Chronicle of Caliphestus

8/10/2019 Chronicle of Caliphestus

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This book is a comprehensive chronicle of the Ceriopolis. The Ceriopolis was once agrand city of great hope and salvation for a beleaguered and war torn land. Thisplace was a beacon of strength, valor, creativity, brilliance and beauty which stoodfor millennia against the ravaging hordes which have plagued these lands sincebefore civilization rose in these lands.This great and inspired vision of a better world stood brightly in the face of conflictbut was worn to nothing under the grinding wrath of peace and prosperity. Let thischronicle be a warning to all who come to this place. The events which inspired therise and ensured the fall of the Ceriopolis must never be forgotten. This place burnsin the memory of history and may yet again rise to reclaim its place as a symbol ofvirtue and chivalry.If you are a stranger to these lands you may find this chronicle to be filled withimpossiblestories of strange magics and deplorable men. Please do not assume all those whoresided in this great place were forged of the same pitted iron as those who fell.any righteous, selfless and valiant beings walked these grounds and fought for abetter world.

This continent has historically been known as Calliphestus, and woe be unto thosewhostumbled across these lands by happenstance. ! map of these great lands hangsnot far from this tome, but do not let the beautiful landscape distract you from a verysimple truth. These lands are bitter and deadly at their kindest.The history of Calliphestus is littered with the ruins and bones of those who rose andfellin times of strife and war. The great races all across the continent struggled toprovide a safe homeland for their people. "o matter the strength of their arms, thetenacity of their spirit or the thickness of their walls, safety from the greenskin hordeswas nothing but an illusion. #oblins, $rcs, #nolls, %cree, Trolls, $gres, and allmanner of voracious beasts pillaged their way across Calliphestus. &ven the most

desperate of the great races abandoned their people and clamored for statusamongst the unstoppable legions which ravaged the lands. These legions broughtwar and death upon all who made strides to build a better, safer world. %uch insultsto their unchallenged power could not be suffered.To reference a kingdom is to suggest oaths of fealty, fairytale knights in shiningarmorstanding steadfast in defense of their noble leaders, the politics of courts andchivalry. Let me'uell this assumption before I continue. I was born in a time of great turmoil andsafety wasnever a lu(ury we could afford. ! king or 'ueen was simply the unfortunate soul who

inherited thecrown after the previous bearer was killed, usually in battle with the %avage Legions.)o not let this suggest the great civilizations of these lands lacked for inspiration ordefiance in the face of oppression. The saar to the south had erected great castleswith walls *+feet thick, the ae olk hid the silkleaf forests with intricate enchantments whichconfused anddiverted unwelcomed guests, and the dwarves fled to the top of the world and carvedout great


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caverns for safety from the hordes which dogged them without relent.It did not matter. The castles were reduced to rubble, the forests were rooted out andburned and the Legions ensured the caverns became host to unspeakable plagueand terrors.The races were struggling to stand tall against the endless raiders and were clingingto eachvictory. They understood they still remained one defeat from becoming slaves to the%avageLegions. Their cities and villages were pillaged, fields were burned, and their menand theirhomelands suffered one and the same.)esperation and despair hung upon all of the kingdoms and nations like a rancidstenchwhich could not be smothered. "o matter how well a battle went or how sturdy a newfortressseemed, it was nothing but a symbol of defiance to a nigh unstoppable force. Peoplehad little

spirit left to fight. y father was taught to fight by his grandfather who stood againstthe legionsand I had watched my sons and grandsons slain by the legions. -e all knew wecould not keepthis up forever. %omething had to change but no one knew what to change or how tochange it.I will preface this with a concern. I find that some amongst the great races are unabletoresist castings aspersions on the character of others. They find the suggestion thewanderingnomads amongst us were burdened with the vision of a great bastion of protection tobe comical

or insulting. -hy would nomads work to create a place of asylum for all members ofthe greatraces who sought refuge Those people would have been wise to keep theirpreconceptions ofthe wanderers to themselves. They suffered as we suffered. any did not noticebecause theymoved their homes to avoid the coming fury. They were the most mobile and familiarwith thebackwoods paths of Calliphestus. It was a small group amongst them who spreadout to each ofthe races, bringing word of a great gathering deep in the whirling chaos of the

/aging Plains.ost scoffed at the suggestions of these vagrants, some even spat or in0ured themfor theirwisdom. It is sad how some bring pain upon others as a reaction to their ownshortcomings andfailures.aybe it was the ebbing chaos of unyielding wars, unbridled magics and abandoneddreams of peace and safety, but the grand idyllic goal of a better home for all in theland almost


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sounded like a bedtime fable. The nomads wa(ed poetic about a prophecy. Theywould rambleabout the great potential deep in the heart of the %avage plains surrounded by thosewho carriedno respect for the will of great men. They claimed destiny was watching and fromthis placewould rise the greatest bastion of safety the world had ever known. I remember howthey said it.1$n the edge of the tempestuous sapphire comes a rising ruin. )eep in the darknessandengulfed in evil, the weakness of greatness shall be forgotten and the strength ofvirtue shall riseabove the deafening drums of war.2I dismissed the ramblings of the wanderers at first because they are known for beingof'uestionable moral character. They would come and go from our cities and villagesbringing

word of the condition of the other nations. /umors suggested they were not doingwell. The3erdant &yrie was said to have lost the )awn #ates and been pillaged and scourgedall the wayto the starfall crescent. The south fared no better. The great curtain wall of the4eizumani hadfallen and most of the peninsula was in ruins. The capital had fallen in the attack andthey hadtaken to ship. The wanderers did not know to where. The 3isukahn of the great&laran 5unglesharried the %avage Legions for every inch but they were said to have lost the fordand much of

their southern 0ungles were afire. The 6lack Peaks were said to have lost most of thesouthernfields and were pinned in. The wanderers were not even able to gain access by theirsecretgates and paths. There was no place on Calliphestus which did not fear for theirsovereignty.I could not shake this feeling like this prophecy was more than 0ust words from acharlatan. I brought my concerns to the local council of leaders. I was met withlaughter and

0eers. They made me look a fool before the gathering and mocked me as I departed.!ll these

years later and I can still remember the chuckles which brimmed with disdain. Iwalked slowlyback to my post, even though the night was bitter cold. y breath clouded the air infront of meand I considered if the leaders were right to dismiss my concerns. I had almost givenup when Iwas abruptly 0olted from my reverie by several youthful soldiers. They came upon mein astrange manner. They were trying too hard to seem uninterested in what was going


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on, almostcomically goonish in their attempt at nonchalance.They, with complete absence of subtlety and guile, gestured for me to 0oin themdown analley. I guess I was overwhelmed by their complete incompetence because I followedwith littleob0ection. !s soon as we were off the street their demeanor shifted. They almostseemede(cited. The largest of them spoke. I remember he could not have seen more than*7 summers,but towered above the others. 8is curly brown hair reminded me of my grandsons.8is namedwas /icard. 8e was the miller9s son. I am surprised I remember. 8e said they weresent toescort me by &lder 8isne. The elder sent his apologies for laughing in the gather buthe could notbe seen supporting an insane idea in public, especially when it came from damnable

gypsies. Isnorted in derision but gathered my pack anyway. I guess I was going to be chasinggeese afterall.-e met the nomad who was to guide us at the back gate. %he was a ragged thing.%heseemed young but all skin and bones with sunken eyes and sallow skin. %he had alook abouther which suggested she was in need of pity and protection but I knew better than tobelieve anomad was unable to care for herself. I was not surprised when I realized she hadswiped my

dagger before we made it out the back gate. %he was nice enough for a stickyfingered vagrant. Irealized later it is always hard to tell the age of the wanderers. Their so0ourn is ahard life and itshows on their skin, if you look beyond the paint and 0ewels and scarves.The girl led us up the muddy back hills and down goat trails to avoid what littlesemblanceof roads our kingdom had left. -e had several encounters with scouts from thesavage legions.ostly goblins which were easily dispensed. !pparently they would not be missed.The legions

fought with each other as much as they fought with the kingdoms. The legions weresaid to belike whirling storms of chaos and destruction which eradicated everything in theirpath. ! fewmissing scouts would 0ust be attributed to one of the other hordes. I learned a lotfrom her on thetrip. !fter the third goblin she gutted with my dagger I 0ust let her keep it. %he wasmaking betteruse of it than I.


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It took us two months to make the full 0ourney. &ach morning was cold as ice and Iwokefeeling damp and stiff. I was too old to be running off chasing fairy tales, but spiritsremained highamongst the young soldiers. They did not seem to understand we were on aridiculous hike intothe most dangerous part of our lands and it was unlikely we would return. It was twoweeks intothe march: or maybe three, I do not recall but it does not matter, but I received afranticwhispering wind from &lder 8isne. I cannot recall all of the details but itcommunicated our wallswere breached and most of the elders were dead. 8e said the legion had raided inforce and ourking9s keep was surrounded and likely to fall. y home was lost. -e weredevastated. I had tostop and rest. The soldiers were no longer in such spirits after I told them. The walk

from then onwas a somber march.-hen we arrived we found nothing but a mud hut on a hill sloping down to a lake. Irecalllooking inside the mud hut and seeing an ancient old hag, a wild witch mi(ing herbsin woodenbowls and rubbing them on a strange crystal. %he was mumbling something aboutwisdom andknowledge. )espite her advanced age she seemed 'uite spry. I was not sure what tothink. I hadmarched with a detachment of young men and women seeking a chance at a betterworld and

all I found was a mud hut inhabited by a woman almost as old as I was. I thought Ihad been had.I thought I had marched off when my people needed me most only to be made a foolof bytricksters and thieves. I did not think I would ever have a home again.I am told I 0ust sat down and stared off blankly for several hours. I did not feel thecoldwhich seeped into my bones but I felt it when I came to. I remember I heard a bit ofmotion frombehind me but I was so awash in my despair I did not even notice when theentourage from the

3erdant &yrie arrived. They came with little fanfare in comparison to their usualpomp andcircumstance. They were wearing simple armor in drab colors. The biata seemed noworsefrom their travels but they bore ill tidings from their home. The moon gates weredamagedbeyond repair and the sky gates were sundered. ost of %kyhaven had beenpillaged but thekeep still remains stalwart for now. The %avage Legion which assaulted them had


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since movedsouth. Likely when they heard my kingdom was crushed and they could move aboutwithimpunity.-e gathered food for several and made camp. There was barely enough roominside ofthat mud hut to sleep the crone and the child, so I ordered the soldiers to startmaking camp. Itwas with the first sound of the hammer on spike the crone scurried out from herhovel. 1Theyknow that sounds; They know that sound;2 she was half mad with her ob0ections.1%88888;;;;Put those tents away.


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the &bony4night, dedicated their lives to stopping the %avage Legion after they burned theircollege andtook their families as slaves. ore would come including orinagihn $akshield andhis band of)warves as well as the blacksmith Leoveril of %hadow en who escaped the siegeon the )ark&lves in the south to seek aid. ost who came, however, were unknown and woulddie unknown,a forgotten sacrifice for a better world.It was there, huddled in a damp dark earthen cellar with torches nearly smothered toavoid being spotted, was a gathering of the scraps of men and elves and dwarves.)esperatevoices from almost all the great races finally finding brethren they had been yearningfor. Thesemen came from across Calliphestus and brought nothing but the clothes on theirback and a

dream. This meeting was no place for pomp and pageantry. &veryone who was hereknew thetruth of how dire their plight was.In our most dire hour these brave men and women struck forth into near certaindeath.They came on the thinnest of hope that the ancient spirits, which were believed to beeitherspiteful and petty or complete myth, could somehow do something... anything. -ewere brothersin arms standing before strangers proclaiming 1-e must strive to be in our hearts thegreatnesswe dream and hope for the world. The heart of Calliphestus is great and full of

wonders for thosewho strive to embody 0ustice, hope, vigilance and the virtues of a legend. Let nothingenter ourhearts but love, 0oy, bravery and chivalry and let us strive for a life worthy of suchideals.2The coming nights brought vows of service to the land and to their people as theypledged toforge a new age from the tattered rags of oppression, slavery, and war. The vision fora newfuture, free of the shackles of fear and oppression, was at hand. These lands andthese men

and women gathered their strength in the face of an unrelenting storm. This placewas host tothese vows and declarations. This place was marked and after the pacts were forgedit wasnamed. This would be known as the Ceriopolis.I remember feeling calm amongst my new brethren and we were inspired. $ur pactswere forged in purity of spirit like the oaths sworn at the 8eartsmoots of old, and wehad calledout to the ancient !nimus. -e were prepared to return to our kingdoms and bring


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such voracity the five sisters plugged the gaps in the walls with the scorched flesh oftheattacking greenskins. The western walls ended the fight sturdier and higher thanwhen the fightstarted, chalked full of broken swords, slagged chainmail and a mound of the goblinswho failedto resurrect. The &bony 4night stood upon the north wall and never left his post forthe entiresiege. )ay came and went and he stood upon the wall as a symbol of theunrelenting dedicationof the great races. 8e parted a troll and it9s head with a single stroke of his swordand neverflinched in the face of the coming onslaught. Leoveril continued to forge weaponsand armorthrough the siege. 8e was pounding out arrowheads faster than any ten men couldon a realforge. 8e was nearly one with his hammer and his craft was his passion.

The following weeks did not bring an end to the conflicts and skirmishes, but thestrengthof the legion had been dashed upon the meager dirt walls. The stragglers were left tocrawl backto the /aging Plains in search of a new legion to serve or snipe at passing travellerswho wouldrisk the crossing.-ord spread 'uickly of the legion=s defeat and suddenly the city was born. The mudhovel was a point of hope for the desperate masses of all races seeking refuge andsafety. Theeyes of all were suddenly thrust upon a small hillside with dirt mounds for walls andbarely

enough ramshackle buildings for those there already. The time had come forleadership andfocus. Those desperate enough to risk their lives were coming but the fortress wasnot yet built.Time was short and the legion would not stay broken for forever.It was a matter of weeks before the first refugees arrived. -e scrambled to puttogetherwhat shelter we could but we had to move the defensive walls out, cut the trees, digthe pilingsand do everything re'uired to help make space. &ven then, we had no way ofknowing the

amount of people who would risk the /aging Plains for a chance at safety. -e weregrosslyunprepared. -e lacked food, we lacked housing, we lacked any of the suppliedneeded to helpthose coming. It was not the legions we should have been fearing, it was desperatemen andwoman seeking a chance at life.Those who arrived were engulfed in the unbridled chaos of virtuous minds all tryingto


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work for a greater home, but with no idea how. Pathways around the hamlet werecrooked,narrow and without solid need or purpose. Crates, packs, satchels and any numberof randombelongings choked the few main paths around the makeshift hall. %ickness was notuncommonamongst those who arrived, but they found they had nowhere to go or to seekhealing when theyarrived. The crone did what she could but they were tucked into any corner we couldfind.It was a few small groups that began working towards helping create buildings andshelter for the terrified masses who were unable to protect themselves. The 3igilant%isters tookturns standing sentry on the walls while the others tended the sick and helped findplaces tohouse those most in need. They had a single bedroll for the five of them becauseonly one slept

at any given moment. There was never the time. The $rder Canlis focused oneducating all whowished to learn about healing, herbalism, botany, hunting and hawking. The$bsidian6rotherhood organized groups of able bodied youth to strike out under the cover ofdarkness andkill the small packs and scouts belonging to the larger legions. Leoveril gatheredwhat metal hecould from the arriving travellers and forged them into anything which was needed.8e taughtanyone who sought to smith the skills needed to gather and forge. I was part oforinagihn9s

logging unit which struck out to fall trees and bring them back to be worked. Theseefforts werebenevolent but ultimately futile in face of the overwhelming amount of people whoneeded helpand were streaming in every day.The wanderers brought whispers that the other kingdoms had seen little danger fromthe%avage Legions since our victory, but I did not realize the danger it meant for us. Idid everything Icould to help but unfortunately it would not be until the )ay of ear and 6lood cameupon the

Ceriopolis that both the people and I truly understood the vast danger which we werein. The%avage Legions had shied away from our encampment after having its nosebloodied, but nowthey had returned and had the fearsome goblin blood shaman at its head. I am surehe had aname, 4harzukan maybe. 8e wore fire like clothing and was heralded by thescreams of wailinggoblins afflicted with elements bound to their flesh, though I do not think the desires


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of the goblinsto be involved was of much consideration. The assault came upon us 'uickly and wewere notprepared. 8undreds of defenseless men, women and children perished, maybethousands.The 3igilant sisters and the &bony 4night were the first to rally, but already bloodand chaos wasupon us. The e(panded walls and buildings were not manned and goblins, orcs andtrolls spilledover the walls like the rising tide.The youngest vigilant sister organized for the weakest amongst us to be hastilyescortedto the cellar beneath the hall for their safety and everybody else of able body ralliedto fight theoncoming hordes. I watched the blood shaman claw his way upon the western walland incitefiery chaos amongst those fleeing from him. 8is bodyguards were massive black

trolls wreathedin burning runes. 8e called forth columns of living flame which contorted ande(panded when itconsumed living flesh. They were horrifying and nigh unstoppable. The assault camefrom allsides. &verything was screaming and fire.I rallied behind the eldest of the 3igilant %isters, "ahinia, and she led the charge toassault the blood shaman. 8e was perched on the walls of the encampment,showering fireupon any inside the city without regarding for their allegiances. The $rder of Canlisand the$bsidian 6rotherhood were desperately trying to rally a defense for those inside the

hall. %omedefenders threw down their weapons and begged for mercy but were only met withdeath.The decision was made to displace the blood shaman from his position, but it wasuphill and hisguards were fearsome. The assault upon the blood shaman and his trolls was brutaland mostof those who charged died in the attack, but it was "ahinia who closed ground andstruck thefinal blow against the 6lood %haman. I had managed to dispatch a pair of goblinswhen I turned

to see if my aid was needed. !s "ahinia9s blade pierced the goblin9s neck and hefell, he gurgledand his twisted face contorted to a depraved smile. 8is skin began to crackle like faton a hotskillet as he feebly lunged at "ahinia.Then he was consumed in an e(ploding twisted maelstrom of clashing elementswhichengulfed "ahinia and a few with the misfortune of being close by. I can only hopeshe was killed


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nearly instantly. That conflu( of elements hung there like a spectacle waiting for acrowd. Then Iwas flying. I skidded to a halt on the ground like a tumbling stone. I could feel myarm was brokenbefore I opened my eyes and my ribs were crushed but it was not until I opened myeyes that Irealized I was one of the lucky ones. The &bony 4night was being tended but I couldonlydetermine it was him by his armor. The 3igilant %isters were nowhere to be seen.The $rderCanlis was leading a ragged band of anyone willing to fight, and seemed to berunning down theremaining goblins but it was too late for the ma0ority of those who were close to theblast. Iattempted to rise and fight the remaining marauders, but everything went dark.-hen I awoke I learned I also had a broken leg and had passed out from the pain.6y the

time the healers got to me the fight was over and they decided to tend my broken legbut let meheal naturally instead of 0arring me awake with magic. The blast had scorched nearlyeverythingin sight. ost of the fires had been put out, but the damage was still significant. Istruggled to myfeet to see the carnage and was nearly overwhelmed. I limped through the streets.They were nolonger filled with partially packed trunks and bed rolls. "ow the streets were rife withbloodyclothing, discarded weapons, broken armor, the broken clay of alchemists globes.The worst

were the bodies. #oblins, $rcs and people of all races 0ust lying in the street with thestare of thedead blankly watching. The survivors stepped over them in desperation, hoping tofind a buildingwith a lockable door that was not being consumed by fire.I can still remember a little girl seeing me and climbing out from under the goblincorpseshe hid under. 8er blond hair was matted with blood and dirt. %he clutched my onegood leg withall her might and refused to let go. %he was not really making words, 0ust sobbing. Icarried her

over to the cellar and eventually found her sister who was frantically looking for herfamily... anymember of her family. People were panicking and any semblance of order was gone.Peopleneeded hope.The following days were mayhem. I was still healing and flu( was making its waythroughthe bodies of the dead. ood was scarce and order was absent. I was not entirelysure the


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Ceriopolis was going to survive its infancy. The remaining > 3igilant %isters hadgathered swiftlyand with diligence to organize a healing effort. orinagihn was unrelenting in hisprotection ande(pansion of defenses to accommodate the e(panding populace. The $rder Canlisconscriptedall young men of an age to fight and taught them the skill of spear, bow and shield.Leoveril builtand then almost never left his forge.The great minds who built the Ceriopolis were true of heart and born of greatnessbutmost of them were at a loss as to how to organize a populace. They were warriorsand healers,not bureaucrats or e(che'uers. Their ideas were altruistic and bold, but the peopleweredesperate and unruly. -e all did our best but we realized we were at a loss. -eneeded

something but how did you seek what had been lost. -e needed to remember theold ways. Iguess I was not alone in my thoughts.The hag gathered all of the city leaders together in the creepy cellar. That dankspacewas shockingly clean and arranged around the large oddly shaped gem she seemedto use fordivination. %he kept mumbling 1it is time, it is time2 while getting everybody seated. Ido not knowhow she got all the leadership to take time away, but even Leoveril left his forge toattend. $nceeveryone was seated she 0ust walked up the ladder and left us. -e had no

inclination about hergoals but she appeared to have left a small crumpled piece of parchment on top ofthe gem. Iwas not the one who opened it but I remember the confusion on the reader9s face.8e looked upfrom the scrap of paper and said 1-hat does ?use it and remember the moot9 mean2I have always thought that old shrew was at least half mad and at that particularmomentI was fairly certain I was off by half. The old harpy seemed to have vanished and leftus sitting ina dirty pit on makeshift chairs and benches surrounding a piece of crystal. I had to

laughbecause the only other option was crying. ost others seemed to be 0ust as lost as Iwas. It wasseveral minutes before I spotted orinagihn and his brothers 'uietly s'uabbling inthe cornerabout something. I stood up so I might be able to walk over and 'uietly in'uire butmy motionseemed to draw attention. !ll eyes turned to me and then slowly to the dwarves whowere the


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only ones who did not notice. I remember feeling a bit foolish at that moment.orinagihn rose from his seat and he was not great at hiding his demeanor. 8eobviouslyfelt uncomfortable but the other dwarves seemed insistent. 8e began speaking of achildhoodtale which is a common story amongst their people of the ancient dwarves whowould invokespirits to seek their wisdom. The story said something about using a speaking stoneto call thespirits. I recall being almost offended at the suggestion we were sitting around amythical stonefrom a child9s fairytale. Then one of the 3igilant started talking about a story fromtheir home but itwas a stone which you used to get spirits to help you find lost loved ones. &verydifferent groupseemed to have some old wives tale which involved a strange stone which didsomething

fantastic... e(cept for us. I remember /icard leaning over and asking me if we werethe onlycivilization which had such calming bedtime stories as 18old this spear and do notdie2. I wasdeeply saddened at the truth of the statement. I sometimes wonder if we had themonce andthey were 0ust lost to years of hard living and war. 6ut I digress.-e posited as a group as to whether or not the strangely shaped gem could be oneofthese stones. %ome of us, myself included, were fiercely skeptical of this idea. Icould not fathomhow some tall tale could possibly be useful. -e argued for a long time. It was the

first time wehad not totally agreed. The fight did not lack for passion but eventually we came to aresolution.-e would try using the stone. If those who sought its use were wrong they lookedstupid andsoldiered on. If they were right then maybe we needed to revisit our bedtime stories.-e allwanted to make a better world. &ven those who thought the course of action to bepetulant were'uietly hopeful.The &bony 4night was elected to attempt to commune with the gem. 8e probably

spent acouple of hours observing and analyzing before he stepped up and placed his handsupon thegem. ! slight breeze seemed to gently mingle through the room before a gentle rosyglowradiated from the gem. I remember the shock I felt when it lit up. or a moment itseemed as iftime had stopped. I felt as if I was being 0udged for past transgressions. I felt proudand scared


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and ashamed all at once. I tried to stay calm but others did not fare as well. Theroom filled witha lashing wind and then all at once we were surrounded by brilliant refracting light.The feeling of

0udgement and fear calmed.It was in that moment of true and unfettered dedication to selflessly creating a betterworld for others, that they came. The voices of Calliphestus. The !nimus. Those whowatch thelands from a distance, some with restraint and some with intent, and they came tobring theirwisdom to those whom they felt worthy. They remained distant and skeptical of the8eartsmootfor 'uite some time. I was astounded they came. I had never really allowed myself tobelieve thestories of the 8eartsmoots of old. I remember watching them analyze the actions andemotionsof all who spoke and 0udge their intent. %ome of us were great orators and some

were simple,ernest, genuine men and women who cared for nothing but making the world abetter, kinder,safer place.The !nimus spoke of the greatness of past civilizations and how far Calliphestus hadfallen. They spoke of what had been lost to the ravages of the savage legions andhow deeplysaddened they were. Cowardice which had frozen the great races in fear andlassitude. Iremember they looked upon us for 'uite some time and spoke of their hope for abetterCalliphestus, a land where our selfless deeds were not epic or noteworthy but simply

kind. Theycalled upon us to rebuild the rubble of great ideas and tame the savage legions.They asked us ifwe would risk everything for children we would never meet. They asked if weob0ected to dyingnameless and without glory in the name of service to a world which would likelynever know orthank us for our sacrifice. To a man each and every leader amongst us stood andoffered theirskills and dedication to a better world.The great inisterium was forged that night. It founded in @ parts as a beacon to all

thegreat races, a symbol of what could achieve through trust, chivalry and cooperation.The @houses were forged in service to the lands stretching to each corner of the continent,each withseparate tenets to govern their goals and responsibilities. The stories of theirachievements aretruly of an epic measure but many are lost to the whispers of time eternal.I managed to save these pages from a scribed te(t about the houses.


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&ach house was led in service by a )ominus. They were the truest and mostdevoted tothe tenets of their house. They served as an unflinching e(ample of virtue andchivalry. I cannotspeak to the enchantments which were bound to the houses and their leaders but itwas not themembers of a house which chose a )ominus. The )ominei would rise and fall ontheir virtuealone. They were walking beacons of their tenets and strove to ensure they were thegreatest oftheir possible ideals.These houses would be the home to some of the greatest dreamers, generousphilanthropists, visionary magicians, inspired musicians, skilled generals, valiantwarriors,chivalrous knights and dedicated servants of Calliphestus to ever walk the lands.Their vision forthe future would build the %cholastic !uraborium which would seek to ensure

education for allwho sought to learn, they would help create the 6inding /ise which crafted a citywideproscription against all of the monstrous races and imbued the fields with magic toward offpests and disease, as well as advance magical rituals to make life better for allresidents of theCeriopolis. The houses would build stalwart and intelligent defenses to protect fromthe %avageLegions, whom never relented in their mission to destroy all which had been built.They wouldcure diseases and plague, make great advances in agriculture, forge cleaner steel,

and fosterthe world=s greatest artists and the most respected army. They were without fear orlimitationand did it while fending off the looming threat of the %avage Legions. $ver the >millenium whichthe Ceriopolis stood mighty, the legions fell to their own impotent rage, consumed bytheirinability to inspire terror as they once did. They grew weak, and the threat of theirpresence wasall but dismissed.Those golden years were known as the !ge of &nlightenment and life was great. I

havespent most of my life either in the Ceriopolis or as an envoy on behalf of theCeriopolis. It wastruly a blow when the time had came for many of our ancient leaders to pass on. Theleadersrealized they had lived far too long. They had watched generations of their friendsdie as theylived on, seemingly immune to clutching grasp of age and time. They watched theirmost trusted


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knights grow old and die around them and then their children, and then theirchildren9s children.They found they created a blessed place of learning, chivalry and hope but it wasfilled withthousands of faces they did not know. This place was no longer meant for them.It was a somber day in the Ceriopolis as these ancient forces for kindness and

0usticeannounced to their houses they were leaving. I still remember the &bony 4night=sspeech. 1Thissacred place was forged in war and strife, built upon the rubble of those who camebefore usand carved into greatness by those willing to sacrifice themselves for the idea of abettertomorrow. -hile this place has finally found peace and brought low the forces of the%avageLegions, this world still has greater needs to be met. I believe the creation of thisplace has made

our home a better and safer home. This is a place where the spirits of those whocame here,fought here, died here would be proud of. 8owever, I am not meant to sit in chairsand rule a city.I am a simple servant of a greater wisdom and I have shared all I have to share. Thisplace ofpeace and contemplation is not for me anymore. I have lived lifetimes longer than Icould everhave dreamed, but I was forged in the fires of war and have no skill at settlingdisputes or 0udgingthe petty crimes of men. This place belongs to the people, and the inisterium isbound in

service to ensure this place stays humble, in service to the ideas and tenets of truth,0ustice,chivalry, bravery and hope. !bove all hope. )o not mourn my departure or fear thefuture. This isyour time to create greatness and forge a world better tomorrow than it was whenyou awoketoday.A I was not present for the other speeches that day, but I was told they weremuch thesame.It is said the &bony 4night returned to Canlis to build a memorial to his family, hesaid he

could still remember e(actly where it was. The %isters left to bring their hope andwisdom to thetroubled remnants of the Prashapti &mpire to the west. Talaric and many of the oldermembersof the $bsidian 6rotherhood went back to the western river lands to find oondale.orinagihnstruck north for the trident to return to the great cavern palaces of his people.Leoveril sought outhis old forge in the south, somewhere amongst the black peaks. They took little more


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than theycame with and they seemed more at peace than I had seen them in many, manyyears past. Ibelieve they were spirits struck with a calling to bring love and hope to this world.They werenever at peace unless they were making the world better.The resolve of those who inherited the immense burden of leadership proved moreof achallenge than they could bear. The trials of peace were far more delicate to traversethan thosewar forged races were prepared to face. They did not have leaders of impeccablekindness andchivalry to set an e(ample and within a few centuries the fractures began to form inthe ideals ofthe Ceriopolis. The problems were small at first, simple disagreements on how tohandleproblems or conflicts in the city. The 8ouses were acting arbitrators for conflict, but

struggledwith finding amicable resolutions. The problems became worsened by perceptions ofbias andracism between the ancient races and the vibrant races. The vibrant races workedfor swiftaction and harsh punishments for those who broke the law, while the ancient racestendedtowards patience and reparations. The vibrant races felt patronized and the ancientraces feltdisrespected. I did not understand it at the time, but the true schism amongst theCeriopolisbegan with self imposed segregation. The inner structure of the city remained largely

intact, butthe ancient races retained the older, northern district of the city and the vibrant racesmovedsouth into the newer and less established districts. The disparity between the twodistricts wasalmost immediately noticed and 0ust served to stoke the coals of a much larger fire.The polarizing separation led to frustrations which spread to all corners of the city.&vendiscussions held on the floor and hosted before the Pa( Buorum resulted in tempersflared andarguments fueled by bias and bigotry. It was almost as if the Pa( Buorum had

ceased tofunction entirely or was making the matters worse. I was unable to discern why thePa( was nothelping, but the situation was driving the younger races to the brink of civil discourseand beyond.I remember the day it all came to a head. The day was cloudy and a little bit wet. Theinisteriumhad gathered in the great hall to address grievances amongst the populace and allwas blissfully


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boring. ! blessed reprieve from the constant bickering and shouting which had beenchoking thehalls of our great city. That held until the ambassador to the 3erdant &yrie franticallysurged intothe council chamber demanding aid from the council. 8is embassy was being burnedby a mobof vibrant races which were demanding they depart the city or stop perpetuating theirvauntedideas of superiority in the Ceriopolis.The &'uotem of several houses were already marching out to meet the rising threatofthe growing mob. The chaos of the governing suite was palpable. I nearly bowledover an elder ofthe -ylderkin who was desperately trying to get the attention of his party. It took meseveralminutes to get to the walls where I could see what was going on. The 8ouse of ateand ury

and the 8ouse of 6ase and /eason had both arrived 'uickly, but not before theembassies for&lara, the 3erdant &yrie and -aupani were burned and dozens were killed.The leaders of the mob were youthful but they did not lack for support amongst theircommunity. The representatives for each of the races which made up the mobvocally declaredtheir actions 0ustified when you considered their persecution. The inisterium wascalled tocongress with all of the leaders in the Ceriopolis, a great moot to address theconflicts of ourgreat city and forge a path for the future.Time moved slowly over the two days before the great moot was called. The fables

of thegreat moots were still spoken of, but a rare few had been called in the millenia sincetheCeriopolis was founded and none since the fall of the %avage Legions. The halls ofgovernancewere large but simple, never indulging too deeply in ceremony or opulence. Therewas a seat foreach )ominus raised above the gallery housing their plebians. Then across the hallwas a seatfor each kingdom and galleries behind them as well. Then there was spaces on thefloor for the

accused. The spaces above were carved in the visages of the animus who havecome before tohear the calls of men and share their wisdom.The gathering in the halls of our great founders was full to capacity. &ach house waspresent with all of their members, each embassy gallery was full and the accusedwere so manyin numbers they spilled out of the hall and into the street. I could almost taste thecontempt andfrustration in the air. The moot began with the great calling of spirits to gather and


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give wisdombut the animus never came. It was not uncommon for them to be unwilling to graceour halls, butsomething felt wrong and I was not the only one who noticed. It was that moment asmall groupof us realized we have a much larger problem. The Pa( Buorum no longer lookedbenevolent onits marble pedestal. I wish I would have thought more of it at the time.6efore I could get too distracted the debate of guilt began. !t least it was supposedto bea debate. It rapidly descended into a war of words. It was hard to keep track of theevents duringthe bedlam which was occurring and the screaming and finger pointing by all theleadershipincluding the &'uotem. en of great character were reducing to shouting to be heardand allsense of rule was gone. I was genuinely terrified someone was going to throw the

first spell. Ihad no escape. If someone lit the fuse, this madness was sure to e(plode.The resolution for the crimes was the sub0ect of the moot, but it was not the result.4elvieoraine, the voice of the human envoy from the city state of #olden %pire, was thefirst person togain control of the floor and she was also the last person to speak. I still clearlyremember herfirst few sentences before they were drowned by cheers and shouts. 1This placeholds nothingfor those of us who wish to act. -e have homes away from this place. -e have the#olden

%pire, we have the &ndless /eaches, we have anywhere but here. ollow me fromthis placeand let us go home.2 %he had proposed those who felt they could not be heard packand leavethe Ceriopolis. %he told them it was time to return their homelands. %he dropped tothe floor fromher seat and led a march through the mass of bodies out to the street. %he made noeffort tostop them from demonstrating their discontent all the way back to the southerndistrict. 6uildingswere damaged, windows were broken and people were in0ured on the way. In the

annals of time,I believe this riot will be known as the end of the !ge of &nlightenment and I weep tothis day forwhat was lost that hot summer afternoon.The e(odus was massive and took a few days and to suggest it was pleasant wouldbe amonumental untruth. The inisterium took to the streets to maintain as much orderas possible,but members of their own ranks were deeply affected by the departure of friends and


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families.!ltercations in the streets were not uncommon and the anger amongst the ancientraces waspalpable. The humans are said to have set out to reclaim the southern peninsulafrom thecreatures who plagued it. The %arr went to the reaches south of the 6lack Peaks tohunt forgreater prey. $ne by one they left. 8oblings, 6arbarians, #ypsies, )warves, eventhe olk left tofind what was left of their beloved 3ales. It was a devastating year which left thegreat Ceriopoliswith but a few great minds. I walked the southern district to ensure no more violenceoccurredand it was a ghost town. I watched the last of them leave. I waved goodbye and evenhelped anold woman with her small satchel as far as I could.It did not take long before the reports of attacks on the chapter houses of the

inisteriumstarted coming in from the kingdoms. isplaced frustrations and racial tensionscausedescalating situations. any houses members returned from their chapter houseswith nothingmore than clothing and a list of those who did not survive the trip.The remaining races were ultimately too few in number to maintain what had beenbuilt.The bazaar was only a fraction of what it once was and the merchant district streetswerebarren. The few remaining vibrant races took up residence in the south, but it wasleft derelict.

The fields went untended, and though food was ample the amount of bodies re'uiredtomaintain the walls and defenses was deeply insufficient. The inisterium fell intodisarray anddedication to their lofty goals had been eroded by a desperate attempt to maintainwhat had beenbuilt in their name.It was the 8ouse of -hispers and Thunder who were the first to propose usinggolems tosupplement the missing workforce. This proposal caused a bit of stir becauseseveral houses of

the inisterium felt the use of resources was selfish. It only served to protect theinisteriumloyalists and did not serve a greater goal. They believed those resourced could beused to helpthe kingdoms and the citizens who were still residents of the Ceriopolis. Theybelieved in timethe frustrations would subside and the fiery personalities of the vibrant races wouldreturn. Thereaction of )ominus !ether was not of a humble man but of a vain, confused,


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distracted manwho sought to use his power for personal gain instead of for the betterment ofothers. If only Ihad seen the signs of his confusion sooner. If only I had spotted many things sooner.The coming weeks saw me working the fields to gather the crops. any of us didfieldwork because it needed to get done. The walls and buildings in the southerndistrict, thegrand bazaar and the merchant district were falling into disrepair due to lack ofmaintenance andwe had but a rare few hours in the day to do anything but work. rustrations grewamongst manybecause they felt they were not doing anything other than feeding and fi(ing amonument to failedideals. %o it was not a surprise when many younger plebians amongst theinisterium re0oicedwhen they saw an army of golems of all varieties marching out of the %cholastic

!uraborium. I

was shocked to see such a public disrespect for a council decision and I was notalone.)ominus !ether=s actions caused a significant conflict for many plebians because weknew how much magic was re'uired to sustain all of the golems. -e knew thesignificantamount of resources which were used to build those golems. Those were resourceswe couldhave used in any number of ways to improve the lives of all, not 0ust createharvesting machinesand work horses. I was deeply saddened and concerned by the decisions of the8ouse of-hispers and Thunder.

I remember being approached by a friend who was an instructor at the !uraboriumwith aconcern which had been repeatedly ignored. %he knew about the resources beingused but shealso pointed out the golems were not of traditional ritual creation. They were createdandsupplemented by additional magical power but she did not know from where. %heclaimed sherepeatedly attempted to bring her concerns to the )ominus !ether, who had beenserving as the)ean of the !uraborium since the death of the previous dean a few months prior.

%he claimedher repeated attempts to speak to him had been obstructed by the !ether &'uotem.%he cameto me to see if I may be able to shed some light on her concerns. %he was foundmurdered inher home three days later.y ob0ections and the ob0ections of others were now at a peak due to the murder ofarespected !uraborium instructor, but were brushed off by some as hysteria over a


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new age forthe Ceriopolis. The )ominus !ether would hear nothing of our very vocal ob0ectionsandconcerns. &ven when the golems began to malfunction or could not perform there'uired tasks,it was deemed a minor setback. )ominus !ether genuinely believed he was buildingsomethinggreater than himself. 8e had built an army to protect us from the failures of the 1pettyraces2 ashe called them. I did not see it at the time, but I believe he may have gone mad.-hen thegolems were not enough he began making pacts and summoning magical creaturesandelementals to assist the golems in their tasks and bind them into service.)eep ob0ections from many of the remaining races sparked a fierce debate abouthowwe could have gone so very wrong and where can we draw the line to ensure

acceptable meansare taken to maintain the Ceriopolis. ! significant catalyst for the conflict came to ahead whenfacts regarding one of our greatest magical achievements were brought to lightbefore the)ominei Council. $ne of our greatest magical achievements was the 6inding /ise. Itwas anartifact which had stood stalwart and unrelenting in the sky above our eastern gatesas a symbolof achievement and had remained a strong and stable magical battery supporting theproscriptions which protected the city. The /ise was millenia old and always servedus well.

nder the auspices of the !uraborium, )ominus !ether had ordered the 6inding/ise to be usedas the magical battery for his golems. It was also apparently the binding point forelementalswhich had been summoned as well.The eldest sought a reasoned debate regarding how much magic should be usedandhow to control the forces responsibly while several members of the inisteriumsought enoughstrength to ensure the protection of the great and glorious Ceriopolis.I still remember the day our doom came upon us. The debate raged in the halls and

the)ominei desperately scrambled to keep their houses in line. The elders of the &lvesand 6iatahad come before the gathered )ominei to announce their departure from theCeriopolis to thegathered inisterium. They had been holding an open forum for months to discusshow far theCeriopolis had fallen, though the plebians of the inisterium had been denied theprivilege of


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participating in those discussions. They vehemently denounced the alterations to the6inding/ise. The elders found a large enough consensus amongst their populace to warrantaction.They believed the dangers facing their people, from outside and from within, hadbecome toogreat to simply be ignored. "one present were yet aware of the series of cataclysmiceventswhich were beginning to unfold.I was not at the meeting of the )ominei because I felt I would be of better assistanceelsewhere. I was at the 6inding /ise with )ominus Ignis and the Ignis &'uoteminvestigatingconcerns his house had gleaned from one of their house9s artifacts, the atum&(trinium. ponarrival, I was struck by the utter hubris of the modifications. The dangers of changingthe 6inding/ise was palpable, but )ominus !ether and the other artificers were beyond

reasonablediscourse. The /ise was already serving a vital purpose. It was supporting theproscriptionagainst the greenskin hordes and keeping our fields healthy and growing 'uickly.They modifiedthe /ise so it was siphoning energy directly from the elemental planes and used it tobindelementals into service, sustain the golem army, and sustain the proscriptionsprotecting theCeriopolis from the growing hordes. The /ise reached for the sky like the claw of awoundedbeast frantically seeking escape from the powers consuming it, and it stood as a

monument tobreathtaking vanity.I remember I had run up the steps and onto the tower 0ust north of the 6inding /iseto beable to have an improved view. I was mildly out of breath from the 'uick sprint whenit came. Iremember standing calmly while I watched apocalypse descend upon us. I stillcannot tell youwhy it happened, but I remember the whisper of a strange incantation flowing pastmy ear. I hadbut a moment to look down in confusion from the wall which I was observing from but

I had nochance to act before I was overwhelmed by a cataclysmic surge of of magic.I do not know how long I lost consciousness for. -hen I regained consciousness Iwasbeneath the rubble of the guard tower I was standing upon when the /ise e(ploded.y left armwas broken and throbbed with every breath, but I wiggled free from beneath therubble and stoodawestruck by the devastation surrounding me. The district was smoking rubble.


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)emolished.The fields were flooded or flash frozen or burned, leaving nothing of sustenance tobe harvested.The enchantments of the 6inding /ise were devastated. I looked upwards for the6inding /ise inthe sky but found nothing but clouds remained. I panicked about the fields,wondering if theywould grow 'uickly or if they would grow at all. It took me a moment to realize themoredangerous reality. I could see the tainted fields because the the walls were gone.The %iccusortress had been sundered and the city9s greatest defenses were gone.The /ise was located a short distance from the %cholastic !uraborium and loomedoverthe east entrance as a symbol of magical achievement. I could only suggest wherethe gate wasafter the blast. The gate and surrounding walls were strewn in every direction. The

!uraboriumwas nearly leveled, but for a few remaining towers standing battered but defiant. Icannot begin tofathom how many pupils and instructors were killed. %ome of the portals used fortransit aroundthe halls and floors of !uraborium were 0ust open in the sky, a few select portals hadpieces offlooring partially attached. The smaller buildings left no proof they ever e(isted.I walked out of the blasted rubble towards the crippled remains of the towers wheretheremaining teachers were tending to the wounded and getting the last few survivingstudents to

safety. %creaming and crying echoed from everywhere and mi(ed with the sound ofsnappingwood and falling stones. I did my best to be of assistance, but the !uraborium wasbeyondsaving and was not long to remain standing.I felt I had done all I could to help get people out of the towers when I saw them. 5ustafew, but they were there and they had seen the broken walls. #oblins. y heart sankas I realizedI was standing above a group of wounded children in the rubble of a city which haddefied them

for millennia with no walls to stop their charge and no proscription to prevent themfrom entering.I drew my a(e and prepared to make my last stand. I was not going to let thesechildren die atthe hands of goblins. I saw one run from the city, I knew it would be our death but Icould donothing to stop him.I was not the only one who noticed the greenskins wandering in. ! young girlstepped up


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ne(t to me. %he could not have seen more than *> or *D summers but she wasstanding ne(t tome with her spear in hand. The goblins obviously felt emboldened by the sight of anadolescentgirl and a bloody, enfeebled plebian with an a(e limping forward to challenge them.%he musthave been a student of the martial forms because she was more skilled with a spearthan I waswith an a(e. I am still unsure how I survived the encounter, but I know I would bedead withouther. I mustered as much haste as I could to get back and assist with the woundedand thechildren. I had to get them out of the remains of the %cholastic district as fast asphysicallypossible. I also knew the walls into the !ncient district were entirely broken as well.6oth the

!ncient and the 3ibrant districts were defenseless and at least one goblin knew it.

I finally looked down and realized my arm was shattered and would probably beuselessuntil I was able to be healed by the 8ouse of Pain and Purity. I had several othersprains andsmall broken bones but they were so minor compared to my arm I barely noticed. Iknew Ineeded to help getting the residents out of the districts, so healing would have towait. I made myway to the 8ouse of ate and ury to see if they had garnered any additionalinformation from theatum &(trinium.I knew something was wrong before I entered the building. The door was a0ar and

shouting could be heard on the street. I pushed my way through the open door and itlooked as ifthe building had been sacked. Tapestries were torn from the falls and the furniturewas askew. Imoved slowly towards the back of the hall. I recognized some of the men andwomen asplebians of the house but they did not seem to be bearing any of the signets of theirhouse. I wasso delirious with pain and fear I only saw them. Their somber faces looked gaunt anddefeatedand I could only think it was for their fellow plebians lost in the e(plosion. inally, one

of themmoved and I saw it. The atum &(trinium had been destroyed. It was left as nothingmore than abroken heap of wood and wool. !n unceremonious end to something whichprotected theCeriopolis for millennia.I leaned against the wall and slowly sank to my knees, too shocked to move or think.The6inding /ise, The %iccus ortress, The atus &(trinium... all gone in a matter of


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hours. I sat inthat hallway for longer than I would like to admit, aching and bleeding. The pain ofmy arm hadfinally caught up and I was not sure I could go on. !t least I was not alone. The otherplebians ofthe 8ouse of ate and ury made for good spirits to share this commiseration. Icould hear thescuffle and clank of boots and armor moving on the streets, but I could not rise. If Ihad not beenfollowed to the 8ouse of ate and ury I believe I may have 0ust sat there and died.I was 0olted from my despondence by a wracking pain in my arm. The kind of painwhichmakes the world go out of focus. !s I shook off the haze and the world refocused Iwassurprised to find the young lady from earlier in the day standing above me. %helooked less thanamused by my beleaguered demeanor. %he looked down at me on the floor and said

1#et up,the !ncients are abandoning the city, the remaining golems are destroyingeverything in theirpath and elementals are running rampant through the fields. This is no time for acatnap.


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away fleshtoo damaged to heal. It was e(cruciating. !pparently I passed out after about anhour.I awoke feeling sluggish and stiff, but had use of my arm again. The sun had risenand itwas a beautiful morning. The girl was there again. !pparently she was not goingaway. $nce Iwas awake she rose and brought my armor and weapons. %he brought me up tospeed on theevents of the night. The &lves and 6iata have gathered their might and marchednorth back tothe 3erdant &yrie, the %tone &lves are en route to the $decrag and the )ark &lvesare marchingfor the 6lack Peaks. The houses were scrambling to reinforce the city walls andlocate wherethe remaining rampaging golems were. )ominus Ignis was dead and the laurelswere nowhere

to be found. I had never heard of a time when a member of the plebians had failed torise to thepost of )ominus, but the chaos of the day had overwhelmed our senses and left usunable toponder on why. $ne of the plebians of the house, an instructor at the %cholastic

!uraborium if Iremember correctly, declared himself Ignis &'uotem and claimed leadership in theabsence of a)ominus. If only I had known then how dark his thoughts and spirit were. 8e wasapparently blindwith rage over the departure of the ancient races. 8e felt they were abandoning theinisterium

to die.Then I heard it. It was faint at first but I remember how it sounded. The thump,thump,thump of the drums. I rushed to the wall and saw it with my own eyes. The gatheredforces of anew savage legion were skulking in the husk and rubble of the scholastic district. !llof theinternal bickering amongst the houses had left the legions unchecked. I evenrecognized thegoblin who fled. I drew my bow, knocked an arrow and ended him. 8e had causedenough

trouble.The day was spent with everyone of able body being e'uipped for war. "ot the kindofskirmishes which fairy tales glorify but real, gritty, ugly, to the last dying breath war.The kind ofwar which shakes you to your core and makes you 'uestion what it means to bealive. The kindof war these )ominei had never e(perienced and were woefully unprepared for.I saw the lights of the governing district and the halls of governance were lit, I


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assumedfor a moot. I rushed over to try to assist and organize the inisterium in a desperatedefense. Iarrived to find the galleries empty but for a few plebians and the )ominei s'uabblinglike children.The ambassadors were gone and their galleries were vacant. The Pa( Buorem wasseated onthe pedestal it rested on leering down upon the hall, looking even more evil anddeviant than last Inoticed. They could not even agree on who would call to the spirits. That room hadbecome sooppressively frustrating even I found it difficult to remain patient and discerning.&ventually I 0ustleft and tried to organize people as best as I was able.I went over to the eastern walls to see what the greenskins were doing when I wasnearlystruck by something which came hurtling from beyond the walls. I was deeply

engrossed in mythoughts and frustrations with the inisterium when I heard someone yell. I lookedup from myreverie and was immediately startled into avoiding whatever was flying towards me. Inarrowlyavoided the incoming pro0ectile, but I lost my footing and tumbled off the wall. Ilanded roughlynear the item in a tangled heap. The stench of fetid, rotting flesh first drew myattention. Thetrolls were apparently taking the bodies of those killed in the e(plosion and throwingtheirdecaying corpses at our sentries on the walls. The smell was rancid and cloying. It

was thesmell of death and war. It was a smell I had hoped to never suffer again. I sent arunner to bringword of the bodies to the 8ouse of Temperance and /uin, so they may be properlygathered andinterred.

!s the sun set that evening, the fear started to set in. -e did not have many childrenorelderly left in the city, which was a blessing I cannot overstate. The intensity of thelast few dayswas taking its toll and everyone was starting to tire. The sentries walked the walls all

night,dodging flying rocks, wooden beams and the bodies of their fallen comrades. It wasterrible. Thenight was colder than usual, but that might have been from the missing 6inding /iseor therampaging elementals or 0ust the bone chilling fear.

!s first light came and dawn brought light to the Ceriopolis, the situation had gonefrombad to dire. The greenskins now surrounded the walls of the city and easily


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numbered in thethousands. The unceasing volley of debris and bodies continued through the nightand sleep wasscarce for all in the city. I made my way up to the wall to relieve a few sentries fromtheir all nightposts when I spotted a mob moving from the governing hall towards the main gate.The head of the column consisted of )ominus $rdo in his full plate being flanked byhise'uotem in full regalia. The plebians of the 8ouse of Light and Lies marched in fullform andappeared to have plebians from several other houses amongst them. I can onlyassume myconfusion was noteworthy because the girl volunteered a comment on her confusionas well.They appeared to be marching forward in battle formation and banners. I was soshocked by theinsanity, I was unable to fathom what was about to occur.

)ominus $rdo gathered his troops, gave a valiant speech to rally the forces of the8ouseof Light and Lies and signaled to open the gate. It was that moment which snappedus from ourstupor. -e sprinted across the wall, desperately attempting to get to the gatehousebefore thisinsanity went any further. The sentries on the walls were too absorbed in the chaosto see uscoming or move out of the way. I knocked a few of them to the ground and maybeeven from thewall but I am not able to be sure. I charged into the gatehouse moments too late andI looked

down upon the charging )ominus $rdo and his fearless retinue. They carvedthrough theunsuspecting and poorly organized greenskins cleanly and were cutting them downwithprecision.I, for a moment, was almost hopeful of a route. The 8ouse of Light and Lies wasappearing unstoppable in the face of overwhelming numbers. Then I heard it again.The strangeincantation on the wind. I spun to see what was happening and the )ominus !etherand hise'uotem were shutting the gate. I lept to try and stop them but they had put up some

kind ofstrange proscription from the inner gate room. They were locking the 8ouse of Lightand Liesoutside the walls. I pounded my fist against the protection and screamed at them indesperation,begging them to open the gate before they allowed their fellow brothers and sistersto die. The)ominus !ether looked at me calmly and said 1I will not allow the Ceriopolis to fallbecause of


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one man9s hubris.The gate stays shut.2I looked down into the column of plebians and the despair was already taking grasp.Theleft flank gave first, slowly retreating as the greenskins filled in. They were still killing*+ to * but itdid not matter. They slowly withdrew to the gate and )ominus $rdo continued tosignal for thegate to be opened. I stood in that guard tower and watched my friends die,overwhelmed by ahorde of creatures barely capable of reason.)ominus $rdo was pressed down to the last of his men. The goblins had broken andfledthe field and the few trolls were slain. The monstrous ogres and their necromanticshaman hadrallied and were pressing against them with an unrelenting fervor. The chieftain ofthe $gres, onewho was said to wear the bone of his victims around his neck like a wreath and drink

the blood ofchildren for power, cleaved his way through the line and pressed )ominus $rdo untilhis backwas against the the wall. I will never know what was said when a(e locked withhammer, but)ominus $rdo9s hand shot out like lightning and grasped the neck of the Chieftainand the agonyon his face was visible for anyone close enough to see.I was too far away and the clamour of war drowned out what was said but in thatmomentI saw a brilliant prismatic light engulf the chieftain. I was nearly blinded but hisscreams and wails

could be heard over the din. !s the light spread out from the chieftain, so did thescream of theother ogres. It hung there for what seemed like eternity before the magic camerushing back tothe chieftain and then the force of light sent everyone close to the blast flying in alldirections.%entries were thrown from the walls, ogres skid across the battlefield like rag dollsand )ominus$rdo hit the stone ne(t to the gate so hard his armor crumpled like foil around him.8e satpropped against the wall with his hand raised signalling for the gate to be opened,

blood visiblyseeping out of the crumpled steel that used be his armor. 8e died of his woundsbefore we couldget healers over the wall.8e was a great man who suffered terribly at the hands of men he thought to be hisfriends and allies. 8e did not deserve to bleed to death in his armor, leaning againstthe gate ofthe city he gave his life to protect.The shock of what had 0ust transpired took a few minutes to settle in. !t first the tone


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inside the city was one of sadness and anguish for the loss of an entire house.6rothers, sisters,friends, wives, children, all were counted amongst the numbers of those lost outsidethe wall.-e waited for F days but no one inherited the laurel, no one grasped the banner.Thehouse haddied.6efore people could move to asking 'uestions about why the gate was not openedthedrums of war came pounding from the darkness. The %avage Legions were again atour gatesand they came with some of the most twisted goblins I have ever seen. Theyappeared to besickly, mottled brown with large pus filled sores and blisters. It was hard to seeclearly ordetermine e(actly what they were doing, but they appeared to be defiling the dead. Itwas not

long before the bodies of our friends came hurdling over the walls. The 8ouse ofTemperanceand /uin 'uickly gathered the bodies of the dead, so they could be interred.This time they had been animated prior to being delivered. Their twisted, rotting,bloated bodiesrose and assaulted the closest to them and they were being delivered around theentire city. Theassault of the dead did not take particularly long, only a couple hundred people hadgone out with)ominus $rdo. The %avage Legion took up their siege and waited. I was surprisedat this kind oftactic from such a primal and unenlightened pack of savages, but I would 'uickly find

out whythey were waiting.The coughing came first followed 'uickly by fever and chills. 6oils were only a fewhoursbehind. The sickness came upon all those who dealt with the bodies. The %avageLegion haddelivered a plague with the unceremonious return of our dead brethren. The 8ouseofTemperance and /uin was almost entirely infected as well as several other plebianswho wereassaulted by the infected corpses. The later stages of the plague came 'uickly for

some and itinvolved vomiting blood, bleeding innards and a gruesome death. "ow that it waslight out wecould see the bodies of the dead secreted a thin greenish film which got intoanything it touched.The remaining plebians of the inisterium, myself included, invoked a 'uarantine forallinfected with the plague. -e forced them into the merchant district and locked thegates. The


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house of Pain and Purity was already working on a cure for the plague but wasstrugglingbecause the 'uarantine left them unable to test if the cure worked. )ominus 3itaethought itmight take about a day to find a treatment, which was too late for many plebians whosuccumbin a matter of hours.I was busy assisting the house in attempting to find a cure for the plague in the8ouse ofPain and Purity when I heard the gates of the city open. I dropped the vial I wasworking without asecond thought and sprinted out of the house and across the district, a(e in hand. Iwas terrifiedthe %avage Legion had scaled the wall and opened the gate. I was wrong. The selfproclaimedIgnis &'uotem was flying a flag of truce and sought to parlay with the enemy.I stopped for a moment to contemplate the idiocy of his actions, but before I even

realizedit my legs were moving with purpose. I had stormed into the halls of governance likemaniac. Ikicked the door of the inner chamber so hard it flew from the hinges. It bounced off ofa pedestaland slammed into the Pa( Buorum, knocking it from its pedestal and severelycracking it.)ominus Chaus rose and turned to meet my gaze, enraged by the destruction of hishouseartifact, but withered under my gaze. The )ominei understood my rage and were asdispleasedwith the idea as I. They said the idea of parlay with the beasts at the gates was

cowardly but the1Ignis &'uotem2 had made a valid point. They said If we suffer through a parlay itmight give the8ouse of 6ase and /eason time to repair the %iccus ortress. It may be our onlychance. I wasstunned. I was enraged. I could not believe these fallen men were throwing out theirconvictionsat a chance to save themselves.I marched back to the wall, unable to speak, and looked out at the infection claimingtheseat of Ignis &'uotem negotiating with these abominable monsters. $ur brothers and

sisterswere dying of a plague which they had vaulted into our home on the skin of our lovedones andhe is broaching the idea of peace. It is a rare moment in my life I must admit I felthatred for amember of the great races.I patiently waited on top of the gate for him to return from negotiation with the facesof evil.I remember he rose from the table and pointed north before he returned back to the


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him before theverbal onslaught of the tribunal.I was surprised at how civil everything remained during the discourse, consideringhowbadly events had gone during recent heated debates. The charges were leveled by anearlyunified tribunal. Treason, cowardice and murder. The argument for 0ustice wassimple. Theactions of the acting Ignis &'uotem had betrayed everything they stood for bysending the%avage Legions after defenseless men, women and children. The defense could belabeledabsurd if it was so deeply craven. The false e'uotem argued the fleeing ancientsdeserved to behunted. They abandon us and deserved to die in the wild. 8e actually argued hishouse was ofsound virtue and deserved to live. -hen called upon to stand in support of their false

e'uotem,most of the gallery threw down their favors. ! select few had been swayed in supportof theradical suggestion that those who fled a dying city which indulged in vanity andhubris deservedto die. The tribunal did not take long to deliberate and voted unanimously to holdthese cowardsaccountable for the innocent lives they sacrificed and the cowardice they had shown.%omeattempted to put up a fight but were easily overwhelmed. I watched each man be

0udged guilty oftheir crimes. The )ominei who passed 0udgement took the time to look each and

every cowardin the eyes, e(plained their cowardice and betrayal to them calmly and withoutsentiment. &venin the face of men who abandon their principles and begged for mercy, theyremained resoluteand pushed them from the wall where they were hung by the neck until theyperished.I have watched good men, sound men become depraved in the face of desperatecircumstances. I have watched good men take desperate steps in a misguideddedication to agreater cause. This was one of my saddest moments for I was watching fallen men,

menstricken by pride and entitlement, unable to grasp the gravity of hubris. en andwomen so lostto their self aggrandized sense of station they would willing send people to theirdeaths fordefying them. I am ashamed of these men, but at least I am not alone in seeing theirfailings. !tleast these men were brought to 0ustice.The ne(t few days were filled with an une(pected calm in the face of the dismal


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choicesremaining to those still loyal to the Ceriopolis. Communication between housesstopped. The8ouse of Temperance of /uin was wasting away under the effects of the plague, The8ouse of6ase and /eason was desperately trying to repair the %iccus ortress, The 8ouse ofTsunamiand )ream was preparing to make evacuate. They had a plan to create a safepassage throughthe lake. The 8ouse of -hispers and Thunder was desperately trying piece togetheraproscription. The desperate unceasing hope of saving the city was the last bit ofstraw left tograsp for.The 8alls of #overnance had been all but abandoned due to a lack of necessity. Theamount of plebians left in the Ceriopolis was not enough to 0ustify gatheringeverybody. -e had a

few hundred left in a city which used to be home to thousands beyond counting. I saton the roofand watched the scrambling of men and women. I noticed two events occurringindependently,but at the same time. I saw the 8ouse of Tsunami and )ream moving a makeshifta'uaticmanipulator, or some such pretentious name, to the waterline. They had carved outthe boats toshuttle across the lake and well outside the danger the %avage Legion presented.-ell, boatmight be a strong word. Canoe or maybe raft. They did not inspire confidence in asuccessful

departure.The second set of events were of greater concerned. I noticed the 8ouse of Painand Purify waswearing strange masks and gloves. The masks seemed to have tubes running fromthe noseand mouth down across the chin, around the back of the neck and up over theirhead. The tubesseemed to meet above the head at a glowing white pearlescent sphere which pulsedwith magic.I remember feeling clean 0ust looking at it. The gloves had similar pulsing spheres onthe back of

each hand. They were shepherding the plague ridden members of the houseTemperance and/uin through the city to their chapterhouse, but I was also watching people go in thechapterhouse near death and come out healed. The asks and #loves must haveallowed themto move the plague victims without contracting it.The events were going on simultaneously and each came with its own set ofcircumstances. The 8ouse of Peace and alice was both obstructing and assistingthe


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departure preparations at the dock. They were never more scattered than they werethat day. $nthe other side of the wall the near dead were being smuggled to safety and salvation.It almostfelt like a good day. !lmost. I had returned to observing the a'uatic preparationswhen I heard thescreaming start.1Plague; Plague; They have broken the 'uarantine; Plague; /un; Plague2I had notlookedaway for more than a minute and all of a sudden the 8ouse of -hispers andThunder wasscouring the streets. The doors of the 'uarantine were thrown open and those stillstrongenough to walk were rushed into the 8ouse of Pain and Purity. I could see theremaining bodieslaying on the ground near the door. Their hands outstretched, grasping at a chancefor life, softly

begging for a chance to live.The panic of spreading plague had overtaken the 8ouse of -hispers and Thunder.-henthey found the door open and the remaining victims near death they were devoid ofconcern fortheir plight. I saw them kill them, leave the weapons used to commit the crime andthen closeand bar the door. The remainder of the 8ouse was gathering in a mob and marchingtowards the8ouse of Pain and Purity. I descended from my perch to attempt to talk some senseinto themadness gripping all involved.

I arrived too late. I round the corner to see the )ominus ortem pleading for time toshowthem they had been cured, shouting how the sickness was curable and they shouldbe praisingthe )ominus 3itae for his work. Then I watched the !ether &'uotem stab him in thethroat with adagger. 6lood sprayed everywhere and the remaining plebians of all houses presentstoppedsilent for a single moment, overwhelmed by the murder of the )ominus ortem, thenflee inpanicked terror in all directions. It was as if someone yelled fire in a crowded hall.

)ominus!ether and his e'uotem forced their way to the door of the 8ouse of Pain and Purityand forcedthe door closed. I heard a strange and foul incant riding the wind again, but this timeit was close.It was as if it was the same as the day near the binding rise but at the same timecompletelydifferent and I could taste the rotten stagnant air and smell the stench of a thousandwindless


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nights as the windows of the house filled with an engulfing blackness. I could hearmuffled criesof fear and see hands stretching the coal black ichor on the windows, smotheringthem like fittedgloves sewn from the midnight sky.I smelled it before I heard it. lesh has a very distinct scent. The screams came ne(tandthey were the harbinger of true depravity. I could hear them attempting to 'uench theflames. Itdid not take long before the building was engulfed. !t first it was wailing which hungin the air, thescreams of men and women being burned alive. In the end it was the roaring crackleof bonfireflames which howled into the night, consuming one of the greatest acts of selflessheroism ofthis generation. The 8ouse of Pain and Purity risked e(posing themselves to certaindeath to

cure their fellow man and were then locked inside their home and died screaming formercy. Themercy they showed their fellow man and was subse'uently denied to them.%ometimes I feelnothing but pity and shame for the great races.I had but a few moments to lament the travesty which was transpiring before apanickedplebian came frantically sprinting up. 8e could barely speak from being out of breathand wasattempting to gesture towards the docks. It took the poor youth a few moments tocompose andcommunicate the 8ouse of Tsunami and )ream was under attack. The %avage

Legion hadreturned during the chaos created during the burning of the 8ouse of Pain and Purityand wereattempting to scale the walls of the #rand 6azaar.-e immediately left the burning ruins behind and made for the docks. -e arrived tomany members having boarded their makeshift vessels and paddling for safety. Itwas the firsttime I saw it up close. The water was rippling and churning from the falling arrowsand debribeing fired and thrown by the %avage Legions. The water wretched and ebbed witheach falling

stone or sometimes falling body. It was not until you reached the end of the piers,then itappeared to be a perfect circle pressed down in the bay. It was not impressive in thesize,maybe *+ feet across, but the rafts which were not capsized by the descendingstorm of rockydeath would lean over the edge before tumbling out of view.I moved to get closer to the portal and was immediately met with drawn wands. The

!'ua


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&'uotem and a few other member of the house appeared to have stored into theirwar golemsand were standing at attention near the waterline. The enchanted obelisk behindthem appearedto be ebbing, flowing and sparking with magical power. It was by no means aseamlessenchantment and had to be maintained by a pair of formalists to ensure it did notcollapse.The )ominus !'ua appeared to be wearing a strange tor'ue, greaves and braces. Iwasnot able to get close, but they appeared to be hammered copper with inset tur'uoisewhichmoved like waves. &ach point on the tor'ue seemed to have strands of waterrunning back tothe obelisk while the bracers and greaves shimmered like shifting waves. 8ergestures seem tobe affecting the water and causing the water to act like e(tensions of her will. -aves

crasheddown on any who attempted to enter the surf and surging geysers were vaultingupward and intothe path of oncoming attacks. It was an enchantment unlike anything I had seenbefore. I guess Ishould not be surprised by the achievements of a house defined by their dedicationto achievingthe greatest of dreams.I snapped from my entrancement when I heard the shouting begin. The 8ouse of-hispers and Thunder was approaching the waterline where the makeshift vesselsto departwere located. They were met with a very pointed volley of elements from the !'ua

&'uotem.They were decisively informed they would not be boarding nor allowed departurewith the otherrefugees. The frank discussion turned 'uickly to a standoff. I tried to calm everyoneand find outwhy they were being denied e(it, but I was fairly certain I already knew.It did not take long before my theory was proven accurate. The &'uotem allowedmembers of the other remaining houses to board. any members of the 8ouse ofPeace andalice had already left with the first groups, but the 8ouse of -hispers and Thunderwere

markedly denied. The &'uotem was steadfast in his purpose, unflinching under thecontinuingassault of arrows and stones from over the walls. The first plebian who tried to passwithout theirconsent was cut down without mercy. -hen pressed for a reason for their beingdenied, the&'uotem simply pointed to the smoke rising from inisterium )istrict.I cannot say why I was surprised when blades were drawn. The !'ua &'uotem wasthe


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first to fire, but his force was met with e'ual fervor. The shouting voices and clashingbladesmade the altercation chaotic but I heard battle cries from both sides. 1Cowards21Traitors21urderers2 1!postate2 1)efilers2 and more. I could not have possibly heard them all.The golemsmade short work of many of the attackers and the plebians of both houses werepouring into thefight. I watched in horror as brother cut down brother and our greatest of enlightenedsocietiesdevolved into civil war.The fighting continued with bloodshed on all sides. The !'ua &'uotem continued toholdthe line and almost all of the 8ouse of Tsunami and )ream was through thewatergate when the)ominus !'ua started taking notice of the conflict. %he was trying desperately toblock as many

pro0ectiles as she could, but it was 0ust too much for any one person. The battlefieldwasdrenched in torrential shifting waters mi(ed with arrows, blood and debri.The 8ouse of 6ase and /eason was visibly losing ground as the %avage Legionsgainedfootholds on the walls. They sounded the horns and called for aid, but nothing came.Their onlyaid was busy fighting amongst themselves. I saw the )ominus !ether retreating backto thegates of inisterium )istrict with his &'uotem and a few plebians in tow. I dartedthrough thecombat to ensure he would not be able to lock the gate again. I managed to get

through the gateand rush to the gate tower.I looked around the gate room but the )ominus !ether was nowhere to be found. Ionlysaw his !ether &'uotem leering down at the conflict below. 8is demeanor wasdifferent frombefore. 8is name was -allace of /edbank once, but I did not recognize the man thatstoodbefore me. I am not even sure what stood before me was still a man. 8e must havenoticed hewas being watched because his head swiveled. "ot turned, turned would be normal

or healthy,no this was more like something was swiveling the head of a doll. I swear I can stillhear thegrinding of bone and his eyes. 8is weird, vacant eyes peering at me but having noemotion toshow. Then I saw it. 8e waved his hands and everything went silent for a moment,as if realitywas had slipped its chain and then came the wind. It was like an unwanted touchcaressing my


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against thecity gates. The )ominus Ignis was killed in the e(plosion of the 6inding /ise and hisfailedreplacement was an apostate who sacrificed the ancient beings of this city for achance to savehis own life. The )ominus 3itae and )ominus ortus were burned alive, an un0ustreward forfighting the plague. )ominus !'ua died diverting water away from refugees and)ominus Chaushad not been seen since the flood. )ominus Lapis had the last members of hishouse ralliedbehind the closed gates. I had no idea where )ominus !ether or the thing posing ashis e'uotemhad scurried off to.I was terrified to think of what that thing could do. It was an evil I could not articulatewithwords, but I could not sit idly by and let it continue to malign that which I held in the

highestesteem. I bounded down the steps of the wall and found )ominus Lapis organizinghis plebians.8e had no idea of the travesties of the day. 8e had seen the smoke, but knewnothing of whythere was fire. 8is call for aid and assistance from his fellow inisterium houseswentunanswered, but was unaware of the bloody conflict incited on the ground beneathhim. 8e hadseen the tidal wave come and wash away his enemies, but had no idea why it cameour way orhow. 8e was a good man. ! powerful, kind, generous, brave, gregarious man who

laughed tooloud and stood by his convictions even more than the normal dwarf. -hen I told himof the manwhich had caused the death and destruction of our home, he calmly picked up hisa(e andpointedly asked me where to find him.I realized then I did not know. 8e could have been at the 8ouse of -hispers andThunder, or the 8alls of #overnance, or possibly already be out the gate and out ofthe city. I wasdeliberating when )ominus Lapis decided we were splitting into two groups andscouring the

city. I went with his group and he sent his e'uotem with the other half of the plebians.The orderswere simple, find the !ether &'uotem known as -allace of /edbank and slay him.-e immediately set about scouring the city and we spent most of the day and deepintothe night desperately searching. -e turned any building which was still standinginside out. Thestreets at this point were littered with rubble and trash. -e stumbled upon a fewwounded


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plebians during our search of the city, but no sign of the )ominus !ether or hise'uotem couldbe found. It was deep i

Chronicle of Caliphestus

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