ - what was in it still eludes me, but I can only assume that it was nothing good.

 

THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED WITH the darkspawn, with me bound to a chair. Jormunharr claimed to be the rightful King of the lands now known as Hanseti-Ruska, and had pacted with the Queen Amaya three decades ago. She had challenged the Dark Lord to a Holmgang, or duel of honor, with a Weiss Lord acting as her champion - the name of which was not stated in this retelling. The Weiss Champion won this duel, and as promised, Hanseti-Ruska was spared from the undead terror of Jormunharr for one generation that has now passed.

 

LATER IN THE SAINT’S hours of my captivity, Jormunharr offered me three options after attempting to brainwash me with his rogue morals and sinful antics: First, I could take my family and flee the North. Second, I could remain in Haense and be subject to his wrath in what I can only imagine will add to the endless battle of Good versus Evil. And the third, he bid me to join his legion and betray my Kingdom. For a being so prideful and firm in his beliefs about honor and loyalty, I was disgusted by the mere thought of betraying my Homeland and kin for such a servant of darkness. I deemed him both a hypocrite and a tyrant, adding to this infinite list of sins.

 

1] What Darkened Our Door

 

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AS THE EVIL-DOERS continued holding me captive, spewing their manipulative and heretical lies, I stood firm in my loyalty to Hanseti-Ruska as both a vassal of the Crown, and a niece of the King. It was then I challenged the Dark Lord; should he prove the victor, he would have my life. We engaged then in a duel. It was short, I confess, and ended with Jormunharr grappling me by the neck and draining me of strength, which rendered me unconscious once more.

 

IT WAS BUT MANY Saint’s hours later that I finally awoke, alone in that cave. I was unbound, and there were no locks on the doors, and so I ran. Once I had reached the outsides once more, I was able to travel back to Haense with few injuries.

 

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IT IS GODAN I owe my life to during the torment I faced. And that is why I now implore the Brotherhood, The Holy Order of The White Comet, and any other enemy of shadowspawn and evil to assist me in ridding Aevos of the terror of Jormunharr and his undead legion. I was not the first to lose their life to these fiends, but I pray that I may be the last. Any who wish to join me on my conquest, or require information on further details of my captivity, please contact me through bird.

 

AND TO JORMUNHARR:

Spitting in your face once wasn’t enough.

 

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Her Ladyship, ESFIR ARTEMISIA AMADOR, 

12th Baroness of Mondstadt, 

Heiress to the Viscounty of Zvezlund

 

Spoiler

Shoutout to @SimplySeo and @TN_TURKEY for having me for this encounter!! It was super fun even if it ended at 5am :]

 

 

 

[Lalosia 998]

Theodosya von Augusten, Countess-consort of Hohengarten, nearly collapsed to the ground upon reading her niece's recounting of her harrowing journey within the slimy embrace of such evil beings.

Grabbing hold of her skirts to better run, she hastily ambled her way to her husband Friedrich, seeking for him to hold a prayer for the young Baroness - Afterwards setting forth for her homeland to comfort the young phoenix.
@DuhPuhWuh

 

[winterblood 11181]

Rezalisa clutched at her cross to hear of the acts of Shadow seeking to seep in to the lands of Hanseti-Ruska.  Her rides back to Morteskvan grew to be more and more tense, especially when the sun threatened to dip beneath the horizon - or when it was choked out by the sullen storm clouds of the Ailmere.  "Have no fear at heart," she'd always whisper to herself, uttering the phrase taught to her by her mentor.

[Gutz 450]

Somewhere obsure in Aevos, a Mali'ker sat in deep meditation- the missive before him acting as the center of his inner turmoil. His brows furrowed and smoothed in turn, until finally, Mirasul opened his eyes with his contemplations at rest. "Amador harbors the blood of my late akthal huleyr - in his death, I find purpose to act." He reached for pen and paper, murmuring a declarative"Yyrel vex" before summoning his sorr to deliver the message, which addressed a 'Kasyana, Lady Esfir of Amador.'

[DuhPuhWuh 1282]

4 hours ago, lalo said:

Theodosya von Augusten, Countess-consort of Hohengarten, nearly collapsed to the ground upon reading her niece's recounting of her harrowing journey within the slimy embrace of such evil beings.

Grabbing hold of her skirts to better run, she hastily ambled her way to her husband Friedrich, seeking for him to hold a prayer for the young Baroness - Afterwards setting forth for her homeland to comfort the young phoenix.
@DuhPuhWuh

 

"Mein GOTT!" The Count of Hohengarten, Friedrich von Augusten, declared upon hearing the news from his wife. In the midst of preparations for his heir's debut he did not expect any such news. "Ich shall pray tenfold, und evoke zhe blessed Saint Tara!" The Augusten traced the Lorraine at least a dozen times. "GOTT you must stop all zhese kidnappings, ein vile crime against your gutte servants." -- "GOTT bless Teddy, give our vell vishes to our niece."

 

With those last words said he'd spend the rest of the morning within his chapel, prayers said for Esfir and all those who had been abducted in recent times. He prayed the violence would cease...

[SimplySeo 6999]

 

[!]

Elsewhere, in the northern forests of Ævajaringaland, a long-dead King stirs in wroth within his barrow, incensed prey had escaped his grasp. Nearby, drawn up from the depths, a black and waterlogged Longship slips its moorings, sailing down the rivers of the Heartlands to go a-viking once more.