The Legend of Maldretch

By Loremaster Alden Roths, 1098 of the 3rd Era

In the winter of 1013 a faction of Vol-Trä known as the Ulak’Brik’Tar¹ invaded the kingdoms of Asatar and Tel along the north-eastern reaches of the Awildian. With a vast army that outnumbered even the indomitable legions of Ghent, the lizardfolk made short work of Asatar, ravaging its land and storming keeps, but strangely captured no new territory, and continued to march northward. This was unnatural behavior, and worried the people of Tel.

Yet even with the queer nature of the terrifying army of draconic descendants, the most alarming fact of the Ulak’Brik’Tar was their fanatic religious attunement to Banestrid. In the thousand years since his defeat, the Vol-Trä had turned their back on dragon worship, and set their gaze upon the stars. As astrologists, their religion remains at a shamanistic level. But what was witnessed at the time of the Draconic Invasion was ritualistic fervor akin to fanatic cultism. The Ulak’Brik’Tar desired to see Banestrid return, and were willing to spill blood to do so.

Upon arriving at the Hills of Thunder, the king of Tel, one Titus Vallius, had already called his banners, some 80,000 strong. A massive force for the fledgling nation. The army was determined to drive back their adversary all the way to the Barren Lands, and then destroy every last whisper of the Scaled Savior.

During the early days of the bloody war fought in the Hills Thunder, a scout frantically reported to the King that a black scaled dragon been seen soaring over the the Ziegerede Frontier, and was approaching Ûtharun.

Out of concern for losing the great city, as well as fighting a war on two fronts, King Titus quickly formed an order of knights, christened the Knights of the Green. Their sole purpose was to stop the mysterious black scaled dragon, and defend the northern regions of Tel from any impending invasions.

²After a fortnight of travel, the Knights of the Green arrived in the Frore Marsh, the place where the black scaled dragon had made their lair. Much to the hero's despair, the dragon was revealed to be Maldretch. Maldretch was the cunning and vile lieutenant of Banestrid during the War of the Dragon Lords. He had returned, and now led the Ulak’Brik’Tar. After the defeat of Banestrid at the hands of the Champions of the Lion’s Blaze, Maldretch had fled underground, where over the past millennium he had been secretly fostering the reverence of Banestrid once held by the Vol-Trä. And once the time was right, he pointed his army northward; to begin their campaign of destruction in the name of Banestrid. And to make matters worse, Maldretch has successfully radicalized the Vol-Trä tribes living in the Frore Marsh.

With the doom of Maldretch and his freshly formed army looming over the Frore, the Knights of the Green marched into the mountains, traveling to Greytale Peak. Here, it was rumored that a powerful dragon, the only living of the five dragons that fought alongside the Champions of the Lion’s Blaze, resided. He was Caliban, Guardian of the North.

After successfully finding his lair, and awaking him from his slumber, the Knights of the Green, riding aback Caliban, descended upon Maldretch in a silvery torrent. The battle then commenced in the heart of the Frore Marsh. During so, the fiercest blizzard the north had ever seen screamed its way through the frigid swampland.

When the fog cleared, and when the sun rose in the morning, the Knights of the Green were victorious. The body of Maldretch lay in the bog, the Vol-Trä rallied to his cause scattered, and all but two of the Knights had perished; Grand Paladin Julius of Rom and Sir Thalmond Grancourt Grancourt.

They returned to the Hills of Thunder as heroes, and found that the army of Tel had thwarted the invasion, and drove the lizardfolk back into their home.

¹Translates to newly born.
²Do note, records from this point on are second hand accounts, as the Knights of the Green’s chronicler (or bard, by colloquial terms) was killed in the final battle, and her belongings lost.