Farewell, for now.

[TheWyrdWolf 1532]

Astark - Barrowlord of Fog
Herald of Embers, Herald of Salvation

 

Spoiler

 

In the days, weeks, and months following the events of Apotheosis, the halls of the Synod would grow quiet and stagnant and the towering remains of a once proud Conclave were left to decay and crumble into ruin and the last of the Barrowlords would be nowhere to be found. 

As rumours of Astarks disappearance would begin to spread throughout the ranks of the Occultists, one particularly windy and harrowing night in the town of Lumbridge there would be a familiar presence felt. Those who frequented the halls were met with a terrifying and mournful wail that chilled their blood. Then, silence. What had transpired?
 

Despite Astark's sudden and mysterious disappearance, those most loyal to the Barrowlord occasionally caught glimpses of a stray spectral cat of luminous orange in the corner of their vision. But when they looked again, there was nothing to be found.
 

Those who sought to beseech Astark's true name were met with deafening silence. Any attempts to locate the Wight were fruitless. It was as if the Barrowlord had vanished from existence, their mark purged from the pages of history.
 

For those who knew the location of Astark's Phylactery and went in search of it in order to confirm the fate of the Wight, a terrible sight awaited. A once ornate and partially flooded underground chamber had been left in ruins. Talon marks canvassed the walls, and the husks that Astark had commonly occupied were torn limb from limb, scattered about the room in a bloody, macabre display.
 

Yet, this sight was not the worst within the chamber. At the head of the room, where Astark's Phylactery once lay, there was nothing but crumbling stone and dust.

For those with a greater cosmic understanding, a faint line of grit and dust scattered before the remains of the room might be found.

Valeria Soulheart - The Last Sage
Devoted of Aeriel, Last of the Ascended

Spoiler

 

The rain battered the muddy ground around her, the harsh patter against her pauldrons mixing with her heavy, panting breaths—the only sounds within the woodland clearing. Her muscles ached, her sword arm heavy, the longsword in her grip hovering above the ground as rivulets of corrupted blood ran from the blade.
 

Age had taken its toll. The once lithe and agile Mali’aheral was now but a shadow of her former self. She knew that one day she wouldn’t be quick enough, that her body would be too slow, that her muscles would fail her.

And she was right.
 

The longsword fell from her gauntleted hand, clattering against a stone before tumbling into the churned mud beneath her. Her legs gave out, and her body buckled from exhaustion and strain. A hoarse, pained laugh escaped her parched lips.
 

“Is this the end, my Lady?” she asked her silent Patron. She had faithfully served for all these years, and, as always, there was no reply. The Maiden of Souls remained silent.
 

Valeria had expected as much. Even in what she presumed were her final moments, there was no malice or hate toward her Patron—only tempered love and sorrow. She winced as she coaxed her weary body into action, pulling herself to slump against a boulder at the edge of the clearing. With a deep breath, she reached up to the haft of the barbed arrow that had slipped past her pauldron and cuirass, embedding itself deep within her flesh. Her fingers curled around the wooden shaft as she stared into the darkness of the forest ahead, her eyes catching a distant light. She tried to focus on it but felt her eyes growing heavy, her vision blurring and fading with each passing second.
 

“So this is how it ends... Alone, forgotten, Abandoned...” For the first time in a long while, she let her tense body relax; there was no need for constant vigilance anymore. Her head rested against the cold, wet surface of the boulder, her eyes cast to the starry skies above and the pale light of the distant moon. A sorrowful smile crossed her face. She let the quiet of the night calm her soul, humming a weak, quiet tune as she reflected on the life she had led, the friends she had made, the loved ones she had lost, the Order that was no more. She had served dutifully, and though the Descendant Realms had forgotten Aeriel's name, she had kept her Lady in her heart, sworn to uphold her duty eternally.
 

For so long she had thought herself the last of Aeriel's Servants, the Last Sage, she called herself. But she always wondered what had happened to the others she had served alongside. Were they truly all gone? Secretly, she hoped at least one yet lived. Who would carry the dwindling flame of faith in the Maiden of Souls once she was gone?
 

She could only hope there were still those who believed... but such worries were fleeting.. fruitless.. she had no need of them anymore.
 

The rain washed the corrupted blood of her slain foes from her face, revealing the battle-scarred visage of the pale elf beneath. She allowed herself one last look at her surroundings—a nameless field in a nameless forest. In those last moments of consciousness, her eyes caught a glimpse of that light once more. Whether she was hallucinating or seeing what she wanted in those final moments, the blurry visage of her mother stared back at her, a mongoose at her side.
 

And so her eyes fluttered closed, her words a whisper that went unheard.
 

“Mum... I’m... coming home...”

 

Spoiler

Never thought i'd write one of these but here we are. I wasn't going to do this post, i fully intended on just fading into obscurity as i have done in the past. This recent tenure on LOTC however has been my longest and my most involved. These last couple of years i've had the pleasure of being involved in numerous communities and multiple tenures on the Story Team to try and bring you guys some cool stories to get involved with. So i figured it was only fair to say farewell.

I'm not sure how many people actually know me outside of the circles i most frequent and those who have partaken in my events, but for those who have come across me in one way or another i thankyou for being part of the experience i've had on this server. Your interaction, no matter how small has had an impact on me in one way or another.

Some may notice i've been gone for a few months, and to those that are unaware i've been dealing with some declining physical and mental health for a while as a result of my Military Service. Thankfully however, i am finally reaching the end of that road and hopefully by the end of the year i will finally be moving on to greener pastures and looking towards the future and better health.

But for now, i must concentrate on my real life and make proper arrangements and plans for next year so that i am in the best place possible going forward and in order to do that i will be fully stepping back from LOTC for a while.

It's been a hell of a ride and i expect i will be back, likely next year but who can tell, we'll see where the cards fall.

There are too many people i've come to know and call friends or who have gone out of their way to help me in one way or another to list here. Just want you all to know, i appreciate you all <3

I'll still be available on discord if anyone wants to reach out and chat, but for now..

Farewell o7 Until we meet again.

 

[Moonish_Imp 208]

Take care fiend, all the best wishes to you and I hope ur life is epic and things turn out great soon <3 <3 <3 stay safe!!!

[Ztrog 1128]

Its been real great being able to know you. From our time spent on the antag of the mori events to being a real Xionist under Astark. I hope you do awesome things outside the server and take care of yourself! <3

[Venomous_Pup 2978]

I'm not crying, you're crying. Good bye Mr White Wolf.. It was fun chatting with you and hope all goes well in the future!

[Xarkly 17299]

Stay safe and take care:)

[EdenCringe 181]

I'll miss you loads Wolf, thanks for everything you've done for this community :) Know that even in your absence, your narratives, the fear you've instilled in countless many upon the server with Astark's shenanigans and your presence overall will haunt the server forever until your great return. I wish you well, hope life treats you well too. Stay safe, White_Wolf. <3<3<3

[Departed_Delmar 1302]

I wish you nothing but the best man, it's been a pleasure pushing forth a great narrative. Hopefully we meet up again, you where always super chill to hangout with. Excited though to hear your next few steps. 

[Morigung-oog 5697]

Thank you for giving me into a community I never thought I'd be able to integrate with. You'll definitely be missed in the community, though I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. If you do end up returning at some point, I'll be among the first to welcome you back.

 

Take care wolf!

[Turbo_Dog 3568]

Sad to see you go even if just for some time man. Seekers miss you already. Best regards to you and from all the Valiant Seekers we hope for the best

[Zacho 2177]

❤️☮️ 

[Songwitch 1832]

i haven't interacted much with you or your characters but i screamed no in my head when i saw the preview of the post

 

farewell and good luck with life