Bethany Starlight
Bethany was a very proud Vemenorian, just like her husband Danell Starlight. She worked as a priestess for the Church of Veman. She was a firm believer and followed the church's tenants very strictly. She raised Tullia, her daughter, to follow its ways as well. Before she became a priest, she worked as a Templar. She loved the comradery within the Templar circle and had a burning passion to serve the Empire and its citizens every way she could. She served as a templar for almost seven years and she never lost one bit of the love she had for the templar life. She held its decree to a high standard, always. Every evening she polished her armor and sword with the same enthusiasm as the day she got promoted to the rank of Templar.
The Midnight Ambush of Blackwood Vale
One day her squadron's officer received the orders for the day, as routine. They had been tasked to bring supplies to Darlog Tower. Bethany and her fellow templars within the squadron started packing the caravan. The Darlog fortress is probably one of the biggest defensive structures on Azarant with hundreds of templars stationed within its great halls and wall. The squadron and some traders of Kul'darim started packing the caravan and soon enough the caravan, together with Bethany and her squadron, were off to Darlog Tower with the much needed supplies. When they reached just halfway to Darlog Tower they made camp for the night.
When most of the Templars had taken of their armor and gone to bed for some much needed sleep, after a long days march, Several of their tents were set ablaze by burning arrows. They were ambushed by what some believe to be the notorious Captain One eye. Bethany was always focused and on high alert when out in the field. She were one of the last ones, as usual, to get ready for bed. She had just put down her helmet beside her bedrolls when she heard the first screams of her fellow templars. She rushed outside her tent just to see a black ruffled feather arrow pass her head and hit the wooden tent beam beside her.
Moments later a hooded figure came rushing towards her, with his sword over his head ready to strike. Bethany struck down the figure with one elegant thrust of her spear. Several more figures, all hooded, charged the woman. The few templars that already had been struck down, but were still alive, witnessed the fight. They say she almost glowed with the Light of Veman as she gracefully danced around her opponents, with a shield in one hand and a spear in the other, striking them down one by one. The templars that still were standing rallied to Bethany, as she was chanting the holy scriptures of veman, to fight as one unit. A few lucky templars were still in their armor, but most of the squadron were only only dressed in the padded cloth that they wore under their armor. The few templars that still stood were heavily outnumbered but their training and tactics served them well. But against the overwhelming force they faced they could not prevail. One by one they fell by the sword and arrow. As the last standing templar, in a desperat attack, Bethany tried to charge towards what she believed to be the person leading the attack. As soon as she started running, a black arrow found its way in a gap in armor and hit her in the thigh and she fell to her knees. She continued to fight off the attackers even when she was on her knees. But she knew that the fight was lost and would soon die, serving the Empire. One of the hooded figures successfully struck his dagger in her back, and then again in her chest as she dropped her spear in agony.
Suddenly she hears hooves hitting the ground in great force and number. She looked up and saw at least three Templar Squadrons on their horses, charging her position with a vengeful determination. The few enemies that were still standing, after Bethany's onslaught, started to flee the battlefield. The ambush was over and the enemies were gone. With the last remaining energy she gets to her knees again. Bethany wipes the blood of her foes from her eyes and face with the palm of her hand and catches a glimpse of one of the Templars, dismounting next to her. The male templar catches Bethany just as she is about to hit the ground unconscious. The next time she wakes up she lies in a wooden bed, in a stone room. Bethany recognize the room as the Templar infirmary back at Kul'darim. An elderly man, clad in white robes with red stains enters, the room and sighs in sadness. He sits next to Bethany as she cries out in agony from her injuries.
He tells Bethany how bad the wounds are and that she wont survive. In the corner of the room another templar sits downs and prays with his head in the palms of his hands, as is the way Veman. She continuous to struggle for several days, falling unconscious over and over again. The nurses cleans her wounds and change her dressings daily while they join the man in prayers before leaving the room.
Every time she wakes up from unconsciousness, she sees the male templar sitting in corner praying, non-stop. When she finally get well enough to start talking, the male templar gets up, walks towards Bethany and place the palm of his gauntlet on her cheek and say "Veman is surly with you dear. I'm Danell Starlight, the Scribewho gave your squadron the assignment to supply Darlog Tower with supplies. Harald continues "When we found you, you must have vanquished at least 25 enemies by yourself, for they were lying in a circle, with you in the middle".
From that day on, Bethany and Harald became a couple and soon after married each other. She birthed her daughter Tullia
Bethany was too wounded to continue as a templar, but she continued to serve the empire as a priestess of Veman.
One day her squadron's officer received the orders for the day, as routine. They had been tasked to bring supplies to Darlog Tower. Bethany and her fellow templars within the squadron started packing the caravan. The Darlog fortress is probably one of the biggest defensive structures on Azarant with hundreds of templars stationed within its great halls and wall. The squadron and some traders of Kul'darim started packing the caravan and soon enough the caravan, together with Bethany and her squadron, were off to Darlog Tower with the much needed supplies. When they reached just halfway to Darlog Tower they made camp for the night.
When most of the Templars had taken of their armor and gone to bed for some much needed sleep, after a long days march, Several of their tents were set ablaze by burning arrows. They were ambushed by what some believe to be the notorious Captain One eye. Bethany was always focused and on high alert when out in the field. She were one of the last ones, as usual, to get ready for bed. She had just put down her helmet beside her bedrolls when she heard the first screams of her fellow templars. She rushed outside her tent just to see a black ruffled feather arrow pass her head and hit the wooden tent beam beside her.
Suddenly she hears hooves hitting the ground in great force and number. She looked up and saw at least three Templar Squadrons on their horses, charging her position with a vengeful determination. The few enemies that were still standing, after Bethany's onslaught, started to flee the battlefield. The ambush was over and the enemies were gone. With the last remaining energy she gets to her knees again. Bethany wipes the blood of her foes from her eyes and face with the palm of her hand and catches a glimpse of one of the Templars, dismounting next to her. The male templar catches Bethany just as she is about to hit the ground unconscious. The next time she wakes up she lies in a wooden bed, in a stone room. Bethany recognize the room as the Templar infirmary back at Kul'darim. An elderly man, clad in white robes with red stains enters, the room and sighs in sadness. He sits next to Bethany as she cries out in agony from her injuries.
I really loved this article, and especially loved the description of her fight. I would really enjoy more about her early life. :) Thanks for the exciting read!