Saoirse
Newbie
*Posted in Taverns and at waysides, freely distributed amongst the elite in circles of scholarly research, political posturing and celebrity gossip alike, and read aloud in slums and poor rural areas*
In Defense of the Adventurers
By Iodecrus and Cassiopeia, niece of Lord Cygnus
The following is an accurate account of the employment of the Adventurers--who have been referred to as the Heroes of the Esperbrand, the Adventurers of Dragonhold, the Foreigners, and a variety of unsavory and inaccurate nomenclature--under the employ of Lord Cygnus Elehenia (deceased) of the West Solus Mercantile Company. This publication is made available for the clarification of their terms and activities, as an official representation and history of the broad strokes of their endeavors, and as a repudiation against misinformation and rumor put forward by those who would abuse them and take advantage of the vulnerabilities of Solus during a time of uncertainty and upheaval for their own political and economic gain.
A Brief Enumeration of Contracted Encounters of the Employed Adventurers
The Adventurers were summoned by Cassiopeia at the request of Lord Cygnus to arrive in Solus in the Autumn of 419. Their first task was to explore an area where the intersection of the ley lines of the Elemental forces of Death and Water had formed a Nexus. That Nexus point had opened prior to the arrival of the Adventurers, at great loss of life to both locals and West Solus Mercantile Company investigators. The Adventurers assessed the situation, stabilized the area, and closed the Nexus, and were then retained in employment due to their success in this unique and unprecedented event of danger and mystery. Cassiopeia is the only current living Solus native to have witnessed the events of this first Nexus.
The Adventurers were next called upon to the ancient grove of the dryads, Artitum, which was inexplicably ablaze. Discovering within the place a Nexus of the ley lines of Fire, Chaos and Life, the Adventurers, aided by the calculation of the stone elf Durza, were again able to successfully close the aberration, turning back the blaze and saving what remained of the Artitum. The venerable Maplethorn can provide further account of the events herein.
A company of the WSMC having suspiciously gone silent, the Adventurers were called a third time to investigate. The company having been posted to a site that proved to be a Nexus of the ley lines of Life and Order, many good elvish men and women of the WSMC lost their lives, or developed malformations and went incurably mad. The Adventurers, rallied by the human bounty hunter Judah, closed this Nexus as well, and patterns sufficient to extrapolate had now emerged; not the least of which was the fact that these Adventurers of other lands were repeatedly laying down their own lives to save Solus from a complicated and enshrouded threat that revealed itself to be more extensive than Lord Cygnus ever imagined, in the form of malevolent Beings from Beyond the Veil, intent upon wreaking devastation across all of Solus - and eventually, all of Aetheria. Again, Cassiopeia is the only Solus-born elf who is not one of the Adventurers and is still living to bear witness to these events.
The Adventurers were called a fourth time, to accompany Lord Cygnus below the fertile ground of Solus into the caverns of the Chitinous to parlay with a sentient elemental construct called the Faceted One. Suspecting danger and knowing the location to be near enough the ley lines of Earth and Order, the Adventurers were employed to ensure the safety of the diplomatic team, (their own temperate stone elf Ramenhotep joined it), and to close the likely-open Nexus. Suspicions bore out and the Adventurers performed to their standard. WSMC Captain Aros of House Fornax and Cassiopeia were witness to these events, as well as the Chitinous: a mothkin Drawn To The Flame, an antkin K’ch’ti and the scorpionkin T'chikachatchickacht.
The fifth time the Adventurers were called was to search for Cassiopeia, who had gone missing, at the time of the great tempest now known as the Veilstorm, with the Esperbrand itself hanging in the skies above Galandir. The Adventurers rescued Cassiopeia under the direction of Lord Cygnus and directed by his human deputy Ksenia, from the very eye of the storm and fought heroically to mitigate the full force of the storm’s true purpose: to rend asunder the Veil itself and permit the entry of Esperbrand into our world. The Esperbrand was now recognized for what it truly was: not merely some celestial body, some mere comet, but an Outsider of truly terrifying power. It was during this horrific struggle that Lord Cygnus gave his life, with the accurate belief that individual actions hold great sway in the events of our time, and that personal sacrifices are required to ensure the safety of Solus. WSMC Captain Aros of House Fornax was witness to most of these events, Cassiopeia only to the final moments.
In his will, Lord Cygnus appointed the Adventurers to be the Honored Pallbearers during his funerary rites. This was a convening of the Adventurers according to longstanding Galandir House traditions, customs and obligations and was overseen by Iodecrus of Aeld. Misha, among other Oathsworn, showed great respect to Cygnus' Spirit. However, even the Hallowed Grove of Passing fell to the malevolent predations of Those Beyond the Veil, and many lives were lost in holding back the creatures of corruption which would have otherwise overrun and consumed Solus and every living thing in it.
The Adventurers of Dragonhold remain in Solus even now, fighting the good fight on behalf of so many who would curse or malign them for their mere presence on our once fair island. Cassiopeia remains determined to see justice done for her uncle, and to defeat the Esperbrand Outsider. She resides with the Adventurers, who now dwell in the hinterland of Galandir steadfastly preparing for the next inevitable danger.
A Condensed Guide to Oldspeak, the language of the ancient magic and the true words for the planar influences
While many in Solus have been marked, taught or otherwise exposed to some of these words, we find it expedient to share the progress made by the Adventurers and those that sponsor them in understanding the language of the ancient magic. The Oldspeak words are not limited to the definitions herein, but encapsulate a greater understanding of concept than the traditional connotation of words in our common speech. This is not, therefore, an equitable, or perfect translation.
JHAMATE’ is Life, Growth
DEMATE’ is Death, Greed
KARTUJ is Earth, Stability
MITAK is Air, Freedom
ROPAJ is Water, Ice, Adaptability
TAKME’ is Fire, Destruction
VAJHE’ is Chaos, Anarchy
SUJHI is Order, Structure
A Brief Report on the Current Dangers Facing Solus
The Esperbrand Comet is more than a celestial body, though it is also that. In ancient times, members of eight great noble houses of Solus sacrificed a body part each in ancient magic ritual to attract and capture a powerful Outsider from the Void. Through that magic, they bound the Esperbrand to a passing comet, and its power to their houses and to Solus, harvesting its energies in order to artificially enhance the Elemental Ley Lines across the entire island, locking away all knowledge of this foul deed through other powerful obscuring magics. Now, thousands of years later, the magic of the Void has weakened the ancient rite’s hold over the ME’JA, and the Esperbrand has traveled across the stars once more. The Outsider now uses those same elemental connections which held It bound to circumvent the Veil’s protection and seeks vengeance for its enslavement and abuse. The Nexus points opening have been places of entry for that Outsider to push and begin It’s assault on Solus. The Adventurers have continually attempted to thwart It at every turn, and have gained considerable knowledge as to the characteristics of dangerous enemies, lore on the Esperbrand, other Outsiders in general, and the planar web. Still the Esperbrand remains and continually strives for revenge. While Solus has been ravaged by storm, devastated by planar rupture and saturation, while the people of Solus have been subjected to attacks by forces unnatural and unknowable, while some would jockey for power and influence on the fear and uncertainty, these Adventurers sacrifice their lives on a near-daily basis. If the Esperbrand is victorious, there will be nothing of Solus to remain.
In the Northern part of the Island of Solus, wars against mutations and icy monsters and ruination brought by the Veilstorm wreak daily struggles upon those populations of the provinces of Uldain, Kardain, and Fethrin which have not fled. Galandir City in the South of our Principality of Galandir is consumed in the Great Duel between Houses Elehenia and the monarchy of Dalith. Elemental hordes burn the forest realm of Arodell and quake the western border of Galandir itself. And to the East, those who fancy themselves in service to the comet as the Children of the Esperbrand rampage wickedly.
We, the authors of this publication, we few who can bear eyewitness to the entirety of these events and their purpose, implore you to join the fight against the Esperbrand, to rally to the defense of Solus, to take up arms, not against each other, and not against those who sacrifice to protect a home that is not their own. Stand with us to avert the oncoming apocalypse, and know that if we few are to fail, all of Solus will fall. If you will not stand with us, if your best efforts to save Solus are not found on the field of battle, then we ask you to lend aid to ease the suffering of your fellows who remain upon the island, for the devastation which can now be found in Fethrin may yet be seen across all of Solus. Do not add to it. Do not impede the work of those who seek to defend you. Help. Or get out of the way.
Cassiopeia
Iodecrus of Aeld
In Defense of the Adventurers
By Iodecrus and Cassiopeia, niece of Lord Cygnus
The following is an accurate account of the employment of the Adventurers--who have been referred to as the Heroes of the Esperbrand, the Adventurers of Dragonhold, the Foreigners, and a variety of unsavory and inaccurate nomenclature--under the employ of Lord Cygnus Elehenia (deceased) of the West Solus Mercantile Company. This publication is made available for the clarification of their terms and activities, as an official representation and history of the broad strokes of their endeavors, and as a repudiation against misinformation and rumor put forward by those who would abuse them and take advantage of the vulnerabilities of Solus during a time of uncertainty and upheaval for their own political and economic gain.
A Brief Enumeration of Contracted Encounters of the Employed Adventurers
The Adventurers were summoned by Cassiopeia at the request of Lord Cygnus to arrive in Solus in the Autumn of 419. Their first task was to explore an area where the intersection of the ley lines of the Elemental forces of Death and Water had formed a Nexus. That Nexus point had opened prior to the arrival of the Adventurers, at great loss of life to both locals and West Solus Mercantile Company investigators. The Adventurers assessed the situation, stabilized the area, and closed the Nexus, and were then retained in employment due to their success in this unique and unprecedented event of danger and mystery. Cassiopeia is the only current living Solus native to have witnessed the events of this first Nexus.
The Adventurers were next called upon to the ancient grove of the dryads, Artitum, which was inexplicably ablaze. Discovering within the place a Nexus of the ley lines of Fire, Chaos and Life, the Adventurers, aided by the calculation of the stone elf Durza, were again able to successfully close the aberration, turning back the blaze and saving what remained of the Artitum. The venerable Maplethorn can provide further account of the events herein.
A company of the WSMC having suspiciously gone silent, the Adventurers were called a third time to investigate. The company having been posted to a site that proved to be a Nexus of the ley lines of Life and Order, many good elvish men and women of the WSMC lost their lives, or developed malformations and went incurably mad. The Adventurers, rallied by the human bounty hunter Judah, closed this Nexus as well, and patterns sufficient to extrapolate had now emerged; not the least of which was the fact that these Adventurers of other lands were repeatedly laying down their own lives to save Solus from a complicated and enshrouded threat that revealed itself to be more extensive than Lord Cygnus ever imagined, in the form of malevolent Beings from Beyond the Veil, intent upon wreaking devastation across all of Solus - and eventually, all of Aetheria. Again, Cassiopeia is the only Solus-born elf who is not one of the Adventurers and is still living to bear witness to these events.
The Adventurers were called a fourth time, to accompany Lord Cygnus below the fertile ground of Solus into the caverns of the Chitinous to parlay with a sentient elemental construct called the Faceted One. Suspecting danger and knowing the location to be near enough the ley lines of Earth and Order, the Adventurers were employed to ensure the safety of the diplomatic team, (their own temperate stone elf Ramenhotep joined it), and to close the likely-open Nexus. Suspicions bore out and the Adventurers performed to their standard. WSMC Captain Aros of House Fornax and Cassiopeia were witness to these events, as well as the Chitinous: a mothkin Drawn To The Flame, an antkin K’ch’ti and the scorpionkin T'chikachatchickacht.
The fifth time the Adventurers were called was to search for Cassiopeia, who had gone missing, at the time of the great tempest now known as the Veilstorm, with the Esperbrand itself hanging in the skies above Galandir. The Adventurers rescued Cassiopeia under the direction of Lord Cygnus and directed by his human deputy Ksenia, from the very eye of the storm and fought heroically to mitigate the full force of the storm’s true purpose: to rend asunder the Veil itself and permit the entry of Esperbrand into our world. The Esperbrand was now recognized for what it truly was: not merely some celestial body, some mere comet, but an Outsider of truly terrifying power. It was during this horrific struggle that Lord Cygnus gave his life, with the accurate belief that individual actions hold great sway in the events of our time, and that personal sacrifices are required to ensure the safety of Solus. WSMC Captain Aros of House Fornax was witness to most of these events, Cassiopeia only to the final moments.
In his will, Lord Cygnus appointed the Adventurers to be the Honored Pallbearers during his funerary rites. This was a convening of the Adventurers according to longstanding Galandir House traditions, customs and obligations and was overseen by Iodecrus of Aeld. Misha, among other Oathsworn, showed great respect to Cygnus' Spirit. However, even the Hallowed Grove of Passing fell to the malevolent predations of Those Beyond the Veil, and many lives were lost in holding back the creatures of corruption which would have otherwise overrun and consumed Solus and every living thing in it.
The Adventurers of Dragonhold remain in Solus even now, fighting the good fight on behalf of so many who would curse or malign them for their mere presence on our once fair island. Cassiopeia remains determined to see justice done for her uncle, and to defeat the Esperbrand Outsider. She resides with the Adventurers, who now dwell in the hinterland of Galandir steadfastly preparing for the next inevitable danger.
A Condensed Guide to Oldspeak, the language of the ancient magic and the true words for the planar influences
While many in Solus have been marked, taught or otherwise exposed to some of these words, we find it expedient to share the progress made by the Adventurers and those that sponsor them in understanding the language of the ancient magic. The Oldspeak words are not limited to the definitions herein, but encapsulate a greater understanding of concept than the traditional connotation of words in our common speech. This is not, therefore, an equitable, or perfect translation.
JHAMATE’ is Life, Growth
DEMATE’ is Death, Greed
KARTUJ is Earth, Stability
MITAK is Air, Freedom
ROPAJ is Water, Ice, Adaptability
TAKME’ is Fire, Destruction
VAJHE’ is Chaos, Anarchy
SUJHI is Order, Structure
A Brief Report on the Current Dangers Facing Solus
The Esperbrand Comet is more than a celestial body, though it is also that. In ancient times, members of eight great noble houses of Solus sacrificed a body part each in ancient magic ritual to attract and capture a powerful Outsider from the Void. Through that magic, they bound the Esperbrand to a passing comet, and its power to their houses and to Solus, harvesting its energies in order to artificially enhance the Elemental Ley Lines across the entire island, locking away all knowledge of this foul deed through other powerful obscuring magics. Now, thousands of years later, the magic of the Void has weakened the ancient rite’s hold over the ME’JA, and the Esperbrand has traveled across the stars once more. The Outsider now uses those same elemental connections which held It bound to circumvent the Veil’s protection and seeks vengeance for its enslavement and abuse. The Nexus points opening have been places of entry for that Outsider to push and begin It’s assault on Solus. The Adventurers have continually attempted to thwart It at every turn, and have gained considerable knowledge as to the characteristics of dangerous enemies, lore on the Esperbrand, other Outsiders in general, and the planar web. Still the Esperbrand remains and continually strives for revenge. While Solus has been ravaged by storm, devastated by planar rupture and saturation, while the people of Solus have been subjected to attacks by forces unnatural and unknowable, while some would jockey for power and influence on the fear and uncertainty, these Adventurers sacrifice their lives on a near-daily basis. If the Esperbrand is victorious, there will be nothing of Solus to remain.
In the Northern part of the Island of Solus, wars against mutations and icy monsters and ruination brought by the Veilstorm wreak daily struggles upon those populations of the provinces of Uldain, Kardain, and Fethrin which have not fled. Galandir City in the South of our Principality of Galandir is consumed in the Great Duel between Houses Elehenia and the monarchy of Dalith. Elemental hordes burn the forest realm of Arodell and quake the western border of Galandir itself. And to the East, those who fancy themselves in service to the comet as the Children of the Esperbrand rampage wickedly.
We, the authors of this publication, we few who can bear eyewitness to the entirety of these events and their purpose, implore you to join the fight against the Esperbrand, to rally to the defense of Solus, to take up arms, not against each other, and not against those who sacrifice to protect a home that is not their own. Stand with us to avert the oncoming apocalypse, and know that if we few are to fail, all of Solus will fall. If you will not stand with us, if your best efforts to save Solus are not found on the field of battle, then we ask you to lend aid to ease the suffering of your fellows who remain upon the island, for the devastation which can now be found in Fethrin may yet be seen across all of Solus. Do not add to it. Do not impede the work of those who seek to defend you. Help. Or get out of the way.
Cassiopeia
Iodecrus of Aeld