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Sons of Vladriga: Eastlandia "a tale of the people of the easterlands" "Humble Beginnings: Arrival to Eastlandia." The tale of the Vladrigan people originates back to the eons of time. to the origins of the first man. many people know of the story of Horen, and them. but what no one often hears about is the legends or tales that died out. such as the brothers or the descendants of them. Vladrigan culture is originated as one of several from the first children of the first men. of which four chose to stay in Azura's. But four more, chose to venture out beyond the dark blue seas of the east. leaving the lands of their four fathers to the first four. for they felt there was no room for them. and sought survival out in the lands beyond. These four beings went by several other great names. Embedded now in the culture of what is called, the Easterlings. a band of sea people, who set out across the great east blue in search of a land for their families. Their four fathers went by the names of. Vulknaur, Sanjier, Asorath, and Vaulnier. who would sale west and settle in the lands of Eastlandia, or Eastern landing. the lands were vast and powerful. though slightly smaller than Azuras. it would carry the weight of over four human peoples. and consist of many other sub species similar to those of Azuras. the "Urakim" similar to orcs but grew to only two-thirds of their size. and were about equal in height and mass to humans. the Anvarim, Dwarfs who claimed were descended from a dwarf name Anvulnor Grimgath. who dwelled in strongholds in the northern mountains. and the Elvurnar. a peaceful race of Light Elves that inhabited Easterland's hills. and the Entlings, a strong warlike race of halflings. of which they were said to be descendant of Hagswald. unlike the other halflinfs of azuras, these halflings were warlike and dangerous, riding around on small ponies and living nomadic lifestyles between villages, some of which having small ruins as keeps. The sons of Vulknaur, Sanjier, Asorath, and Vaulnier would spread with much resistance from the world of Eastlandia. their strife was many, but over time they would come to establish large and vast regions and bend the entire eastern world to their whims and shape the map to their liking. Eastlandia would be their home for centuries to come. and their feudal kingdoms would know nothing but peace. under what was called the "Grandio Human Quadpacta." a proclamation and treaty that all sons and descendants of the four. Would swear never to attack or disrupt each other's borders. and would only wage war upon other races should they be deemed a threat. And would be honored long into the time, of when the four families, would evolve into nations, cultures, and societies of their own. but all that would come to an end when time changed things. and the interpretation of the agreement was lost to history. it is important to note that much of this historic account is in accordance with the knowledge of Vladrake Valkistar. carrying his historic knowledge from his homeland as a refugee on his way to the empire and to dwell in the lands of Azuras. most of this can be left of course to one's speculation. but the works in question is non-fiction. and guaranteed to be unbiased and a hundred percent truthful to the knowledge of Vladrake and all Eastlandians. The Age of Kingdoms: The First Age The world of Eastlandia would forget the promises swiftly of their ancestors and kin. where noble families grew from Vaulknaur. the House of Valkistar would come to rise in the most modern history to dwell over the land of Vladriga. under the House of Valkmar II Valdmarvich Valkistar. the largest of the noble houses and kingdoms of man in the east, building its "Visigoth" heritage. it would be one of the proudest and honorable lineages of the Valkistar name. which later would fall to Valdimor Valkistar, Vladrakes Grandfather. and then Alander Valkistar, Vladrake Valkistar's Father. their military might would grow to be the strongest army presence of man. being the furthest in and largest. Often upholding the alliance of old. if one human nation was attacked. Vladriga would come to their aid. or that was how it should have been, as its human allies would also grow to be adversaries. the Most prominent of such would be the Seljeku Sultunate. the sons of Sanjier were once of a proud lineage of survivalist. masters of rough terrain and dessert occupation. and at a long time ago. the "Sedjuk's" as they were often called. were aligned firmly with the Religion of Azdraldism. a combination of man's religious beliefs from Azuras. honoring their forbears history. but Sejeku would not seek to maintain strong relations with its fellow humans out of greed and lust for power. and one fateful century. a tyrannical sultane would abolish Azdraldism in his kingdom. and swiftly transition to the worship of "Shalism." a polar opposite of Azdraldism. referring to God the Creator, as Ashall. and many grave things that once were considered sins. such as the marrying of multiple women, gender equality, and many other aspects of original values from the human religions of Azuras would be abandoned. This would lead into many religious Holy war conflicts between the races of men in Eastlandia. with the Seljeku's vile efforts to forcible convert the dwarfs of the mountains to put up a racial and religious tension and barrier between them and the Vladriga. which was destroyed when the Vladrigans made an alliance with the dwarfs and defended their strongholds from Seljukes jihad. spent many a century also crusading against Sejeku in the south in Elvunar lands. in the Elven nation of Rathieda. these conflicts would take up most of the earlier periods of the First age. and even after their conclusion. due to financial strain and fatigue from both nations in their proxies to control both the dwarfs and elves. the tensions would never revert. with Vladrigans and Sedjuks often sharing slurs of one another and having border skirmishes throughout straight even into The Second Seed. Below is a map of the most modern territories of Eastlandia, drawn by Vladrake in a journal to the best of his knowledge. If that wasn't even the worst of the circumstances. as the Urakim of the South worshiped a vile religion. worshiping a Dark Lord Diety, they called Azboloth. their tribe and horde like behavior was accompanied by a vicious and voracious hunter culture. that saw all other creatures as nothing more than as animals they can hunt either for sport as trophies or worse. as food. the Urakim would simply often strike and invade both Elf and even Humans. and even on rare occasions when starvation and blood thirst driven them to it. Vladriga would often assist the Elf's of Ratheldia, with rare occasions making a truce with Arinor, the nation of the descendants of the men of Asorath. cities on Eastlandia would be much harder to siege and breach as often, walls were built high and thick enough to ward off giant attacks along the edge of the borders known as "The Neph Line." it was said that humanity believed in a race of giants that existed beyond this place. and thus, it was labeled as a wasteland border in which none were eager to expand. but little to the knowledge of man, it was more along the race of barbarian humans, that somehow had always dwelled here, but were still somewhat alien to them, of which they were called the Nephele. even so the Urakim were more organized and dangerous, often laying siege and swarming entire cities to try and devour and herd and enslave the entire populations of Elf, Dwarf, and man alike. degrading them to nothing more than cattle. it wasn't even rare that with much relentlessness orcs were met with great distain and hatred from all races on Eastlandia. and many a time. Vladriga and Kingdom of Vaulrandir. Descendants of Vaulnier. would alliance with one another to beat back the occasional "Wargs" or hunting raids the dreaded Urakim would conduct. regardless of the circumstances. many times, the human nations would find themselves at each other's throats, and by the time of the Second age, and time of Vladrake. the ties of Vladrgia and its other three kindred nations would be hanging by a preverbal thread. Cultures Of the Eastlandians: Being cut off from the world of the West. and for a time would grow to believe their predecessors home of Azuras was nothing more than a legend or some mysterious place destined for deities or mystic beings of great power from their world. the cultures of the Eastlandians would adapt to become their own. and divide into subcultures of prominence. many taking on their own identities. ranging from styles of living, clothing, cuisine, and even the terrain they inhabited in. they all would come to divulge into separate ways of life. thriving off of what made their lands unique. and would grow so disconnected that their resemblances and attachments to their kindred in the realms of Azuras would be all but lost. and of which, would be foreign. ︾ Vladrigan Culture: The Culture of Vladriga, also known as the sons of Valknaur. can be described as their roots of settling along the northern temperate highlands of Eastlandia. their culture was revolved around agriculture and rare mining sights along the rugged terrain along their northern border with the mountains and dwarfs of Arathlion. but unlike their human counter parts in Azuras. the Vladrigans sought friendlier relations over time. at the start before the future Holy Wars with the Seljukes. tension between them and dwarfs were high. but the resolve of man and dwarf coming together against Seljuke culture. the Vladrigans would import many a craft, weapon, and armor from their Dwarf friends. resulting in tough steel, and an advanced feudalist society of chivalry and armored knights. which was Vladriga's greatest strong suit. many said to be born in Vladriga was to be cladded in armor, raised to the saddle, and born to fight on horseback. the house of bats and red and black. also showed Vladriga's desire to be intimidating and feared by many. for there was nothing more terrifying than coming across a group of Vladian's on horseback. despite these features. Vladriga would be a place of elegance and parties too. many a royal feast and ball would be held as the climate of Vladriga left bountiful harvests during season. and their recipes of sweet berry whine, cakes, and pastries was said to be mana from the gods. for it was said that Vladrigan food was the envy of all Eastlandia. you would also see many speak High Vladrigan, a form of Vladrigoth Latin. a common greeting among them being "Praestorvia." which is "Hail brother" in the native tongue. ︾ Seljuke Culture: The Seljuke culture, also known as the sons of Sanjeir. was one of dunes and sand in the rough hot arid desserts, steppes, and plains beyond the mountains north of Vladriga. the harsher tundra offered little time for growing seasons, and the Seljukes had little to offer in terms of agriculture. but they had much to mine in wealth of herbs, spices, and trade from their massive cities built along rivers, canals, and open springs. with many a dessert hill and mountain even with snowed peaks offering them great riches and relief from the baked sun. Seljukes are known for their sturdy resistance to the heat and sun. their silk shrouds, turbins, and cloaks. many say the Seljukes are masters of Archery, even on horseback. and they are extremely zealous and religious. and intolerant of other beliefs. many consider them as the most extreme and arrogant of the Eastlandian subcultures. they have many a unique food as well. such as "Dates" a special type of sweet bean, possibly fruit that grows on trees. which is a stapple of their culture. they are met with great hatred though, as many Eastlandian cultures, such as Vladrigan. considers them traitors of the Traditional ways. seeing as they abandoned the root religions of Heron. and forged their own ways and started worshipping Ashall. despite this, their ways of commerce with the elf's, are somewhat legendary. though the elves became more reluctant in making dealings with them after their Jihad against them. in which Vladriga graciously helped them resist. a lot of their togue relates to Seljian (Arabic) language. such as "Salam" which is a greeting. ︾ Vaulrandir Culture: The Vaulrandir culture, also known as the sons of Vaulnier. were the traditional men of the southwest of Eastlandia. sticking well to their maritime roots of sailing and cartography, and knowledge and science. Vaulrandir is the culture that drifted least away from their roots of being from Azuras. they prioritized building their strongest cities along the coast, leaving their central regions and mainland as economic zones. with a few large city-like forts being the major exceptions along tensioned borders. they didn't have many strong suits other than timber crafting and agriculture. as their flatlands left much to be desired in terms of minerals. but there was many a warrior and berserker culture among them. taking on something that would be considered similar to Azura's Nordland kingdom. the profited by keeping contingents like the Urakim and Nepharim in check. with great supports of course from Vladriga. Vaulkier was also a long of strong body builders and relied on brute force to make up for in the lack of their gear. their wealth aside from maritime trade and transport of raw goods and timber to other nations like Vladriga, came in the form of raider culture. in which they would sale out to distant shores along the coast. and ransack many a settlement belonging to the Urakim. or even form full on raider cohorts. and march south into Urakim lands or even engage in conflicts with their human brothers of Arlnor. ︾ Arlnor Culture: The Arlnor Culture, also known as sons of Asorath. is a culture known for it having the best architecture. Arlnor is known often in Eastlandia as the bastion culture. a land filled with people who know how to fight. as they have been often threatened on all sides. in their earlier years of conquest by Nepharim and the Elf's. to later on despite tensions with their elven neighbors subsiding to face hostilities from their neighboring kin of Vaulnier. and the Urakim of Gorlrotha. Arlnor culture was the few who grew accustomed to the fortifying of their human lands and being a barrier state for humanity against the giants and the untamable wastes of the far east. known as the Nepharim Land's. their economy relies on smithing and weapon imports and exports. and the vast knowledge of herbs and magic. in which their lands specialize in growing compared to the other realms of man. as it is in close proximity to the elven territories. many an elf also used to immigrate and seek asylum there too. in which Arlnor shockingly embraced their comradery. though to the reluctance and irritation of the elf's due to the lack of worship of nature. Arlnor also would aid in the elf's defense from Seljuke to the anger of them which has for the most part lead to tensions between the two nations but due to lack of borders resulted in nothing much but subtle slurs and insults. as well as economic backlashing between the two. Arlnor has also been known to be a bane to the Urakim. which due to their vast arsenal of advanced weaponry has led to the Urakim be afraid of them. which lead to the Urakim usually avoid attacking Arlnor all together aside from some desperate or rare exceptions. but the reason Arlnor has the expertise with machines and inventions they do is of course emphasized on they are the closest human territory to the Nepharim. many an Arlnor prides themselves to be experts at dealing with Barbarians of the south west. giving their culture the designated title as "protectors of civiliation." but despite this fact. they still struggle just as much if not slightly better with the Nepharim as the rest of the nations. Arlnor embraces many languages similar to their roots in Azuras, such as Frielune (French), Gaulith (German), and the standard dominance of English. Below is a Map of all the designated Cultural locations and estimations as of the arrival to the lands during the First age. The Impression of Valkistar: Many people may also be wondering what the Valkistar's and Vladrigan people looked like. and how their presence shaped the worlds of Eastlanida. and what they may often look like within the realm of Azuras too. the Valkistar's were related to what can be described as "Visigoths" a group of people cloaked in eccentric attire. often resembling the features and world of the night. they did this to mostly dress what they considered fashionably to their taste. but also, to intimidate them. more of the details can be shown in Lucian Winthrop's Article of Fashion: Vladrigan: Valkyrian Plate mail Armor. inspired by a mixture of Goth0-itallian, Visigoth armor. made of Valkade Steel, a special recipe of armor kept in the journals of Vladrakes family. and is rumored and said to rival even imperial armor. built of laired plating on top of chain mailed sections. despite the armor offers optimal protection for the shoulder blades, and the entirety of the arms and knees. the helm itself is twice as thick and breathable compared to most armors. and was optimal for marching long distances on foot. as it was said the Vladrigans prioritized the usage of both the long sword, and bastard sword for combat. enabling versatility in melee engagements. it was said the most terrifying effect of this armor was how the thick plating was durable enough to deflect entire blows from blades and blunt weapons. but its maneuverability was still that of equivalent to most medium weight armors and metals. turning most regular human soldiers of Vladriga into armored behemoths. it was said the most brutal tactic aside from their coordination with their calvary. was the dreaded Vladrigan Sheild wall and testudo formation. the armor was often decorated with unique symbols or feathers. that signified rank even in combat. which gave Vladrigans an edge. to coordinate ten times better than their opponents. the Testudo, was an armored shield formation that covered both the heads and sides front and even rear of a marching formation. as inspiration from the turtle. Vladrigans would be able to deflect entire volleys of arrows & bolts. at the price of lower mobility. and the shield walls themselves allowed them to march into enemy formations unappeased and when combined with pikes and spears. lead to most enemies who fell upon them to be brutally slaughtered. Regardless on if you believe in Vladriga or not. the Valkistars were ruthless on the battle field. and unique and eye drawing in fashion and politics. their eccentric style attracting both amazement and fear. throughout the realm of Eastlandia. and rumors speculate that the fear might even eventually spread to Azuras. Religions of the Eastlandians: The religions of Eastlandia were always simpler. aside from the standard cults and sporadic randomness that often popped up among every race, including the race of man. many of man originally unified under the same exact religion of Azraldism. but this would of course change over time and would divulge into the Five main sects of religion onto the island. explained in great detail in the following list and in accordance with the study of Vladrakes knowledge. it is fair to note that Vladrake himself is a follower of Azraldism. but is not a hard-core practitioner. as his knowledge and care for religious matters is not that of deep evangelism. ︾ Azraldism Faith: The Azraldism faith consists mostly of the combined faiths of man, carried over from the forbears and ancestors of the cultures of man that have come to inhabit Eastlandia. this comes as the worship of God. as well as a mesh of saints. but not the ones of azuras. there may be a few to be named but over time the Eastlandians replaced their saints and figures with ones that popped up in accordance with their own landmass and history. one such figure is "Saint Gathry Vaulkade" known as the giant slayer saint. in which he is the first human believed to have slain three Nepharim. the Azraldism faith is also believed to be less extreme compared to Azuras's and the empire of man. in Azraldism priests are not to encourage the appraisal of lords or nobility as an extension of gods will. and they are not permitted to openly have weapons. their role is left to that of healing. and instead, it is the job of Theocracy guards, known as "Cheverons" to act as the sword of saints and the protectors of the faith. and upholds roles similar to the inquisition & crusaders in the territory of man in azuras. Azraldism focuses on the worship of God in whatever form he comes from in azuras, and has mixed the views of him from all aspects of humanity. ︾ Shalism Faith: Shalism is also known as the religion of the Seljuke Sultunate. and is the first ever recorded break away and abandonment of the original values of Azura's God worshiping religion by men. they turned to worshiping what is known as the invisible God, who they believe is really also the Azraldism God, known as Ashall. who is depicted in their faith as the moon. or as a statue of a man holding the moon. Ashall is referred to as the god of tolerance. in which they twisted it to where everything the human god in Azuras, or in Azraldism is wrong and false. in their religion man is superior to all beings and creations. man is allowed to have more than one wife and encouraged to act violently against those of the previous other faiths or of other faiths in general. it was said that the religion already existed for a while and was spread by a prophet named "Meshana Sejeku." but exploded in Seljuke territory through forced conversion and popularity around the end of the first seed when sultane "Arashu Arjeki II" was persuaded by a prophetess of the faith through "seduction" to convert. but it was also believed he didn't have a problem converting anyway as through his Greed, and lust for power. he knew it would give him and his people valid reason to disregard the previous Quadpacta treaty and expand into lands not just owned by other races, but his fellow man as well. Shalism exploded in popularity but was greatly subdued and halted by the combined might of the other three human nations who still greatly worshiped Azraldism. ︾ Daulrinist Faith: The faith of Daulrinism refers to the Dwarfen monotheistic faith of ancestorial worship to the ancient line of house Daulrin. and the ascension to the great place known as the "realm of Casmdulr." a great feasting hall of parties and celebration. where the world is covered in infinite earth and chasms where a dwarf can mine for all eternity in happiness and peace and finally put away their swords and battleaxes for all time. different from the beliefs of their Dwarf relatives in Azuras. though their physical practices are much the same. the Dwarfs of Eastlandia are more recluse. daring not to dwell above ground. with the few who do abandon the mines are called "Rohdiram." or "adventure souls." who have abandoned the ways of their ancestors for the promise of greater rewards in the afterlife for achieving glory in the realm lands above. though some Daulrinist believers' frown on this practice saying a dwarf who abandons the mines forfeit their position in the afterlife instead. which separates the sect into two variants. those that believe adventure offers great reward, and those that don't. regardless. the Daulrinist's of the eastern Dwarfen realms are said to be bold and honorable, as they are hearty and friendly, as their Azuras cousins. ︾ Azboloth Faith: Azboloth faith is mostly a faith that was praised by the Urakim. smaller race of Orcs & Uruk that existed in the region of Eastlandia. but it also was believed to be a source of dark divine magic that many a sorcerer and corrupt human and elf would turn to as well. in fact, the Elf's were said to turn into Dark elf's when they began to practice and worship Azboloth in Eastlandia. it was said that the dark deity would bestow great power to conquer the world and cover it in void and shadow to those who worshiped this and practices his will of embracing absolute malice and evil. and that he would send his soul to possess a great being of power to perform his will and carry out this prophecy. this encouraged the Urakim to be malicious devourers of anything regardless on if it walked on many legs, or just two. they would raid and render entire lands corroded in coru0ption and desolate. the Urakim take no resemblance to their Uruk relatives in Azuras. for they believe evil to be the one true source of power. and would have their conflict with man dominate the world of Eastlandia to the very day Vladrake would flee from the landmass all together. ︾ Naturia Faith: The Naturia faith, is the faith of the Elves, and even very few men. who have decided to worship nature itself as a deity. mostly in root to the Elves connection to nature and uphold the fact that bonding with nature and coexisting within it similar to their elven comrades in Azuras. is the true faith. and those that seek to destroy it are as evil and horrible as the Urakim. who are seen as demented souls by the Elven race and have been fighting for centuries long before the race of man Arrived in the west of Eastlandia. this put them also at odds with humans, who they see as horrible people for rejecting natures hand by trying to tame it and build their feudal kingdoms of stone. The Entling Khanate of hobbits also respected nature. in the sense that they were completely and entirely nomadic aside from some minor strongholds they constructed and visited. ︾ Cabaldro Faith: This religion revolved around the practice of worshiping supernatural creatures and were often seen among cultic people of rogue villages that worshiped the heresy. or of barbarian human tribes of natives that actually dwelled there before four lineages from the west ever even arrived, the Nephele were believed to be a race of people who superstitiously worshiped mythical races such as giants. in which they would brutally sacrifice them in hopes of appeasement that the giant beings would not destroy them for such acts. rather the truth or falsehoods of these claims remains a complete mystery. This is a map of the religious layout of the last century, also written by Vladrake into one of his many journals. Other Races & Nations: Aside from the four main races of man, there was also a great contingent of resistance and other races that provided a significant portion and were already native and present on the continent of Eastlandia, they were often regarded by the men as "natives" or subcultures, as they felt insignificant not originating and coming from Azuras. they were often disregarded and put to the back of mind and was greatly judged and misconnected as insignificant. but for the sake of explanations and setting the stage. they will be elaborated on and further explained. ︾ The Nepharlim Lands: The Nepharlim lands are often regarded as wastes to the people. as they were inhabited by a vicious tribe of barbarians. refered to as the Nephele. often seen ransacking and raiding each other, and it was noted that they also practiced the act of human sacrifice and cannibalism. this tribe would conduct many raids and roving bands of their groups often referred to as "Hordes" would be seen all throughout the realms of Eastlandia, though with heavy resistance against the kingdoms of man. they were often dangerous and had a superstitious worship and belief of a race of giants that dwelled in their sacred placed. such as many caves or barren crevasses in the ground. ︾ The Entalia Khanate: The Entalia Khanate is a roving band of nomadic halflings living in the most remote and hostile portions of the continent in the Northeast. these roving bands would raid and ransack each other and be greatly disoriented and ununified. following the leadership of many warlords with the title of "Khan." they would have few stone dwellings they would camp within or near regarding them as strongholds to resist other nations encroachment into nomad territory. and would be seen wielding composite bows and tactics riding around on small ponies. the "Halflings" or "Hobbits" of the Eastlandia world was a huge diverse contrast from their friendlier cousins across the pond. as the continent demanded the most and was brutal to even the smallest of two-legged beings. leading to an entirely terrifying and unheard-of concept to the Halflings of Azuras. ︾ The Arathlion Dwarfs: The Arathlion dwarfs referred the Dwarven sons of the line of Daulrin that dwelled in the northern most mountains of Eastlandia. known as the peaks of Arath. these dwarfs were skilled craftsmen, enchanters, and machine operators. creating many a mechanical marvel. and could control powerful forces in relation to "Steam power." the dwarfs unlike the ones of azuras, only valued defense and never sought to expand beyond the mountains they called home. only seeking to take territory that was ever lost from them should the nations of man, elf, or halfling dare take it from them. they were devoted to a tee of their religions to stay in the mountains. and protect their sacred treasures. with only a few dwarf settlements within the vicinity of their strongholds and partially occupied by the arrival of man. being the rare exception. as the settlements were used strictly for farming, as there was the impossibility of living off of food underground. ︾ The Tribes of Gorlrotha: The Urakim, otherwise known as the Eastlandian orcs, or as some might refer to them as "Dark Orcs" are a race of orcs that are believed to be possessed completely by evil. they worship a religion that revolves around a dark entity called a Dark Lord and are not past considering other races simply as animals they can devour. their culture revolves around a tribal like chiefdom. with several war chiefs that act as the leaders and warlords. that mostly declare hunting sessions called "Wargs" which are just massive war declarations and raids against anything that isn't an orc. where all the tribes gather into one massive war party, and march on entire cities and regions. trying to siege and break into them so they can feast. out of all the races of Eastlandia. the Urakim are the most distained and hated. and entire generations of people can spend half their lives dedicated to killing entire droves of them off. but the downside of the Urakim is that they are rapid breeders. believing in a dark hedonistic philosophy of their people. it is believed one male Urakim can father at least two-hundred Spawn ("Children") in his lifetime. and no, they don't believe in Marriage, or inbreeding. they will just spawn with any being of the opposite gender out of control. and attempt to overrun entire areas. in Eastlandia however, the race of men has become quite clever in their methods of combating these terrors. The Shattering: The Third Seed The Shattering is often referred to as the downfall of mankind in Eastlandia. and is the approaching to the fall of Vladriga. which was attributed to many things, the first thing was the ambition to return to "The Sovern Lands" which basically refers to Azuras to see if our ancestors' kin had survived there. or to simply seek refuge and the betterment of life. this led to many a large group of people building vastly large ships called "Conveysors" which were believed to be advanced models from the ancestorial ships that the four original families of Azuras made the crossing to. the journey was long and perilous though and barley any ships at all would arrive in the eastern worlds of Azuras. with a few trickling survivors only making it as survivors of shipwrecks that washed ashore. some say the eastern sea is filled with many a vile creature. such as Sea monsters. like the "Giant Azgaroth" often depicted as a giant octopod or squid of some sorts that is said to devour entire ships whole. though many blame it on the natural reoccurring phenomenon of violent storms which keep travel from Azuras to the Eastlandia and back again impossible. and could be measured up to the fact that unlike our forebears. we were not quite as good ship builders as our ancestors and constantly failed. regardless of the circumstances, this influx of people leaving Eastlandia contributed to massive population surges of declines which greatly impacted the economic welfare of the region. and lead to a drastic set of outcomes. such as the Warg from the Urakim in one of earlier years of The Third Seed. the Urakim were holding strong despite the constant raiding from Vaulrandir. and a sudden population explosion and surge of Urakim from the south resorted in many strongholds being lost despite the best efforts of Vaulrandir assisted by Vladriga. and mid Warg it only got worse as Vladriga seeing the futility and not wanting to risk lives to defend its own borders pulled out of the region. to the dismay of Vladrakes Great Grandfather. Vaulkmagnus Valkistar. this led to much of Vaulrandir's territory being occupied and forcing a treaty with the Urakim to pay tribute to stop the Warg. making it very clear that the time of Vaulrandir strongest resistance to the Urakim had come to a dismal end. It only got worse though. with the shattering came new struggles as the Urakim set sites on harassing the Arlnor as well. putting a strain on their fighting force which despite their strength against the barbarians and abilities to hold out were still underwhelming to the fact they had prioritized their defense against Elven and Barbarian territory more so than their western neighbor's which territory was now under partial occupation by the Urakim. it also didn't help that the Elf's at the same time smelled blood in the water. as tensions between them and Arlnor only sparked and grew worse after a scandal between and sacred elven priestess and a knight of Arlnor evaporated what little civility that was maintained between the two nations. and all it took was a border skirmish between elves and man to pincer Arlnor between the Elf's and Urakim. though it was fair to say the Urakim were a help to no side as they slaughtered both elf and man alike. the final straw for Arlnor was a sudden surprise event known as "The Scourage" in which a large contingent of Barbarians was said to storm Arlnor bordering outskirts within Nepharim territory. Alnor was not only devastated. but completely capitulated and thrown into anarchy by swarms of invaders from several races. though it was fair to say the Elf's did acknowledge suspension of military actions during the barbarian's raids and attacks for the sake of protecting their own territories from chaos as well. it made little difference. and floodings of refugee's to Vladriga created problems. around the time Vladrakes Grandfather assumed the crown of Vladriga. and with that Arlnor was no more, split between the Urakim and Ratheldia. This crisis was only worsened as the Sanjier seeing an opportunity refused aid and applied all pressure onto Vladriga. which saw this as the straw that broke the camel's back. and leading into what is called the "Final Vladrigan Crusade, The VII Crusade" in which the next thirty-four years was the bloodiest conflict Vladriga had ever endured. but the rage felt for the now branded traitors and abandoners of humanity. Seljuke territory was viciously scourged into and vastly destroyed. with assistance from the Dwarfs to resize their southeastern mountain strongholds. Sanjier despite its overwhelming size and ferocity and terrain had struggled and faced humiliating defeat after defeat. till finally. a sudden Scourge by the elf's and Entling Khanate forced them to Surrender. leading to mass concessions of land, and the inability to defend its territory in future campaigns. leaving it forever as a desolated shadow of the Sultanates former glory. but it may as well have been a double-edged sword. for by the time the war was over, Vladrakes father was in his early forties. and the destruction and expending of Vladrigas military forces, plus the continued expenditures of it to defend its southern borders with the Urakim. meant the kingdom would enter its first dark age for the next twenty years. and the worst was only yet to come. The Fall of Vladriga: The Second Age. The Fall of the nation of Vladriga was not due to destruction from a nation. but destruction of order from within. Vladriga stood as the last bastion and beacon of humanity. and by the ending of Vladrakes Father, King Alander I of House Valkistar. to that little that he would know he would be Vladriga's last king, and his son wouldn't even be able to wear the crown. on the day of retirement and celebration of Vladrakes coronation. the house fell into chaos. as a Nephele Barbarians somehow break the fortifications of the walls and storm into the capital of Vladriga. and began terrorizing and laying waste to the walls. The Barbarian savages would begin destroying the entire city and devouring upon its animals and people. then in which Vladrake and the army tried their best to bring it down, but due to undersupplying and lack of manpower due to troops being stationed only in the south. The Downfall was when the brutes finally surounded the castle, and stormed in. and Vladrake witnessing the horror as his siblings and mother captured by the brutes would be killed in front of him one by one. would order a Hastey retreat from the castle. the alarm bells rung and the order to expel everything and escape from the city was swiftly given, for without the castle, moral was completely and utterly devastated. and lack of order lead to chaos from criminal elements as well which only exasperated. the city tried to hold out for two days. requesting reinforcements, and at the end of the second day. a letter was received that no reinforcements would be spared. and orders of severance and secession were being dispatched to the capital and its garrison left, right and center. aaa The capital of Vladriga would not receive aid and would be completely and utterly destroyed. as entire cities and villages once loyal to the kingdom. would break off and declare their own allegiances, not wanting to waste their defense against the chance the giant would show up to them next. which lead to the conclusion of Vladrake being ordered to leave Eastlandia by his father. who him and a contingent of men would then later to Vladrakes sorrow and dismay. distract and sacrifice themselve to buy time for the rest of the citizens to escape the barbarians with vladrake and a vangaurd leading them out. The last sight vladrake would see of his father, is him and his strongest knights charging in on white stallions. only to be brutally slaughtered by them with little to no effort. it was said that Vladrake held little to no tears for the loss of his father by many loyalists. though that may as well have been propaganda. None the Less, with the fall of Vladriga's capital and the shattering of it into many subnations. the last bit of strength of man in Eastlandia had faltered. and the Age of man had come to an abrupt end. many speculate that in a few centuries. new nations of man, or perhaps the two that remain though weak may recover, and the former territories of Velandia may yet fall together once more under a new banner and name. but now. all that once remains of Vlandia. are the people who remained loyal to Valkistar, and Vladrake and the blood of his royal family. a house no longer mentioned by rule of man, but by its presence as wanderer's. in the world. Valkistar: The Last Great Bloodline When Vladriga's capital fell to the Barbarians of Nephele and was raised to the ground, it was said by all of man the last Great bloodline of Eastlanida had fallen. but may yet still remain. the lineage of the Seljuke Sultunate was put to an end when Sultan Aramekude Sajir I and his entire harem and extended family was put to death. via being Staked in front of their palace by Vladrakes Father and his armies. which was a gruesome execution process of impaling dead bodies to be displayed in the street via long wooden poles either through the chest, or worse. it was a popular method of execution for Vladriga. and used as a primary form of Deterrent. giving many Valkistars the dread title of "the Impaler's of Eastlandia." and was seen as the end of a dynasty which ruled Seljuke territory since just three decades after the arrival and death of Sanjier. and was believed to be directly descended of his bloodline. as for Vaulrandir, the heir to their throne was killed during a battle with the Urakim. where the lower half of his body was eaten, and his head was placed on a pike in the Urakims capital war camp. their king, Ramald Hardigan I. did not have any children nor wife, and was too old and ill to have one. it was said that fifteen years later he died. not just from disease. but of a suffering heart from the loss of his son. of which he spent the remainder of his years grieving for his lose in isolation. He too was believed to be the primary descendant of his lineage of Vaulnier, and his death marked the end of yet another great original lineage of the eastern men. And of course, it was no surprise that the last of Arlnors royal family died in battle. in which the elf's were said to take the king and his entire family's bodies and placed them in cursed tombs deep in elven territory. where it is said, their souls were destined to live in eternal torment being trapped in the dark. the king had three sons, but none managed to escape the wrath of the elves and their dark magic. and they all too perished. And thus, with that, the fall of the Asorath lineage was all but confirmed. Many in Eastlandia find it hard to believe that the fourth lineage survived. many believe that vladrake was ordered to stay and die at his father's side. but little to everyone's notion. he didn't. despite the suggestion he did though. many a kingdom and people in the area speculated that there might had been a chance Vladrake could have either fled with a contingent of men or survived. many false kings of the territories that rose up out of Vladriga upon hearing this said that high bounties were placed upon the "deserter" princes head, quoting that "if he truly did survive or desert in battle, then he is not fit to continue the lineage of Vulknaur, and will bring a curse upon the bloodline, and that his line must be eradicated." though it was obvious a ploy to dismantle the heritage and destroy any chance of Vladrake ever returning to restore Vladriga. Vladrake would be forced to undergo a journey to the shores of Vladriga, fighting and killing many an army and captors. set about on bringing an end to his line and cementing their king's declaration of ascension to rule. All of which failed. for the might of Vladrake and his Vaulk knight's were said to not be able to be beaten. and that the prince was a masterful tactician. though one thing remained clear, with the vast quantities of people now sought to destroy him. Vladrake could no longer stay in former Vladriga. or even Eastlandia. he had to make a difficult choice. and after surviving a difficult journey to the coast. he too would sail out with the remainder of his knights. to the shores of Azuras. many in either Azuras or Eastlandia speculate that there was no chance the prince could have survived his journey. some tell him and his knights was devoured by a sea monster with their ship. others believed a storm had gotten him. but if you're reading this. it is fair to say that though the ship did indeed meet a storm and sank. there was a large chance a prince washed up on the shore. and one of Azuras's most ancient lineages that traveled across the sea along time ago. Had finally Returned to its ancestorial Home. and for those that see him, well the rest is present history. For more current events, look up the Family Lore Page: Credits & Artwork: Most Medieval Battle & ship Artwork: Microsoft Search engine + me and Canva editing Software. and their respective poster's/creators. Valkistar Symbol: Lucian Winthrop / Tuggisishere/ Geniusdrei Suggestions and Cooperation Credited: Valkistar discord: Martinocool, Sonicwolf5, teapumkin707, praisethemoon7, notachipshop, epicthan4, kmankenobi1, angelbananacat, mimosamoi, quaack, shadowylord, and for all the viewers and participants who played a part in helping build the in-depth roleplay around Vladrake Valkistar, in the LOTC Minecraft server. (Thank you all for your wonderful contribution's! and let me know real soon of future edits.)

Rise Of Valkistar: A House & Kingdom "A new Legacy Rises" The house of Valkistar is a rising family in the latest age of the Empire. as of 10th of The First Seed beginning with a humble heritage of Vladrake Valkistar. and his arrival to the western world inhabiting the capital city of the empire. starting out as a refugee. Vladrake was simply a man of a former noble house, fleeing from his kingdom's destruction in the unknown reaches of the eastern world. a place he claimed goes by the name of "Vladriga." his father the late Araglion Valkistar. was entering his late 80th year on the throne, and Vladrake was eagerly said to be awaiting his coronation. until a dastardly event altered the course of his history. a giant, massing to a size of at least thirty to fourth feet tall in diameter. stormed over the kingdom's walls and laid waste to its city and castle. devouring entire groups of the population whole. it was said and acclaimed by Vladrake. that his father faced the beast in one daring event to allow him to escape. only wishing his son a well and happy successful future, and the restoration of Vladrakes legacy and their dynasty. The house can be described as an early to mid-medieval styled gothic dynasty. with their house animal and sigil being the Blooded Bat with a symbol of the crown. they are known for their crudeness and intrigue. and creepy attire, often sporting a variety of Black & purple. sporting slight red, maroon, or beige colors for capes or trimmings. the Valkistar lineage consists of a lot of people sporting black hair with blue eyes. and a Wallachian like attire and accent. (Basically Dracula.) their creepiness and aesthetic is often inspired by darkspawn. believing that by embracing the darks pawns darkness, they too can arise to the cornerstone of power. though they themselves are not actually considered Vampyre, or other names. they simply believe that by embodying and mimicking the Vampires aesthetic that they can achieve their Mystery, Power, and intimidation. Vladrake would be accompanied and assisted in his escape by his closest friend. Gaston Massimo. of which the man would accompany Vladrake as his faithful servant. swearing that for Vladrakes generosity he would be devoted to assisting to restore Vladrakes legacy no matter the cost. Gaston would upon arrival swiftly after joining the Guard core of the Capital. and the two men would settle into the empire as Refugee's. and there Vladrake would begin establishing a business, of which it would later evolve into a bakery. he would also build many a customer and group of buyers and employers for his more illicit enterprise. of establishing a mob in the imperial capital. and reigning over the region as a drug lord. only to establish a large-scale fortune of course. the empire was a cruel place, facing adversaries and problematic issues at every turn. worse yet it didn't help that many people didn't respect and acknowledge Vladrakes title. a slight he was willing to embrace and accept. Vladrake would also come close to reunifying with his distant cousin, and Gaston's direct cousin. Martino Von, Kronen. as well as Gaston's adopted son, Clemet Massimo. these people would help reforge the rising efforts of the Valkistar family name and legacy. Vladrake would also grow to accompany a woman and be fond of Aylisa. and her brother Johnan. who would aid them in establishing themselves within the city and their business. as well Vladrake would also grow to establish connections within the IBA. the imperials business agency. Together it seemed as for a brief moment nothing could stop them, and they would grow and establish for the time being what would have been the fastest growing underground empire, and enterprise within the imperial capital. and it would only take a mire brief moment to send it all crashing down. "A Scorned Legacy!" "The Downfall." This would all come to end when a new threat presented itself. Vladrake would attempt to converse to many people in the empire with his gregarious nature, especially the children. who he enjoyed being kind to and selling and distributing his sweets for. as Vladrake aside from his dark connections as a drug dealer. was also a Baker. and loved to spoil children. one fateful evening a few days before the downfall. they ran into the wrong Child. Pompina Helane, of the Barony of Valmont. child of Sir Antonious. of which whom her and her friends had a troubling habit of accusing either truthfully or falsely. "Most often falsely" people of heinous crimes. was talking with Vladrake in an alley. Gaston who was on patrol, and crossbow drawn approached the children from behind to interject in the confrontation. as the children were not treating Vladrake too kindly. the young lady and her friends proceeded to act scared of Gaston. and rush to the town square, accusing Gaston of assaulting the children with his crossbow. of which Vladrake eagerly defended his faithful servant and friend's it wasn't long until the emperor showed up and scolded Pompina and lashed out at her for doing more of her Outlandish accusations. but despite Gaston and Vladrakes brief victory. it wasn't long before Pompina would set her sights for revenge, because it was very apparent, once she set out to hurt someone. she wouldn't rest until that person was devastated. and alas. she would have her harshness carried out against Vladrake and Gaston. as she purposefully searched and investigated the bakery for yet another set of false accusations, of which they would soon discover Vladrakes underground operations within the empire. the result was Gaston was arrested first. follow by Vladrake. of which both were sentenced to be banished from the city and their operation dismantled. their livelihood was gone, Vladrakes wealth torn from him. and worse yet, his friendships and Aylisa, possibly cut off from him. it wouldn't be the last encounter, as shortly after being banished. many a man would try to harass Vladrake later from the empire, seeking to bring him back to be killed. with Vladrake narrowly avoiding death and escape. But Vladrake wouldn't forget, nor would he Forgive the Empire, or Pompina for this slight. and upon hearing words from him. Gaston and most of his growing family would also grow angry. Vowing loyalty and Vengeance. "Refuge and Rebirth." "The Destined Kingdom." Vladrake now is settled upon establishing a kingdom. fleeing with Gaston into the regions of Iduna. through rain, and storms. he traveled bounded until discovering a way to free himself of his binds. banished and ill equipped. with the empire at his heels. Vladrake shows concern. but now worry. his dark blue eyes fill with a rageful crimson. and a fire the likes of which no one has seen. he is now determined to do one thing. Build a new Kingdom. and avenge the loss. of his Home, his friends. But most of all. the women he had feelings for. he knows not where he goes. or where he intends to tread to. but one thing is for certain. as of now. he seeks to expand his household further. and expand the many people who swear allegiance and loyalty to house Valkistar. He swears to establish a new kingdom. one capable of challenging the very people who have hurt him. The Empire itself. He vows to the ends of his days that he is their Enemy. and that he will be the man and general. that or his legacy will bring the empire to its knees. He curses the lineages of those who have wronged him. to find themselves at his mercy. He hides from the empire, watching, Waiting, Recruiting, biting his time and growing his armies. Some say he may even be negotiating with the Damned. bringing a rath of blood and darkspawn, making pacts with mages and magi. growing wrestles and eager. waiting for the opportune time to strike when the Empire least expects it. and that when the time comes. the only thing the empire will feel is not their courage. nor their faith or bravery. Vladrake will ensure that all the empire will be able to feel. Is Fear. and it would seem that these facts would come to haunt the empire as truth. for one fateful eve of the empire. would seal their troubles and worries. for a time came in the city of Petra. where the metal of house Valkistar would be Tested. for Gaston would take on an Squire. whom unknowingly and wittingly to him. Vladrake would meet a devastating "supposed" end. "A Broken Wing." "The Betrayal." There came a time when visiting Petra that Vladrake had met Urikk, a man who has seen much battle, his armor dressed like that of a man from the Kingdom of Nordland and that of the Empire Combined. and it was to him Vladrake shared his families dreams of Conquest and expansion. the desire to establish a kingdom. the likes of which were one may yet rival the empire. it was on this note that Urikk, secretly harboring absolute loyalty to the empire. would seek to then kidnap Vladrake away under the false pretense that he was scouting possible locations to establish a realm or a place to build their home. but alas. he was planning simply to meet up with cohorts to whisk him away to the empire for trial. on these travels at a brief stop. Urikk would reveal his true intentions. in which case. Vladrake would blind Urikk with a smoke bomb and knock him unconscious with an axe. where he would rush back to the City of Petra. to try and meet up with Gaston to escape. But alas. he would not be able to enter the city, for under imperial influence, the city itself would only assist in Vladrakes capture. Vladrake would try once more to escape. but he would be caught. and dragged to an undisclosed location of the empire to him. Vladrake would be beaten, trialed. have his legs broken. and then sadly. would be witnessed by many in the empire. his execution. it was a terrifying sight. a rather chilling day. as the men requested Vlad rakes last words. he did not even show fear or hesitation. He simply grinned and proclaimed. "This is not the end. though you may take my life here and now. you will never truly be rid of me. the Spirit of Vladrake will live on. my spirit will rise again and haunt you all to the end of your days!" and with that the sword dropped cleaving Vladrakes head from his body. Urikk and many in the empire cheered. but they swear they felt a dark presence and chill in the area. few assumed that was the chill of victory. but it was said that many felt a chill of fear. and that possibly. the emperor himself, for the first time ever. was in fact afraid. and rightfully so. the Empire did all they could as a precaution to hide and prevent Vladrakes body from rising. burying him in an unmarked grave. but shadows arose across the land. moving ever closer to Vladrake. a dark chilling presence from that of his ancient homeland of Vladriga. "The Bat Rises New!" "the Resurrection Of Vladrake." Vladrake would later be revived by priests and sent back to petra where he wouldnt remember anything of his death, he would also learn of his dear friend gastons depature from him and his house, which left him devastated. but his story still is not yet over and he continues to inspire fear amongst the imperials.

truly a heartening tale.

Legendary Creature: Nepharlim "An Ancient Terror." The Nepharlim are a rare and powerful ancient race of Humanoid beings, that have believed to have dwelled in the farthest known reaches of the eastern world. off the map, and this legend is believed to be why few to none journey beyond the borders of their known kingdoms and the edge of the known map. many other people come up with crazier theories like the world is square and if they walk too far, they will reach the edge of the world and fall off. or that ancient titanic beasts like dragons may still yet be alive and flying, reigning havoc over them. but the truest form of these threats materializes in a threat Known as, The Nepharlim. often regarded in English tongue as "The Giant Men." towering beings similar to humans but with minimalistic speech capabilities or movement. the larger they are the more mysterious they get, with rough estimates or legends suggesting these towering beasts can reach up to fifty, to one hundred feet in length. About 20-35 "blocks" tall in Minecraft terms. with the smallest among them, the sub race of them referred to as the "Nephari." reaching about 5 blocks tall, an average of up to 9 to 10 feet. The Nephari, and their taller more legendary kin. were believed to be ruthless. though. they were greedy and obsessed with strength. taking as they pleased. towering over their lesser, it is believed that many an ancient race may have inherited their height from them, such as the Orcs, Trolls, and Elf's. but their history with them is often referred to as a dark one. for with such towering beings, the average height beings we know to rule our world through the many feudal nations today would not have been possible should they still have existed. as it is believed at a point and time the Humans and many of these races alike fought against them in our ancient world of Azuras for many reasons, but the main one being legend of us being one of their primary food sources. as it was suggested by many cultures that the Nepharlim, at least the ones bigger than twenty feet, would eat entire people whole. and the ones above forty feet can demolish entire cities and devour entire inhabitants whole. but regardless of their circumstances. somehow, these ancient creatures were beaten back, possibly to extinction. though the means as for how our ancestors before our time came to do so. some may believe that Nepharlim traits exist within humanity today. as some abnormally tall humans can indicate that their presence is all but confirmation through these situations. As for how these beings were created, many speculate that it was due to human females possibly inbreeding with spiritual entities, such as Demons or Fallen Angels. others speculate it was a rouge strain of heritage that promoted unrestrained growth. and that the Nepharlim evolved over time. one thing we can talk about them is from observations of other massive creatures in the world that due to their sheer size. they were far much slower and incapable of movement and communication. though their powerful lungs and tongue suggests that they could roar at ear drum shattering decibels. though the Nephari in question were much more significant at speech then their more massive kin, though their civility still is rather on the questionable side. many a Nephari may have dwelled among Human nations of the past, who possibly worshiped and revered them out of a desire to avoid being killed or eaten by them. and may or may not have even used them for war. (a painted portrait of these ancient creatures.) Many of these giants would dwarf modern walls of cities today, and crush them, walk over them, or push them over with ease. especially those that are of legend that have reached over thirty feet and above. some say in many rural regions if you go digging deep within the fields and caves of the world of Azuras, you might even be able to uncover giant ancient battlefields of skeletons of hundreds of small men, surrounding or even mixed in with much more massive ones. suggesting that the two sides came together in brutal conflict. and as can be seen clearly today. it is imperative to determine of course who of the two came out on top. and to wonder what edge we possibly had to overcome our towering adversaries of the past. there is even high speculation to date that many believe the adversaries were never truly defeated, only imprisoned possibly within the ground somewhere, where our ancestors had miraculously driven them to or tricked them to be imprisoned. deep below the bowels of Azuras. many say they were possibly even banished to another realm, possibly by means of forbidden magic. now lost to time and destroyed so as to not be able to ever unleash them again. many believe that they also may have never truly been defeated, but that due to their sheer size. their numbers have become more sparce, and that we are lucky simply to be in regions where they never have existed or have yet to wander into. (ancient armies possibly fighting or even using the Nepharlim.) these terrible giants were also presumably our races only natural predators. the only things capable of standing against us. though it is fair to say that their size may have also been no match for our races growing advancements in technology. and that due to a lack of numbers. they were much easier to overcome eventually and outright defeat. one thing does remain clear though, is that many a nation has forgotten about them. and that possibly for a very important purpose. our ancestors tried to eradicate our memory of these terrible beasts that towered over us in tyranny. there are many a folk who say that exploring dark caves, or somehow in the world. they have seen many of these towering creatures. smashing entire cities in the far east. many a traveler from there would rumor of their existence. and give indication as to that is why they have journeyed far to the west. but these people are often scrutinized as insane or crazy. and met with ridicule by others.

Carter Lockwold: A Valmont Legend Chapter 1: A Mysterious Stranger. "Carters New Beginning" Carter Lockwold was born along the village of Faravale, a place in the far most eastern, sparsely mapped, and unknown regions of the known world. occupied by a mix of all forms of races who co-exist peacefully, despite the conflicts and struggles of the main nations further out west. in what his people often referred to as the old-world. it was a remote place cut completely off from the main roads, and the influences of more modern feudal societies including religion, politics, cultures. here the society's tended to blend together in a melting pot, where town watches kept the peace as soldiers no more equipped better than standard law enforcement then soldiers. and the one rule of those who intended harm, were hostile, those that went about their business. were permitted. regardless of race, beliefs, or ethnicity. it was a peaceful place, where orc, goblin, human, elf, or dwarf could all drink together and have a blast selling merchandise and making coin or whatever currency they could come by. as due to lack of establishment, was mostly reliant on "shinnies" (rare metals.) or bartering. Carter's life was that of at first a Humble carpenter, who had two loving parents educating him as most parents often do in the family trade and profession. he looked as though he would grow old, get married, and be a carpenter and die just as any other peasant would do. He spent his free time meeting travelers from the west who were fleeing seeking lives away from the political strives in the insanity. hearing tales of the liberating life they could had if they caught themselves off from civilization. he would have drinks with them in a tavern and learn stories and tales of the wars and conflicts, political endeavors, and the craziness of the western world. and for a time, he even probably had his eyes set on a women tending the bar at his local tavern. But Faravale wouldn't last long, the Town came face to face with a horrendous outcome. one day, a plague came through the town, it left many with a fever, dreaded marks, and a paleness of the skin. it would only be as short as two weeks before death would claim a life, and the bodies began to pile up. the town tried burying those who they could. but it ultimately was a disaster. and would little to resolve. for one evening while everyone was asleep. the bodies awoken, and started mauling and attacking their loved ones, many crawled out of their graves. and chaos caused fires and panic to spread out of control. Carter would search the town tirelessly, being met with the death of his parents, and his lover, and the turning of his friend into the dreaded Dark spawn. Carter would be bitten at the time, and barley survive his encounter, awaking from the rubble of a ruined building that had collapsed onto him. when he looked around, there was nothing left of Faravale, but the rising smoke and smoldering outlines and wreckage of buildings. he would wander for days, eating wild herbs and trying to ward off the effects of the strange creatures bite. (a digitally animated scene of Faravale during the attack of the vampires) Carter would survive his encounter, of which the two people, a Human named Lark and his friend a Troll would be the first of many carters growing circle of friends. would find him on a bridge leading to one of the Empires many cities. they would rescue him just barley in time as the herbs were finally losing their strength in resisting the creatures venom. and he was slowly on the edge of turning, there, the two men would pick him up and carry him to the clinic where at the time, a Magi named Ark. would barley save his life using a special Herbal tea that helps cure the infection. and a special spell to remove the rest of the affliction. Carter was barley saved. though the scars of the attack will linger with him forever. and the Vampires only followed him to his new life. Carter would officially after being healed dropped his Carpenter ways and dedicate his life to learning swordsmanship and a means to defeat his vampire adversary's. under the charge and watchful eye of Sir Antonious. whose son Trajan Helene would oath into service as a guardsman for the family. Carter would spend the following years learning much of the capital, and the family, growing quite close to protecting them all. and establishing a sense of dedication and loyalty. and a great Fondness for Anton and his family. there was much strife for carter as well, as his kind heart, and respectful heritage of other races often lead him into conflict with his fellow man. and his obsession and trauma from the dark spawns put him on edge of insanity and personal destruction. though one thing remains certain, carter has a powerful desire for vengeance in his heart. Chapter 2: The Sharpshooters Birth "Conflict with Orcs." Carter would grow into his skills later on, Within the next six years of his life. after joining up with Antonious and his kids, would sharpen many of his skills, Carter showed great promise despite his growing Paranoia. seeking comfort from Ale and the church. he would grow his circle of friends to include many among the citizenry, including a bard from the capitals Local Tavern. and impress many an imperial figure in the court. many people respected him for his Loyalty and had mixed feelings of care and concern for his growing trait of compassion and eagerness to help. he would face many problems that would turn and cause many to break their loyalty to the empire. but he would resist. and even on the eve of a pressing conflict with the orcs in their stronghold. Carter would lead the helm from the frontline, cloaked in armor and strength. he would adapt to circumstances and even directly shout and challenge the strength and bravery of the orcs directly in front of their keep head on. narrowly avoiding archer fire to the anger of the orcs inside. Shooting and killing many a few of them with his Crossbow. earning him the reputation of an incredible Sharpshooter. as he managed to accomplish ten near impossible shots, landing them clean into the heads of ten orcs, including one particularly wearing special cladded golden armor. Carter's reputation in the capital and the passion against the Dark Spawn and eagerness to find, kill, and burry his friend who had turned from his village. would eventually lead to him being sent on a mission to Alba. upon request of his Lord and Friend, Sir Antonious. where he would purchase one of the many crowning achievements of his rapidly growing military career. a Slayers Blade, a powerful sword with strength against the unholy and supernatural. encouraging him to face his fears and make him strong enough to challenge Dark Spawn Directly. he even Challenge a lady of the realm directly a few months prior, risking his very life and limb despite facing overwhelming odds, aiming a crossbow at everyone including her. to protect Antonious's Son from being thrown into the ice-cold river during the winter months. Carter simply retorted with. Carter Lockwold: "I'm assigned to protect him, so ill happily die for him, but if anyone wishes to die as well in stopping me, so be it. so, who wants to be the one to die first?" (a profile picture of Carter Lockwold, Crossbow in hand, Fighting Vampires.) For many a soul in the Empire of Man, carter is considered bluntly insane, but his Loyalty and Compassion made him known and famous. not just for many a man, but Elf, Dwarf, and Orc across the world. who have heard words and tales of the stranger from a far-off village, who went from a refugee & survivor of a vampire attack. to a guard in a single month, participated in a victorious battle. and have earned glory and renown beyond measure. and if you found carter sometime around then, you may have found him watching the gate, getting a pint at the tavern. and for a time, if you were really lucky, you will catch him staring off into the sky, watching and waiting with crossbow in hand, a sworn protector of the Capital. ready to shoot any Dark Spawn, who dares to threaten him, or his city. until one day a dark cloud rolled into the capital. and an evil presence was finally detected on its outskirts. an old encounter was beginning to be emerged. Chapter 3: A Hero's Kidnapping "Carters Kidnapping" one fateful evening on his 33rd year, carter would be sent on a patrol by Antonious throughout the hills and surrounding regions east of fort Valmont. there the patrol was cold bit hard, and the company of his commanding officer, Guardsmen Urikk. was just as ruthless as the snow that fell around them. they would patrol along the river until finally arriving again at fort Valmont, but a strange presence was detected by Urikk in the nearby dark forest, known as the "Wald." by the many races of the world. a short brief investigation was in order. the forest was creepy and dark. filled with an Erie sense of evil. spiderwebs filled the trees, the dark black oak and many shadows could easily hide many foes. Then it happened, the faint crying and weeping of a woman was heard in the stretch of the woods. and carter and Urikk both found and made eye contact with her. that's when it had finally befallen on them that the encounter was unnatural. as many sounds and shadows begin to surround the pair. fair to say that carter and Urikk were both on guard and on edge. as Carter had seen many a strange thing from fort Valmont in the many years prior. a tormenting set of sightings of his former best friend, Harldin Ralford. a "supposed" victim of the scourge of his Village prior. when in truth, it possibly could have been the fact, that Harldin was never a victim, and responsible for the attack the entire time. For one thing was for sure, carter would discover swiftly that these vampires were by no means the normal and feral kind. these were stronger and more powerful than the scourge of the Corcituri that plagued and killed the entirety of his home. and it was clear that they both were in a struggle for their very lives, as four of the Dark Spawn, were now slowly creeping up on them through the branches and trees. with speed that would terrify any man. Carter would find himself in a struggle and grapple, as the fighting would force him and Urikk to separate. as Carter was surrounded and grappled by three vampires, practically forcing him to writhe and wreath on the ground, as he was knocked unconscious, and given a nasty scar across the face. long before his friend Urikk fell as well and met an untimely fate. that of which carter did not know of at the time, but Urikk was doomed to fall victim of the Scourge itself. his mind lost to the poison of the Vampyre. though he was fortunate yet to not be turned by the monsters that would claim his home, For Harldin had other plans. Carter on the other hand would be kidnapped, taken to a far-off part of the realm, unknown, Harldin, the vampire responsible for the destruction of his village, and the loss of his home, now revealed to be a vampire Scourge in the far-off lands carter was whisked away to. would now hold carter captive. with plans and intentions that carter will only slowly to begin discovering and unraveling. with grave injuries. it seems there is little hope for him to escape this situation. but fate may yet intervene for our brave hero. as many a soul would remember carter. and perhaps wish to seek to come to his aid. For carter's tale as a Human at least, was possibly yet just far from over. Chapter 4: The Grand Escape "Carters Cleverness" Carter was trapped and all hope seemed lost for the beloved guardsmen, his captor turned into a bat and flown him all the way to the far reaches of Iduna, away from the lands of the empire to the bowels of a hidden ruined village and castle. shrouded in mysterious woodlands. there in the ruined keep. would lock carter away in the dark inside of a coffin. plotting a manacle scheme above his body, he would torture and play with an unconscious and struggling carters mind, clawing at his face with his tendrils, and giving and fleshing out for him a scar. he toyed with carter, declaring that no matter how hard or wherever he went, he would always claim carter to be a part of him and his dastardly evil intentions. but if there was one thing that his rival had underestimated on carter. that despite all his weakness's and his flaws. the true advantage of humans, was their deception, and cleverness. Carter despite his injuries had stashed away months' worth of food in his pockets. and he sat there and remained slightly unconscious, biting his time. hoping the vampire would not decide to turn him against his will, and luckily for him, his newfound vampire adversary, was too busy to notice carter regaining his health and strength. till finally, Carter had managed to find a way to open the coffin. and attempt to sneak out, but alas. he was caught. and he came face to face with a vampire without weapons. but carter wasn't one for thinking on his feet. the creature eagerly watched and observed him. cackling maniacally as if it was in the superior position. the following texts was an in-depth author's report on the encounter, in accordance with carters' interview at the hospital. the vampire cackled with glee and asked him. "Are you awake?" in which carter in kind, "ugh painfully, if you call living in a coffin awake." the creature would approach, stating "even if you manage to somehow make it past me up those stairs. you will never make it far. I'll always get you." Carter stayed calm and eagerly replied with a grin "didn't anyone ever teach you Dark spawn a cornered rat can still bite?" the creature cackled and continued to approach him. though cautiously now, as carter seemed unphased, and was holding his hands right above his pockets, indicating he was hiding something. "Bite me with what? you haven't even got any weapons." Carter simply sighed and stated "no, but I got cursed taters from heaven" and in his own words it said carter dashed and gave the Dark spawn a full face full of old potatoes right in the eye. the creature flailed about as carter rushed up the stars and out into the courtyard. in which the beast roared and chased. and thundered after him all the way to the river, in which case, Carter ducked and used the speeds of the rapids and his swimming despite injury to outrun the vampire, who was hot on his heels, trying to dive in and out of the water and scale and run across tree's trying hard to capture him once more. or for all Carter knows finish him off at last. it jeered and taunted him. even sarcastically thanking carter claiming for feeding him a free meal. carter would dive and dodge, coming out of the water rarely trying to hide. with only minor accidents and simple efforts dodging the vampires' tendrils and jaws by simply a few inches. (a Visual graphic reference to Carter & Ruby escaping the Vampire on Horseback.) But the beast was fast, ten times the speed of him, but every sense and ounce of anticipation and sheer luck played off. for downstream, a clueless traveler on a horse just happened chance stop by the stream and bear witness to Carter swimming down the river, having no clue entirely how or why she happened chanced saw a half-armored man floating aimlessly in a river. with the vampire close on his heels, carter barely noticed her and swam to shore screaming "GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" the women by chance, Ruby, was hesitant to help to say the least, thinking carter was simply mad. but then the vampire swooped down at them and roared with his jaws gnashing at them. in a panic carter hopped onto the back of the horse. screaming and pleading with the girl who didn't think twice and drove mad down the road on horseback. the vampire simply barreling down at them in full chase. and them only escaping by a hair. it was a difficult escape. but some twist and turns and hard maneuvering the vampire couldn't handle. finally resulted in carter and now Mrs. Ruby, to fortunately just narrowly avoid by the skin of their teeth the dreaded bite of the Dark spawn. but it wasn't the last, as the vampire swore that no matter where carter went, or how hard he tried, he would always find him, capture him, and that soon, he was going to have Carter's blood, willingly or not. Carter and the girl managed to travel along the road and hillsides. managing to escape to a nearby city. there. he would be healed by the local city doctor. as the adrenaline had worn off and he reopened many of his old wounds. and a fever would set in now as he struggled to fight the infection. Carter for the time felt safe within the second story of the city's clinic. but he feared for the guardsmen and hunters being sent after those beasts. for it was very certain to him that they were nothing like the beasts that attacked him. Carter had not realized it, nor probably would ever yet put the parts together. But Carter had become one of the first ever to come face to face and survive, a Legendary Moroi Vampyre. one of the strongest variations of its kind. and would hopes that eventually, he would be able to count his blessings. Carter now stares at the Watchmen who also Visited him and worries, as they declare they will search for the vampire, but looking for such a thing can possibly only lead to one outcome. Damnation. for Carter can only feel sadness and despair. for the loss of his fellow guardsmen Urikk. to the Darkspawn.