TheWyrdWolf

I love this, i really enjoy the purely defensive nature of the piece and the themes you're striving for <3

“Brave the flames, if you wish to live.” _______________________________________ The words raced through his mind as he sat upon the edge of the river in some secluded forest grove at the edge of the world. He stared into the waters as his reflection stared back, observing the burns he had sustained in his flight from the past. He pictured the events of the day clearly, a tunnel of darkness trapping him in on all sides, stone walls closing in and suffocating him. Behind him, the sonorous proclamations and mocking tongue of a King of the Hells that sought only to drag him back into infernal chains. Before him stood a young woman, radiant beacon of ash and fire, a guardian wreathed in flame who barred his path and that of the darkness behind him. It had felt like a turning point. A single decision that would ultimately dictate the course of his future even if he had been damned to eternal torment in the Hells. Upon the cusp of the intense heat and ash that radiated from her, he hesitated. He had hesitated not because of pain, at least not at first, but for the first time in his life the path forward demanded suffering in the pursuit of something greater, no shortcuts, no bargains with dark gods or promises of power. Only pain, sacrifice and faith that there might be a glimmer of hope beyond those flames. He needed only to brave the fire. And so he did. The smell of burning flesh marked his decision and sealed his fate. When he emerged into the relative safety of the other side, he had collapsed out of pure mental and physical exhaustion from the events of the day. He could only watch as this woman and her guard stood in the face of evil, and banished it with cleansing flame and blade, casting it back into the depths from whence it came. In the midst of this clash of flame and shadow, a white dove had been struck down. It had been the same white dove that had lingered around him for many years, always watching like some silent guardian. As he held the dove in his hands, the realization struck him hard. He had called himself a protector. He had sought to redeem himself of the sins of his past, to make good on his promise and vow to the one he cared for. Yet all he had truly accomplished was nearly getting a stranger killed and losing his own life. He had shut the doors of the only path he knew that could see his connection to the Hells severed and now he was alone, an outcast once more. Once again his weakness and inability to do anything had been proven, he had to be saved by others and did not have the strength to do it himself. If he was so weak, how could he go about protecting others? The thought stabbed at his heart. In the aftermath of that battle, the Elder had arrived and he had been interrogated. He felt the judging stares of all around him, the hate in their eyes for what he was and yet he had been granted mercy. Banishment. “Do not return until you are free of the Darkness.” the Elder had said. As he stared at his reflection in the waters and tended to the burns he had endured, he was left with more uncertainty than before. The Black Church and all its Infernal hounds would hunt him now, he had no allies left, nowhere left to hide. He only had one thought in his mind. What now..

A Player run Eventline by TheWyrdWolf Trailer Humanity stands unified, for the first time in living memory and many ages. A continent united beneath a single banner, a single purpose, a single Emperor. Yet this unity had not come without a steep cost and while the Emperor Hadrian I had forged his dominion through blood, with the Descendants engaged in brutal war with one another, the forces of the Arch Betrayer gathered in the darkness, granted the reprieve to grow ever stronger. Unhindered, the seeds of corruption were sown deep within the once pure lands of the silver woods and with the wakening of the Wraith Lord Reikenor by the hand of the Black Church would a terrible scar be wrought on the very body of Azuras itself. A festering gateway into the Abyss, spewing forth the hordes of shambling abominations who clamour for only one thing. Corruption and Chaos. With their newfound ally in the Wraithlord and no sign of the Deific interference, the Black Church and the Black Sepulchre at their side would only be spurned into greater acts of defiance against the Descendants. While the Descendants were embroiled in war, the sons and daughters of the fallen Aengul Xan alongside the Templars of Malchadiel had been fighting alone against the encroaching darkness as the raids and incursions of the Black Church only grew more frequent and more bold. In this time, significant and irreparable damage had been wrought on the communities of the Druii, who experienced the slaughter of their leadership and followers alike. Yet, perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope? At the behest of Emperor Hadrian, at the conclusion of his campaign to unify the Empire, the Baroness Phoebe Lucia Malory of the Barony of Sternfell had been tasked to settle upon the Southern Shores, protecting a vital chokepoint through the vast southern mountain ranges that acted as a bulwark against the Darkspawn threat. With her sacred charge, the Baroness would have to fortify the southern coast against forces beyond comprehension, steel their resolve and most importantly. Hold the Line. The Barony of Sternfell would be the first to face this threat, yet even as they prepare to expedition and establish their foothold, across the Empire the trumpets of war sounded once more and the faithful of Humanity prepared themselves for a Crusade. The forces of darkness were no more idle, Cultists, Witches and Demons alike sailed under the cover of darkness across the narrow sea, putting in motion their foul machinations that would see the Empire undone and unravel everything that the Emperor of Azuras, Hadrian the First had built. Would the Barony of Sternfell hold out long enough for the Crusade forces to arrive, or would they succumb under a mantle too heavy to bear and in the end be raised to join the army of the dead that would inevitably march north? OOC NOTE: G’day everyone! First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for watching the little teaser trailer I put together and for taking the time to read through this post. This will be the first of my player run event lines for this map. (Not a Story Team Event, it is a Player Run Event.) I’m keen to get this underway and will be slowly ramping up activities starting this week. I’ve been looking for an excuse to run something like this ever since the new Necromancy rewrite dropped and while I've had plans to run similar events throughout the map, they didn’t end up happening for a variety of reasons. However, with the evolving ST event line currently taking place and with the call for a Crusade against the Black Church and the Black Sepulchre, this has given me the perfect excuse out of character and the perfect reasoning in character to carry out my plans. My hope is this will be a large collaborative effort from both sides that will be a story worth telling. It will hopefully also give Sternfell and the Crusade players a tangible set of objectives to try and achieve over the course of events. I’d like to put out a big thank you to PKDON and Seva for giving me the PRO permissions I needed to be able to run these events in the first place and i would also like to give a big thank you to Nectorist for declaring the Crusade in the first place and for his words at the end of his post that just go to show there are players out there that are willing to cooperate for a more compelling narrative if given the chance. Without their willingness and cooperation to see a collaborative story unfold, none of this would be possible, or well.. Just very difficult to pull off successfully. Also i’d like to thank Echo, Venomous Pup, Dizzergrey and Ms Amesti for giving me a few minutes of their time as actors in the trailer. Also excuse the lack of exciting cinematography, it turns out it's a lot harder to film for a player event than it is for a story team event when you don't have as many exciting new event builds to cover. The Barony of Sternfell Now then, this brings me to the Barony of Sternfell, a new vassal under the Empire led by Seva who will be occupying the Southern Shores. They will largely be the focus/target of this Eventline as the forces of darkness attempt to prevent the Empire from establishing a foothold close to their lair and create a staging ground from which the Crusade may attack. Sternfell is unique in that it will not simply be a city that appears overnight, it will start off as a camp and slowly be built up over time. It will be forced to face the harsh wilderness, exposed to the elements, have to scavenge for resources and build up its strength over time. If this interests you, then go and check them out! Here is their recruitment post: Event Discord: https://discord.gg/xv6H4JzJ Formatting done by PolarLoLs

Hold the Line. A simple enough task, surely? Though as the days drag on and the nights grow longer with the mournful howls of the dead and demonic yonder the narrow sea. Perhaps there would be a moment of pause in your mind? A flutter in your heart, as if skipping a beat. The Barony of Sternfell. She had heard the name before, read it in the numerous missives passed to her by mortal agents. Under a moonless sky the Witch and her entourage make the crossing, setting foot upon the southern shores under the cover of darkness. She had a simple task, a Disciple of Chaos, an Agent of Ruin - she would test the line of Sternfell. Would they buckle, or would they break?

Brings back the memories..

One of the last living servants of Aeriel sat silently atop a hill overlooking the churning waves in the bay below. Those churning waves and the all consuming abyssal darkness below were a sign of the changing times. Though her body had grown old, weak, she still found ways to serve. But for now, The Last Sage sat in silence and enjoyed what she expected to be the last moment of quiet she would enjoy for some time.