The Book of Aethos
Entry 1 - Tranquility:
It has been a long time since I have revealed my knowledge to the key. The gods or as some say fate has chosen you to be the knowledge holder to find the lost artifacts of the protectors. These artifacts were blessed by the gods to help the protectors defend themselves and aid the gods at the time of reckoning. I will slowly guide you and reveal those secrets when the time is right.
The first order of business is to find your family’s lost sword, Tranquility, Dark Blade of Justice. Tranquility is a vicious longsword with a blade of dull, pitted black metal and a hilt of magically hardened obsidian, set with a large ruby in the pommel. Inscribed into the blade are runes and sigils of evil power, though these seem unusually faded and worn.
Omen:
When Tranquility is wielded in battle, tendrils of pure, white light stream from the blade and the jewel in the pommel.
History:
The ancient lich-king Raumos forged Tranquility for his chief lieutenant, the death knight Darnag in honor to Bane. The blade was a weapon of soul-searing evil.
Darnag ultimately used the sword to overthrow Raumos and set up his own kingdom, tales of which are still used to frighten children into good behavior. Darnag himself disappeared a few centuries after overthrowing Raumos. He was never seen again.
Darnag was actually vanquished in battle by a young human woman named Eyria, a paladin of Torm. Eyriais renowned in the history of Torm’s church for her piety and courage, and though she was slain in battle with the death knight, even in her own destruction she was victorious. Tranquility stole her soul and absorbed it, but the sword was unable to destroy her wholesome essence. Eyria’s faith infused the weapon. Darnag was then burned to ash by the touch of his own blade—Eyria’s purity destroyed him
After Darnag’s destruction, he and his sword were entombed in a grand mausoleum constructed by his loyal servants, who were unaware of the presence of Eyria’s soul inside Tranquility. For centuries, the paladin’s spirit struggled against the evil inherent in the blade. In the quiet darkness of the tomb, Eyria’s spirit was overwhelmed. Unable to purge the unholy magic from Tranquility, her soul fell dormant and passed into a deep torpor.
Many centuries after Tranquility was interred in Darnag’s tomb, an adventurer named Aedwar (also known as He of the Steely Heart) discovered the tomb and began exploring it. His excavations triggered the tomb’s magical defenses, and Aedwar was cornered by over a dozen guardian demons at the death knight’s sarcophagus. With no other weapon at hand, He of the Steely Heart snatched up Tranquility and wielded the evil blade against his fiendish attackers. The strength of Aedwar’s determination, along with the destruction of so many demons, caused Eyria’s spirit to stir into wakefulness once again. With Aedwar’s help, the paladin was able to banish the evil of Tranquility’s sinister magic once and for all.
When Aedwar died, he was entombed in the Halls of Heroes with Tranquility.
Entry 2 - The Fight For Tranquility:
When Aedwar died, he was entombed in the Halls of Heroes with Tranquility. As the last bit of twisted fate, the remaining evil in Tranquility called out to the darkness to reclaim its dark soul from Eyria. The darkness heard its last cries and Shar responded. She corrupted the heart of the one that Eyria trusted the most filling him with rage for betraying her orders. The whispers grew in his ear day by day filling his heart full of darkness. He was consumed by how Eyria had the heart and strength to destroy Darnag where other thought he was weak. He set out to bring the end to Eyria by showing her she is no match to the darkness as it was only he who could defeat it. He traveled to the Halls of Heroes entering the sacred burial lands of fallen heroes. The whispers told him how he was better than them and he alone with show everyone how powerful he is.
He entered the burial chamber of Aedwar drawn by the aura of Eyria. As he approached the tomb of Aedwar he could feel the darkness build inside him. He knew this new voice inside him was his true calling. Eyria had to pay for not listening and making him look bad. He was here to destroy Eyria and return the sword to the way it was. He opened the tomb and found Tranquility calling to him. He grasped Tranquility as rays of bright light erupted from the sword. The pain Eyria felt as she felt the betray by her mentor. As the light from the sword dulled he knew now it was his job to suppress Eyria and wield her as his own to feed the evil in the sword to turn it back the way it was.
He presented the blade to Shar who told him to guard the sword as the daughter of her disciple will come for it. He must prepare the blade so the evil will call out to her. He will have to fight her and he will fall but he will succeed as the darkness will prevail in here. Shar opened the shadow weave flooding the Halls with shadows raising an unholy dead army for him. His army will stop the forces of good from help Eyria ever again.
Tranquility is hanging in the balance Valna. Which way you chose will ultimately decide if the blade will fight on the side of light or the side of darkness.
Entry 3 - The Power of Light And Darkness:
In the hands of good, Tranquility becomes a powerful weapon against the dark. As the spirit of Eyria awakens the sword grants the wield luck against those foes who oppose her. As the sword wielder gains experience with Tranquility she is able to dismiss those from other plans and stop undead creatures. Tranquility will help the sword wielder heal from the wounds of battle. When the sword wielder is ultimately attuned to Tranquility she will sacrifice a part of herself to protect the wielder from death.
In the hands of evil, Tranquility changes and becomes a powerful weapon against the light. As the spirit of Eyria dies the blade reclaims its true name Tenebricose. As the wielder feeds Tenebricose souls she will grow in strength causing brutal damage to those who oppose her. When Tenebricose is full of souls, the wielder will be able to embrace those who live in the darkness. She will be able to summon those creatures to fight by her side consuming the light. The darkness embrace will allow her to travel through the darkness and appear out of nowhere to strike down the last saviors of the light.
Entry 4 - Sling of the Dire Wind:
Sling of the Dire Wind is a sling made from dark, tightly woven cord and a thick piece of leather etched with runes written in Giant. It was a weapon wielded by the smallest which took down the largest foes. But with ever great feats of heroism there are those who are jealous of it. Cora's family line has known the sting of betrayal and grown not to trust those who wield authority as they can be the one who wields the sting of jealousy.
Omen:
If the sling is swung overhead while loaded, a light breeze surrounds you.
History:
Sling of the Dire Wind would never have existed had it not been for a quiet boy named Cyril. Cyril’s father had given up the art of war and refused to teach his son how to use a sword, so Cyril devoted himself to the humble sling instead. He practiced constantly, mastering the weapon at a young age, hitting any target he set for himself. Then a day came when bandits raided Cyril’s village. The robbers where out for blood, having lost a few of their number to a regional guard patrol. Cyril loosed rock after rock at the invaders, knocking them from their horses and incapacitating many. After single-handedly preventing a massacre, the taciturn youth became a peasant hero, and a local militia leader soon offered to train Cyril further.
Against his father’s wishes, Cyril readily embraced the soldier’s life, but he became famous for his method of slaying monsters. Cyril toppled hill giants with his sling and knocked manticores out of the sky with loosed stones. No matter how much martial training he acquired or how strong he became, his focus never changed. Cyril was neither an outspoken man nor a well-traveled one, preferring the comforts of his rural home. But the moment some creature threatened his community, Cyril was the first to face off against the beast, Sling of the Dire Wind in hand.
Like many legendary heroes who cling to their simple lives, Cyril’s was torn from him. His fame began to attract challengers, warriors who wanted to test their mettle against the youth who had defeated uncounted foes with nothing more than leather, cord, and stone.
Cyril wanted none of his fame. His skills were meant for repelling creatures threatening innocent lives, not showmanship. When he was a man, he retreated into seclusion with his wife, hoping the fanfare would subside with his absence. His disappearance only in-creased his reputation. The aristocracy had become curious about the boy who never missed his mark, and they tracked Cyril down and hounded him un-til he agreed to demonstrate his skill publicly. After a couple of lackluster shots and more than a few misses, the audience was ready to riot, having traveled so many leagues into the forest for nothing. A group of ogres, attracted by all the noise, suddenly fell upon the crowds. Cyril reacted with instincts honed by conflict, slaying the foul creatures in short order using only his sling. The audience was stunned at the man’s true skill. A representative of the king asked Cyril to return to his village, where he would be available to help defend the kingdom in time of need. Cyril reluctantly agreed.
Cyril had dispatched many monsters in his life, making more than a few enemies. Now these foes knew exactly where to find the man and his sling. Life quickly became unbearable in the little village, repeated attacks plaguing the place as if the creatures sought Cyril out. After an ettin wreaked havoc on the community, Cyril’s father demanded he leave before more innocents were harmed. Cyril agreed without protest and left again with his wife, but the monsters were unrelenting. A pair of trolls found Cyril’s woodland hideaway at a moment when Cyril was out hunting. His wife was alone. Cyril arrived to find the giants standing over his beloved’s corpse, and he flew into a murderous rage. One of the trolls died quickly, but Cyril extracted the awful truth from the second. The king had been sending monsters after Cyril, probably hoping the slinger would kill each in its turn he had become an unwitting exterminator for the crown. With anger beyond reason, Cyril rode to the royal city, stood outside the walls, and launched stone after stone at the fortifications, destroying huge sections of wall with rocks no larger than big pebbles. Archers atop the battlements returned fire. Watching the volley as it arced through the sky toward him, Cyril stood in place for a long moment, throwing his arms wide as the deadly shafts crossed the final few feet. When he closed his arms again, he found himself embracing his beloved.
The day Cyril died, the air spirits of the forests took Sling of the Dire Wind before anybody else claimed it. A guardian was assigned to watch over the weapon until a replacement worthy of Cyril’s legacy could be found. Rumors suggest the sling has since been spotted dangling from a tree branch in the forest one moment, only to disappear the next. The spirits have been known to call their home the Isle of the Tree.
Entry 5 - Power of the Legacy:
The protector’s legacy items have powers within them which grow with the protectors. I hidden lore is tied to the legacy items which very few know about which is the unification of the legacy items with protectors. As more protectors possess their legacy items and are united as a group, they awaken new powers which the protectors in the group can use. These group powers allow protectors to be stronger as a group when fighting against evil. Each group power is different based off the legacy items which are the key of the power. Now you know the power of the legacy group Valna, ask Tranquility and the Sling of the Dire Wind to act as the key for the legacy powers within and see what is unlocked for the Protectors! Entry 6 - Key to the Power:
When the legacy item is asked to be the key, they will light the way and give the Protectors the power within it.
Tranquility - The power of the wielder allows those attacking the same creature to have better odds.
Sling of Dire Wind - The power of the caster will be enhanced to overcome those who are resistant.
Infiltrator - The power of stealth.
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets - The power of the wielder allows those attacking the same creature to have harder hits.
Entry 7 - Infiltrator:
Valna it appears fate has revealed its hand and you are now on course of finding two legacy items. Let me enlighten you to Infiltrator.
Infiltrator is a sturdy chain shirt assembled from shiny rings of mithral, constructed primarily for military use but not without a discerning eye for craftsmanship.
Omen:
When wearing Infiltrator, you can focus your vision, gaining the visual effects of a magnifying glass or a spyglass.
History:
The product of a misspent youth, Dekarius Daystorm was a sneaky adolescent scion of a wealthy merchant family that made its fortune building siege engines for its nation’s armies. Dekarius was determined to learn all his family’s dark secrets, and he had a knack for serendipitously overhearing whispered confidences.
According to his father, the lad possessed too much talent for this skill. Something about Dekarius caused people to open up around him. The entire family came to fear his insatiable curiosity and powers of deduction—extortion, infidelity, and even murder ran through their history, all there for the idle young man to discover. So, without telling his son beforehand, Dekarius’s father enlisted him into the royal army, hoping the military could make good use of his incisive skills. Dekarius was sent on his way with the shirt of mithral chain that would later become Infiltrator.
Dekarius raged and fumed at the underhanded way his father had enrolled him into the army, but the youth could do nothing about it. The paperwork was signed. To spite his father, Dekarius excelled in all tasks assigned him and quickly demonstrated a natural aptitude for gathering information about any enemy. As a result, he was sent deep into hostile territory, always returning with, at the very least, a detailed report of armaments, deployments, and troop numbers. Dekarius, however, was never satisfied with such a superficial accounting. He often dressed as a member of opposing forces and boldly moved among their encampments, specifically noting officers, assessing personalities, and paying close attention to command styles. Dekarius even managed to overhear specific strategies being discussed by senior commanders.
All of these accomplishments made him an invaluable resource to the royal army.
Dekarius made a reputation for himself among his superiors, who came to rely on the information he provided. His spying was so dependable that battles were often delayed until he returned from a mission. Eventually, Dekarius was given the most covert assignment he had ever taken. He was to infiltrate a retreating enemy army, earn the trust of their commanding officers, and serve as their scout. Only Dekarius and his superiors were privy to this plan. Dekarius was allowed to provide the enemy leaders some useful intelligence, but only to gain their trust. Sly disinformation would follow.
The operation worked perfectly, allowing Dekarius to send crucial facts to his commanders on a regular basis. During a stay in an enemy metropolis, however, Dekarius was taken aback when he spotted his father in the streets. Younger shadowed elder through the city’s avenues and byways. The older man went into a military barracks, and Dekarius realized he was supplying siege engines to both sides in the war.
When Dekarius discovered his father was doubledealing, his patriotism wrestled with his family loyalty. The young soldier confronted his father, who revealed he had been secretly traveling back and forth across the war lines for years. The Daystorm cartel even worked to maintain an artificial balance of power to keep its industry alive. Dekarius’s father made it clear the whole family would suffer if this duplicitous trading were stopped. Such deals were wholly responsible for the family’s current wealth. Dekarius weighed these words against everything he knew about his kin and the corruption running deep through their history. Money had brought them only misery. As he told his father to flee and never show himself in their homeland again, Dekarius could sense the old man’s bodyguards approaching from behind.
He turned to face the cutthroats, only to feel the chill ache of steel driving into his back and out through his chest. The Daystorm business was preserved.
Infiltrator changed hands over the years as those who possessed it did not know the real power of Infiltrator. Infiltrator was last know to be in a castle in the sky by those who struck down a might dragon for the power of the mask.
Entry 8 - Bullybasher's Gauntlets:
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets are a pair of full plate metal gauntlets that look well worn but are fully functional.
Omen:
While wearing the gauntlets, you can learn the most commonly used name of any one creature by looking that creature in the eyes.
History:
Pelt was the scrawny, illegitimate child of a prostitute, and a target for every bully in his town. He earned his keep by cleaning shop and smelting metal for a local blacksmith. The older boys of the streets hunted poor Pelt down every day, but the boy refused to cower to anyone. It didn’t matter how much the other kids ganged up on him, he heeded his mother’s words and never fought back. Pelt didn’t throw a single punch, but his unwillingness to be intimidated earned him a regular beating. While Pelt was healing from one particularly bad thrashing, his mother caught a seasonal virus. The impoverished woman couldn’t afford medicine while Pelt was incapacitated, and the gang that skimmed her profits wouldn’t help either. She died, and the blacksmith took Pelt in. When he recovered, Pelt took a pair of discarded metal gloves from the blacksmith and began wearing them in public. These gloves came to be known as Bullybasher’s Gauntlets.
The oversized gauntlets made Pelt a target right away, which was exactly what he wanted. He watched the faces of the street kids contort into ugly expressions of greed as they rushed him. Outnumbered as usual, Pelt fought back this time. He kept throwing punches until each attacker had been flattened in turn, sending boy after boy sprawling on the cobblestones. Pelt had taken his thumps over the years, but he had learned from each one.
It wasn’t long before Pelt’s skills as a pugilist attracted an unscrupulous merchant who organized bouts against the young man for entertainment and profit. Pelt fought in these matches only to save enough gold to leave the city, but he drew the attention of a powerful local crime gang called the Green Daggers. The gang wanted Pelt to muscle their “tax” from the neighborhood businesses. Most storekeepers paid into the protection racket without complaint, except for a solitary blacksmith—the same one who had raised Pelt after his mother died. Pelt defied the gang and defended his adoptive father. He proceeded to take out every leg-breaker and assassin sent after him.
Taking this as a sign of weakness, the other gangs in the local underworld made quick work of the remaining Green Daggers.
It was around this time that the local shop owners approached Pelt and offered to pay him for his protection. Pelt accepted. The community was too large for one man to look after, so Pelt recruited deputies from among the townsfolk who used to bully him when they were children. With their help, he organized a militia to resist the new gangs that had formed when the Green Daggers were dismantled.
Without realizing it, Pelt had decided to stay put. The city had somehow become more appealing, and Pelt now felt like he belonged. Under his stewardship, the community prospered. Pelt used much of his own wealth to finance a hospital for the poor, so poverty would never again make the difference between one of them living or dying.
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets was past on to those who stood up to bullies. They were last seen in the hands of a simple farmer. A mystical order trying to find the secret of the Bullybasher’s Gauntlet befriend the farmer and betrayed his trust. The Bullybasher’s Gauntletare now missing.
Entry 9 - Peacekeeper:
There was a gnome named Fridale the tinker. He was known for his marvelous creations made out of clockwork gears. Fridale’s creations made life easy for his clan as they did hard or dangerous thing for the clan. During his exploration Fridale encountered a curious goblin. The goblin was different from any goblin Fridale encountered. This goblin showed no hostility towards Fridale but seemed to try to communicate with him. The goblin pointed to Fridale’s creation and fixed a broken gear. Fridale impressed with the goblin’s ability to fix the complex gear offered to take him home to share their love of gadgets.
At Fridale’s workshop the goblin showed Fridale new ways of creating his cloakwork creations. Fridale learn from the goblin he was the son of a goblin king. The goblin king wanted the goblin to be a leader of the war goblins as he had a special mark of power. The goblin did not want life of war and had the the love of creation of creatures. The goblin ran away instead of face the king. Fridale’s clan was not comfrontable with the new guest but Fridale insist it would bring the two races closer as the goblin showed interest in peace. Fridale and the goblin decided to create a clockworks creature capable of bring peace to both races. They labored for months making the Peacemaker.
Things changes one night as they were putting their finishing touches on the Peacemaker. The goblin tells Fridale of a special water he had found. The goblin is able to bend the special powers of the water. The goblin tells Fridale the water will give the Peacemaker the power to be stronger and a special bond to those who knows the phrase. Fridale watched as the goblin enchanted the Peacemaker with the water. Curious as to the properties of the water he tried to take a sip of the water but the goblin told him no. Anger took over and Fridale snatched the water from the goblin and drank it. He felt power he never felt before. Fridale demanded more but the goblin told him no as he completed the enchantment. Fridale grabbed the goblin and with uncontrolled raged killed the goblin as he blacked out. When he came to Fridale anger grew towards the goblin. The goblin had this magical gift he refused to share and now Fridale could not use the Peacemaker as the goblin did not tell him of the phrase. Fridale became consumed in finding the water and the phrase. He turned his creations on the goblins in his quest to find what the goblins were hiding.
His story did not have to be a sad one as one only had to know the word of true friendship.
Entry 10 - Fatal Touch:
Fate has a weird way of change the course of time. One legacy item lost to time is now replaced by the hands of fate with a new weapon for the wielder. Fatal Touch is simply forged bastard sword without any distinguishing markings. Fatal Touch served its master until the end. It is a powerful sword against the dead as the wielder found them a perversion of nature which is ironic to whom fate has the blade for. I can not tell much more as fate may change its course but with Fatal Touch comes grand responsibilities as the one whom slayed its master is looking to harness its power over the fallen gods.
Entry 11 - Merikel:
Merikel was one of the most potent and favored solars in the service of Torm. He stood at the god’s right hand, carrying out Torm’s will and defending the faithful against the depredations of Bane and other enemies of the faith. His influence was so great that many of Torm’s worshipers prayed not directly to their deity, but to Merikel for his intercession. Perhaps this worship led Merikel to grow arrogant and prideful, or perhaps Cyric or some other foe manipulated him, but Merikel claimed godhood for himself and challenged Torm for the right to be the deity of valor. Torm defeated the solar and, with great sadness, cast him down into the Nine Hells. Merikel’s sword was separated from him as he fell, however, and came to rest on the Material Plane. When Merikel’s greatsword—bearing the fallen angel’s name written in Celestial upon its blade—fell to the Material Plane, it was still pure and holy, as befitted the weapon of an angel. A paladin named Hinsa discovered it and carried the blade for several years, vanquishing many foes with it. Over time, however, Hinsa noticed a darkness rotting the core of goodness within Merikel.
Powers once benign and helpful became dark, unholy magic, searing the soul and crushing hope. Hinsa did everything in his ability to restore Merikel’s purity, but he was unable to do so. With a heavy heart, he cast the blade into the deepest part of the ocean, praying Torm would guide a worthier hand to it.
Despite being separated from Merikel by the planar boundaries, the greatsword was still tied intimately to the spirit of its fallen owner. As Merikel brooded in the Hells, slowly becoming more twisted and devilish, the blade mirrored his descent into evil. The tainted sword brooded at the bottom of the sea, becoming a dark reflection of its former form.
Aquatic elves eventually found Merikel, brought the sword to the surface, and sold it to a weaponsmith in a coastal market. There, Garnaj, a blackguard dedicated to Bane, stole the unholy blade. In Garnaj’s hands, the last sparks of goodness in Merikel were all but extinguished. They might have been lost altogether had Garnaj not been slain by Hinsa’s grandson Dremmik, a noble knight. Dremmik reclaimed his grandfather’s sword and, guided by Torm's wisdom, embarked upon a quest to redeem Merikel.
Dremmik’s pursuit of Merikel’s deliverance was cut short when Merikel himself, now a powerful lord in the Nine Hells, attacked the young paladin in a bid to reclaim the weapon that had once been his. Fallen solar and knight met in a clash of epic proportions, laying waste to vast areas of countryside. Though the battle was long and fierce, in the end Merikel slew Dremmik. The purity of the paladin’s sacrifice, however, purged enough of the evil from the sword that Merikel was unable to carry the weapon away. Revolted, the fallen angel left Merikel with Dremmik’s body and returned to the Nine Hells. The final fate of Merikel remains unknown, for when Dremmik’s body was discovered, the sword was not with him.
The fate of good and evil struggles over Merikel as the blade's fate is tied to the brothers - one seeking redemption while the other is seeking retribution.
It has been a long time since I have revealed my knowledge to the key. The gods or as some say fate has chosen you to be the knowledge holder to find the lost artifacts of the protectors. These artifacts were blessed by the gods to help the protectors defend themselves and aid the gods at the time of reckoning. I will slowly guide you and reveal those secrets when the time is right.
The first order of business is to find your family’s lost sword, Tranquility, Dark Blade of Justice. Tranquility is a vicious longsword with a blade of dull, pitted black metal and a hilt of magically hardened obsidian, set with a large ruby in the pommel. Inscribed into the blade are runes and sigils of evil power, though these seem unusually faded and worn.
Omen:
When Tranquility is wielded in battle, tendrils of pure, white light stream from the blade and the jewel in the pommel.
History:
The ancient lich-king Raumos forged Tranquility for his chief lieutenant, the death knight Darnag in honor to Bane. The blade was a weapon of soul-searing evil.
Darnag ultimately used the sword to overthrow Raumos and set up his own kingdom, tales of which are still used to frighten children into good behavior. Darnag himself disappeared a few centuries after overthrowing Raumos. He was never seen again.
Darnag was actually vanquished in battle by a young human woman named Eyria, a paladin of Torm. Eyriais renowned in the history of Torm’s church for her piety and courage, and though she was slain in battle with the death knight, even in her own destruction she was victorious. Tranquility stole her soul and absorbed it, but the sword was unable to destroy her wholesome essence. Eyria’s faith infused the weapon. Darnag was then burned to ash by the touch of his own blade—Eyria’s purity destroyed him
After Darnag’s destruction, he and his sword were entombed in a grand mausoleum constructed by his loyal servants, who were unaware of the presence of Eyria’s soul inside Tranquility. For centuries, the paladin’s spirit struggled against the evil inherent in the blade. In the quiet darkness of the tomb, Eyria’s spirit was overwhelmed. Unable to purge the unholy magic from Tranquility, her soul fell dormant and passed into a deep torpor.
Many centuries after Tranquility was interred in Darnag’s tomb, an adventurer named Aedwar (also known as He of the Steely Heart) discovered the tomb and began exploring it. His excavations triggered the tomb’s magical defenses, and Aedwar was cornered by over a dozen guardian demons at the death knight’s sarcophagus. With no other weapon at hand, He of the Steely Heart snatched up Tranquility and wielded the evil blade against his fiendish attackers. The strength of Aedwar’s determination, along with the destruction of so many demons, caused Eyria’s spirit to stir into wakefulness once again. With Aedwar’s help, the paladin was able to banish the evil of Tranquility’s sinister magic once and for all.
When Aedwar died, he was entombed in the Halls of Heroes with Tranquility.
Entry 2 - The Fight For Tranquility:
When Aedwar died, he was entombed in the Halls of Heroes with Tranquility. As the last bit of twisted fate, the remaining evil in Tranquility called out to the darkness to reclaim its dark soul from Eyria. The darkness heard its last cries and Shar responded. She corrupted the heart of the one that Eyria trusted the most filling him with rage for betraying her orders. The whispers grew in his ear day by day filling his heart full of darkness. He was consumed by how Eyria had the heart and strength to destroy Darnag where other thought he was weak. He set out to bring the end to Eyria by showing her she is no match to the darkness as it was only he who could defeat it. He traveled to the Halls of Heroes entering the sacred burial lands of fallen heroes. The whispers told him how he was better than them and he alone with show everyone how powerful he is.
He entered the burial chamber of Aedwar drawn by the aura of Eyria. As he approached the tomb of Aedwar he could feel the darkness build inside him. He knew this new voice inside him was his true calling. Eyria had to pay for not listening and making him look bad. He was here to destroy Eyria and return the sword to the way it was. He opened the tomb and found Tranquility calling to him. He grasped Tranquility as rays of bright light erupted from the sword. The pain Eyria felt as she felt the betray by her mentor. As the light from the sword dulled he knew now it was his job to suppress Eyria and wield her as his own to feed the evil in the sword to turn it back the way it was.
He presented the blade to Shar who told him to guard the sword as the daughter of her disciple will come for it. He must prepare the blade so the evil will call out to her. He will have to fight her and he will fall but he will succeed as the darkness will prevail in here. Shar opened the shadow weave flooding the Halls with shadows raising an unholy dead army for him. His army will stop the forces of good from help Eyria ever again.
Tranquility is hanging in the balance Valna. Which way you chose will ultimately decide if the blade will fight on the side of light or the side of darkness.
Entry 3 - The Power of Light And Darkness:
In the hands of good, Tranquility becomes a powerful weapon against the dark. As the spirit of Eyria awakens the sword grants the wield luck against those foes who oppose her. As the sword wielder gains experience with Tranquility she is able to dismiss those from other plans and stop undead creatures. Tranquility will help the sword wielder heal from the wounds of battle. When the sword wielder is ultimately attuned to Tranquility she will sacrifice a part of herself to protect the wielder from death.
In the hands of evil, Tranquility changes and becomes a powerful weapon against the light. As the spirit of Eyria dies the blade reclaims its true name Tenebricose. As the wielder feeds Tenebricose souls she will grow in strength causing brutal damage to those who oppose her. When Tenebricose is full of souls, the wielder will be able to embrace those who live in the darkness. She will be able to summon those creatures to fight by her side consuming the light. The darkness embrace will allow her to travel through the darkness and appear out of nowhere to strike down the last saviors of the light.
Entry 4 - Sling of the Dire Wind:
Sling of the Dire Wind is a sling made from dark, tightly woven cord and a thick piece of leather etched with runes written in Giant. It was a weapon wielded by the smallest which took down the largest foes. But with ever great feats of heroism there are those who are jealous of it. Cora's family line has known the sting of betrayal and grown not to trust those who wield authority as they can be the one who wields the sting of jealousy.
Omen:
If the sling is swung overhead while loaded, a light breeze surrounds you.
History:
Sling of the Dire Wind would never have existed had it not been for a quiet boy named Cyril. Cyril’s father had given up the art of war and refused to teach his son how to use a sword, so Cyril devoted himself to the humble sling instead. He practiced constantly, mastering the weapon at a young age, hitting any target he set for himself. Then a day came when bandits raided Cyril’s village. The robbers where out for blood, having lost a few of their number to a regional guard patrol. Cyril loosed rock after rock at the invaders, knocking them from their horses and incapacitating many. After single-handedly preventing a massacre, the taciturn youth became a peasant hero, and a local militia leader soon offered to train Cyril further.
Against his father’s wishes, Cyril readily embraced the soldier’s life, but he became famous for his method of slaying monsters. Cyril toppled hill giants with his sling and knocked manticores out of the sky with loosed stones. No matter how much martial training he acquired or how strong he became, his focus never changed. Cyril was neither an outspoken man nor a well-traveled one, preferring the comforts of his rural home. But the moment some creature threatened his community, Cyril was the first to face off against the beast, Sling of the Dire Wind in hand.
Like many legendary heroes who cling to their simple lives, Cyril’s was torn from him. His fame began to attract challengers, warriors who wanted to test their mettle against the youth who had defeated uncounted foes with nothing more than leather, cord, and stone.
Cyril wanted none of his fame. His skills were meant for repelling creatures threatening innocent lives, not showmanship. When he was a man, he retreated into seclusion with his wife, hoping the fanfare would subside with his absence. His disappearance only in-creased his reputation. The aristocracy had become curious about the boy who never missed his mark, and they tracked Cyril down and hounded him un-til he agreed to demonstrate his skill publicly. After a couple of lackluster shots and more than a few misses, the audience was ready to riot, having traveled so many leagues into the forest for nothing. A group of ogres, attracted by all the noise, suddenly fell upon the crowds. Cyril reacted with instincts honed by conflict, slaying the foul creatures in short order using only his sling. The audience was stunned at the man’s true skill. A representative of the king asked Cyril to return to his village, where he would be available to help defend the kingdom in time of need. Cyril reluctantly agreed.
Cyril had dispatched many monsters in his life, making more than a few enemies. Now these foes knew exactly where to find the man and his sling. Life quickly became unbearable in the little village, repeated attacks plaguing the place as if the creatures sought Cyril out. After an ettin wreaked havoc on the community, Cyril’s father demanded he leave before more innocents were harmed. Cyril agreed without protest and left again with his wife, but the monsters were unrelenting. A pair of trolls found Cyril’s woodland hideaway at a moment when Cyril was out hunting. His wife was alone. Cyril arrived to find the giants standing over his beloved’s corpse, and he flew into a murderous rage. One of the trolls died quickly, but Cyril extracted the awful truth from the second. The king had been sending monsters after Cyril, probably hoping the slinger would kill each in its turn he had become an unwitting exterminator for the crown. With anger beyond reason, Cyril rode to the royal city, stood outside the walls, and launched stone after stone at the fortifications, destroying huge sections of wall with rocks no larger than big pebbles. Archers atop the battlements returned fire. Watching the volley as it arced through the sky toward him, Cyril stood in place for a long moment, throwing his arms wide as the deadly shafts crossed the final few feet. When he closed his arms again, he found himself embracing his beloved.
The day Cyril died, the air spirits of the forests took Sling of the Dire Wind before anybody else claimed it. A guardian was assigned to watch over the weapon until a replacement worthy of Cyril’s legacy could be found. Rumors suggest the sling has since been spotted dangling from a tree branch in the forest one moment, only to disappear the next. The spirits have been known to call their home the Isle of the Tree.
Entry 5 - Power of the Legacy:
The protector’s legacy items have powers within them which grow with the protectors. I hidden lore is tied to the legacy items which very few know about which is the unification of the legacy items with protectors. As more protectors possess their legacy items and are united as a group, they awaken new powers which the protectors in the group can use. These group powers allow protectors to be stronger as a group when fighting against evil. Each group power is different based off the legacy items which are the key of the power. Now you know the power of the legacy group Valna, ask Tranquility and the Sling of the Dire Wind to act as the key for the legacy powers within and see what is unlocked for the Protectors! Entry 6 - Key to the Power:
When the legacy item is asked to be the key, they will light the way and give the Protectors the power within it.
Tranquility - The power of the wielder allows those attacking the same creature to have better odds.
Sling of Dire Wind - The power of the caster will be enhanced to overcome those who are resistant.
Infiltrator - The power of stealth.
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets - The power of the wielder allows those attacking the same creature to have harder hits.
Entry 7 - Infiltrator:
Valna it appears fate has revealed its hand and you are now on course of finding two legacy items. Let me enlighten you to Infiltrator.
Infiltrator is a sturdy chain shirt assembled from shiny rings of mithral, constructed primarily for military use but not without a discerning eye for craftsmanship.
Omen:
When wearing Infiltrator, you can focus your vision, gaining the visual effects of a magnifying glass or a spyglass.
History:
The product of a misspent youth, Dekarius Daystorm was a sneaky adolescent scion of a wealthy merchant family that made its fortune building siege engines for its nation’s armies. Dekarius was determined to learn all his family’s dark secrets, and he had a knack for serendipitously overhearing whispered confidences.
According to his father, the lad possessed too much talent for this skill. Something about Dekarius caused people to open up around him. The entire family came to fear his insatiable curiosity and powers of deduction—extortion, infidelity, and even murder ran through their history, all there for the idle young man to discover. So, without telling his son beforehand, Dekarius’s father enlisted him into the royal army, hoping the military could make good use of his incisive skills. Dekarius was sent on his way with the shirt of mithral chain that would later become Infiltrator.
Dekarius raged and fumed at the underhanded way his father had enrolled him into the army, but the youth could do nothing about it. The paperwork was signed. To spite his father, Dekarius excelled in all tasks assigned him and quickly demonstrated a natural aptitude for gathering information about any enemy. As a result, he was sent deep into hostile territory, always returning with, at the very least, a detailed report of armaments, deployments, and troop numbers. Dekarius, however, was never satisfied with such a superficial accounting. He often dressed as a member of opposing forces and boldly moved among their encampments, specifically noting officers, assessing personalities, and paying close attention to command styles. Dekarius even managed to overhear specific strategies being discussed by senior commanders.
All of these accomplishments made him an invaluable resource to the royal army.
Dekarius made a reputation for himself among his superiors, who came to rely on the information he provided. His spying was so dependable that battles were often delayed until he returned from a mission. Eventually, Dekarius was given the most covert assignment he had ever taken. He was to infiltrate a retreating enemy army, earn the trust of their commanding officers, and serve as their scout. Only Dekarius and his superiors were privy to this plan. Dekarius was allowed to provide the enemy leaders some useful intelligence, but only to gain their trust. Sly disinformation would follow.
The operation worked perfectly, allowing Dekarius to send crucial facts to his commanders on a regular basis. During a stay in an enemy metropolis, however, Dekarius was taken aback when he spotted his father in the streets. Younger shadowed elder through the city’s avenues and byways. The older man went into a military barracks, and Dekarius realized he was supplying siege engines to both sides in the war.
When Dekarius discovered his father was doubledealing, his patriotism wrestled with his family loyalty. The young soldier confronted his father, who revealed he had been secretly traveling back and forth across the war lines for years. The Daystorm cartel even worked to maintain an artificial balance of power to keep its industry alive. Dekarius’s father made it clear the whole family would suffer if this duplicitous trading were stopped. Such deals were wholly responsible for the family’s current wealth. Dekarius weighed these words against everything he knew about his kin and the corruption running deep through their history. Money had brought them only misery. As he told his father to flee and never show himself in their homeland again, Dekarius could sense the old man’s bodyguards approaching from behind.
He turned to face the cutthroats, only to feel the chill ache of steel driving into his back and out through his chest. The Daystorm business was preserved.
Infiltrator changed hands over the years as those who possessed it did not know the real power of Infiltrator. Infiltrator was last know to be in a castle in the sky by those who struck down a might dragon for the power of the mask.
Entry 8 - Bullybasher's Gauntlets:
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets are a pair of full plate metal gauntlets that look well worn but are fully functional.
Omen:
While wearing the gauntlets, you can learn the most commonly used name of any one creature by looking that creature in the eyes.
History:
Pelt was the scrawny, illegitimate child of a prostitute, and a target for every bully in his town. He earned his keep by cleaning shop and smelting metal for a local blacksmith. The older boys of the streets hunted poor Pelt down every day, but the boy refused to cower to anyone. It didn’t matter how much the other kids ganged up on him, he heeded his mother’s words and never fought back. Pelt didn’t throw a single punch, but his unwillingness to be intimidated earned him a regular beating. While Pelt was healing from one particularly bad thrashing, his mother caught a seasonal virus. The impoverished woman couldn’t afford medicine while Pelt was incapacitated, and the gang that skimmed her profits wouldn’t help either. She died, and the blacksmith took Pelt in. When he recovered, Pelt took a pair of discarded metal gloves from the blacksmith and began wearing them in public. These gloves came to be known as Bullybasher’s Gauntlets.
The oversized gauntlets made Pelt a target right away, which was exactly what he wanted. He watched the faces of the street kids contort into ugly expressions of greed as they rushed him. Outnumbered as usual, Pelt fought back this time. He kept throwing punches until each attacker had been flattened in turn, sending boy after boy sprawling on the cobblestones. Pelt had taken his thumps over the years, but he had learned from each one.
It wasn’t long before Pelt’s skills as a pugilist attracted an unscrupulous merchant who organized bouts against the young man for entertainment and profit. Pelt fought in these matches only to save enough gold to leave the city, but he drew the attention of a powerful local crime gang called the Green Daggers. The gang wanted Pelt to muscle their “tax” from the neighborhood businesses. Most storekeepers paid into the protection racket without complaint, except for a solitary blacksmith—the same one who had raised Pelt after his mother died. Pelt defied the gang and defended his adoptive father. He proceeded to take out every leg-breaker and assassin sent after him.
Taking this as a sign of weakness, the other gangs in the local underworld made quick work of the remaining Green Daggers.
It was around this time that the local shop owners approached Pelt and offered to pay him for his protection. Pelt accepted. The community was too large for one man to look after, so Pelt recruited deputies from among the townsfolk who used to bully him when they were children. With their help, he organized a militia to resist the new gangs that had formed when the Green Daggers were dismantled.
Without realizing it, Pelt had decided to stay put. The city had somehow become more appealing, and Pelt now felt like he belonged. Under his stewardship, the community prospered. Pelt used much of his own wealth to finance a hospital for the poor, so poverty would never again make the difference between one of them living or dying.
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets was past on to those who stood up to bullies. They were last seen in the hands of a simple farmer. A mystical order trying to find the secret of the Bullybasher’s Gauntlet befriend the farmer and betrayed his trust. The Bullybasher’s Gauntletare now missing.
Entry 9 - Peacekeeper:
There was a gnome named Fridale the tinker. He was known for his marvelous creations made out of clockwork gears. Fridale’s creations made life easy for his clan as they did hard or dangerous thing for the clan. During his exploration Fridale encountered a curious goblin. The goblin was different from any goblin Fridale encountered. This goblin showed no hostility towards Fridale but seemed to try to communicate with him. The goblin pointed to Fridale’s creation and fixed a broken gear. Fridale impressed with the goblin’s ability to fix the complex gear offered to take him home to share their love of gadgets.
At Fridale’s workshop the goblin showed Fridale new ways of creating his cloakwork creations. Fridale learn from the goblin he was the son of a goblin king. The goblin king wanted the goblin to be a leader of the war goblins as he had a special mark of power. The goblin did not want life of war and had the the love of creation of creatures. The goblin ran away instead of face the king. Fridale’s clan was not comfrontable with the new guest but Fridale insist it would bring the two races closer as the goblin showed interest in peace. Fridale and the goblin decided to create a clockworks creature capable of bring peace to both races. They labored for months making the Peacemaker.
Things changes one night as they were putting their finishing touches on the Peacemaker. The goblin tells Fridale of a special water he had found. The goblin is able to bend the special powers of the water. The goblin tells Fridale the water will give the Peacemaker the power to be stronger and a special bond to those who knows the phrase. Fridale watched as the goblin enchanted the Peacemaker with the water. Curious as to the properties of the water he tried to take a sip of the water but the goblin told him no. Anger took over and Fridale snatched the water from the goblin and drank it. He felt power he never felt before. Fridale demanded more but the goblin told him no as he completed the enchantment. Fridale grabbed the goblin and with uncontrolled raged killed the goblin as he blacked out. When he came to Fridale anger grew towards the goblin. The goblin had this magical gift he refused to share and now Fridale could not use the Peacemaker as the goblin did not tell him of the phrase. Fridale became consumed in finding the water and the phrase. He turned his creations on the goblins in his quest to find what the goblins were hiding.
His story did not have to be a sad one as one only had to know the word of true friendship.
Entry 10 - Fatal Touch:
Fate has a weird way of change the course of time. One legacy item lost to time is now replaced by the hands of fate with a new weapon for the wielder. Fatal Touch is simply forged bastard sword without any distinguishing markings. Fatal Touch served its master until the end. It is a powerful sword against the dead as the wielder found them a perversion of nature which is ironic to whom fate has the blade for. I can not tell much more as fate may change its course but with Fatal Touch comes grand responsibilities as the one whom slayed its master is looking to harness its power over the fallen gods.
Entry 11 - Merikel:
Merikel was one of the most potent and favored solars in the service of Torm. He stood at the god’s right hand, carrying out Torm’s will and defending the faithful against the depredations of Bane and other enemies of the faith. His influence was so great that many of Torm’s worshipers prayed not directly to their deity, but to Merikel for his intercession. Perhaps this worship led Merikel to grow arrogant and prideful, or perhaps Cyric or some other foe manipulated him, but Merikel claimed godhood for himself and challenged Torm for the right to be the deity of valor. Torm defeated the solar and, with great sadness, cast him down into the Nine Hells. Merikel’s sword was separated from him as he fell, however, and came to rest on the Material Plane. When Merikel’s greatsword—bearing the fallen angel’s name written in Celestial upon its blade—fell to the Material Plane, it was still pure and holy, as befitted the weapon of an angel. A paladin named Hinsa discovered it and carried the blade for several years, vanquishing many foes with it. Over time, however, Hinsa noticed a darkness rotting the core of goodness within Merikel.
Powers once benign and helpful became dark, unholy magic, searing the soul and crushing hope. Hinsa did everything in his ability to restore Merikel’s purity, but he was unable to do so. With a heavy heart, he cast the blade into the deepest part of the ocean, praying Torm would guide a worthier hand to it.
Despite being separated from Merikel by the planar boundaries, the greatsword was still tied intimately to the spirit of its fallen owner. As Merikel brooded in the Hells, slowly becoming more twisted and devilish, the blade mirrored his descent into evil. The tainted sword brooded at the bottom of the sea, becoming a dark reflection of its former form.
Aquatic elves eventually found Merikel, brought the sword to the surface, and sold it to a weaponsmith in a coastal market. There, Garnaj, a blackguard dedicated to Bane, stole the unholy blade. In Garnaj’s hands, the last sparks of goodness in Merikel were all but extinguished. They might have been lost altogether had Garnaj not been slain by Hinsa’s grandson Dremmik, a noble knight. Dremmik reclaimed his grandfather’s sword and, guided by Torm's wisdom, embarked upon a quest to redeem Merikel.
Dremmik’s pursuit of Merikel’s deliverance was cut short when Merikel himself, now a powerful lord in the Nine Hells, attacked the young paladin in a bid to reclaim the weapon that had once been his. Fallen solar and knight met in a clash of epic proportions, laying waste to vast areas of countryside. Though the battle was long and fierce, in the end Merikel slew Dremmik. The purity of the paladin’s sacrifice, however, purged enough of the evil from the sword that Merikel was unable to carry the weapon away. Revolted, the fallen angel left Merikel with Dremmik’s body and returned to the Nine Hells. The final fate of Merikel remains unknown, for when Dremmik’s body was discovered, the sword was not with him.
The fate of good and evil struggles over Merikel as the blade's fate is tied to the brothers - one seeking redemption while the other is seeking retribution.
Item type
Book / Document
Current Holder
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