After more than two weeks of pulling down old scrolls and returning them to their original place she found something odd. A wood box had been hidden amongst the oldest of the scrolls. It was made from pine and there was a name carved on the lid, J. Cook. It was nowhere near as old as the scrolls it was with. Pulling it out with great care she took it to the table wondering just what it was that she would find inside. What she found inside stumped her for a moment or two. A series of sea charts and what seemed to be a captain's log book. Captain J. Cook was the name inside the cover. When Kandella opened up the sea chart there was a large circle drawn in the middle of the sea directly to the east of what is the current coast of Eystlund. Yet, looking at the map, the borders where all wrong. Some of the names she knew but most of it was different.
"Ahhh," she said "This is from before the time of Ent'Ara." Still, she did not understand this find, why the sea charts and the captain's book. She took a moment to look over the charts, wondering why there was a large circle drawn out in the middle of the sea. Taking the book in hand she slowly cracked open the cover. The first page said only J.Cook, The Dusk Chaser. Most of the pages were filled with simple entries. Port stops, goods taken on board, crew hired or removed. No thoughts from the long forgotten captain, only simple entries. After ten pages of this was something different. At the very top of the page it said, paid charter. Five passengers, paid in full. It then listed the names of the passengers and next to each name it stated their race. Three elves, Keltor, Tai'noral and Delmon. Two humans by the names of Logan and Taynor. It then listed where the charter was going, looking back at the sea charts she could see that the large circled area is where they were bound. The question came to mind, why charter a vessel to take you out to sea for more than two months, to an area that was devoid of any land at all?
When she turned the page she saw something she did not expect. The elven script was written in long sweeping strokes. Doing a quick scan of the page she did not stop to read as she turned the pages over. Five pages in all were filled with the same long hand writing. Turning back to the start she began to read. After reading the first page Kandella stopped and looked back at the sea charts. She checked the first page of the elven writing again and started to read it again. It stood out to her even more the second time than during her first read. Clear as day it said the island of Napatiea, island of the chosen. At the tender age of one hundred and forty nine years old Kandella had long forgotten many of the things she had learned as a child. Her parents being semi-wild elves did not see fit to teach her things other elf children learned. It wasn't until she found her way to Kemmermer that she began a life devoted to study. Over the years she had spent time in all the southern kingdoms, even Toryth Vol. Once a place of interest to her but she found that her kind wasn't welcome everywhere she went. She settled in Eystlund fifty years ago, when worship of the god Solarth returned she was one of the first to open her heart to the good god. It was there that she first saw this word, Napatiea; the chosen people of Solarth. Taking her quill in hand, Kandella started to translate the words from elven to common.
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My name is Delmon Windfall, Cleric of Solarth. I am also part of another order, the Keepers of the Silver Dragon. We are the keepers of our gods' teachings and history. I write this down here in hopes that should I not make the return trip home, that this will find its way to the right hands. In the beginning of time when the gods created man, they stood under the watchful eye of all the gods. Over time each began to spread their influence to all of their creations. Our lord Solarth fearing for the future of his people took aside two villages of people and placed them on an island, far from the rest of the world and hidden away from the eyes of the other gods. He said onto them, here you will prosper and grow. The first village was called Othos, Solarth shared with them the gift of magic and invention. The Othos were a natural born thinkers and problem solvers. Over time they discovered and built such wonders, the like that the world has never seen. The second village was called Melkor. Solarth shared with them the gift of nature. The Melkor would grow the crops, hunt the beast on land and fish in the sea to feed all the people of Napatiea. It was commanded by him that the Othos would reside on the northern half of Napatiea, the Melkor the south. Each month they would gather on the Plain of Hope in the center of the island to share with each other the gifts they had to offer. It was here that the first temple to Solarth was built.
Over hundreds of years the people of Napatiea continued to grow and prosper. After some time the god returned to his people, he was pleased with them but warned them not to forget the past when looking to the future. He appeared to the people on the Plain of Hope in the form of the Silver Dragon. It was then that the idea of a lore keeper was first born. It was then that the clerics of Solarth named the first of my order. The first Keeper of the Silver Dragon was named Ancella. He was sent forth by his superiors to explore the world of Majius and to seek out others who worshiped the good god, in order to teach them the true history of Solarth. In their desire to teach others, they laid down the path to their own destruction. Ancella was transported to Atalanxia, how was never told to us. He found other people who worshiped the good god shared with them his knowledge. In his travels he would find one or two of those most devoted to the god and make them into Keepers of the Silver Dragon, so that the lore of the order would not be lost. With the teachings of Ancella, the order of Solarth grew. With this growth came the attention of the dark lord, Asmodai. He instructed his followers to hunt Ancella, to learn just what it was that he was teaching the clerics of his most hated rival.
For many days and nights the followers of Asmodai did their worst to Ancella, while he was able to hold onto his faith after more than a month of physical and mental abuse Ancella told all he knew to the dark lord's followers. This was how the dark lord learned of the island of Napatiea. One man was chosen to be sent to Napatiea, a wolf who could hide among the sheep. He would live among them, be one of them. For more than two years he lived among the people, learning their ways, moving place to place. He at last settled in the Othos village. He took a wife and had a child. A child that he surrendered to the dark lord. As the child grew he was taught the ways of the dark lord. By the time he was fully grown he was completely corrupted, an agent of Asmodai. As a man he sought to gather power and take control of the Othos people. His corruption spread through the people as ideas of progress and change for the better. Ignore the old ways he told them, there is a better way. By the time he had the Clerics of Solarth killed all of the Othos people would bow to him. Under his direction they began to capture and make slaves of the Melkor people. It was then that the war began, when the Melkor fought to be free of the bonds of slavery. The war between the Othos and the Melkor raged on for more than fifty years before Solarth set about to undo the damage that Asmodai had done. He had hoped that this time of war would pass that they would remember his teachings. As the bodies and blood continued to collect on the Plain of Hope, Solarth then turned to another of his followers.
A little more than two months ago, before we arrived here, the god Solarth appeared to my friend and brother. An Elven cleric of Solarth by the name of Keltor Stormcaller. The god came to him in the form of the silver dragon and told him of all the blood being spilled on Napatiea, telling him to set out for the island. To help heal the people who had been so hurt by a single follower of Asmodai. It was then that Solarth gifted Keltor with two items. The Silver Scale, armor crafted with the gods love and devotion. The second item was The Fist of Solarth, a blessed hammer created by the god himself in a forge heated with his blood and cooled by his tears. Keltor gathered together his friends and I. Tai'noral the huntress, Logan a Paladin of the west and Taynor the ranger from the north. Tai and Taynor were lovers refused to become parted. The five of us set out to the east, hoping to find a ship that would give us passage to Napatiea. It took some convincing but Captain Cook saw the profit in finding a new island
at sea, I am sorry to say he never saw any of his dreams come true. After finding the island we landed at its southernmost tip. Not long after making landfall the Melkor attacked the ship thinking we were agents of Othos, half of the ship's crew was killed along with Captain Cook. The five of us along with the remaining crew surrendered to the Melkor only asking, no begging to speak with their leaders.
Only after many days and nights of talk with the council of elders did the Melkor people believe the words of Keltor. They saw the wisdom in his heart and agreed to help him make peace on the island. Yet we were warned, that peace did not mean to be happy with a life in chains. This was something we all agreed on. We were taken as far north as the Plain of Hope. It was there that we saw the ruins of the first temple. Destroyed by years of war, what was once a place of great joy became a place of misery. We continued on past the plain, north towards the home of the Othos. At first we were shocked at our reception, most of the people we met welcomed us with arms wide open. They had not seen a cleric of Solarth in many years, many thought it was a sign that their leader, Kesslin was taking them in the right direction. It was only when we met Kesslin and his commanders that we found any resistance at all. We could all feel the darkness in his heart yet the war had deeply hurt his standing with the people. He knew that it would only be so long before one side or the other would face complete destruction. Anyone could see the outcome of a continued war here. We thought we made him see how peace was his only option. After many talks Kesslin agreed to meet with the council of elders from Melkor on the Plain of Hope, to end the war and make peace. We should have known better than to trust him.
Complete and total destruction of the Melkor people is what Kesslin wanted the most. Kesslin used the peace talks to stage an attack on the council of elders at the sight of the old temple of Solarth. It was during that attack that we lost Tai and Taynor. They were killed while defending the council. Trying to get them away from the Othos troops. Logan and I were able to get them away but the attack crushed the hopes of not only the Melkor but our own as well. We were sent a single message later that night, Kesslin planned on marching his army into the home of the Melkor. It said he would kill every man and woman in his path until the council of elders agreed to meet his demands. He was going to give us two days to prepare for his arrival. All of us turned to Keltor, asking him what we should do. He told us he must take a night to pray to the god, to see if there was a way to avoid the bloodshed to come. While I joined him in his night of prayer, the god did not see fit to share any plan with me. Yet the following morning he said he knew of the gods' desire and that he would see that desire become reality.
The Melkor were to stay and defend the village, just in case Keltor failed in his task. When I asked him just what that task was, he would not tell me. He just smiled and rubbed his hand on The Fist of Solarth. That night he came to the elder's council of the Melkor people and told them that he and he alone would face the army of Othos, with the power of Solarth as his weapon. They called him mad and started to panic. We were able to calm them down and instead talked of how to defend the village. Logan was most useful in this task. While he was loyal to his god, war was in his blood from birth. He understood tactics that were well beyond anything I knew. Before the meeting ended Keltor reminded the council of one last thing. That they were still the chosen people of Solarth but that both villages had lost their way. He told them that they needed to remember the gods' teachings. He then admitted that the god had made a mistake, he had hoped that over time the two villages would become one. Yet this is not something he ever encouraged, it was just his hope for his people. When the meeting ended Keltor started heading north towards the Plain of Hope. He came to Logan and I to say goodbye, we told him he wasn't going alone.
Keltor was able to talk Logan into staying behind by making it his duty to defend the people. Yet I would not be talked out of it. I had to stay with him as he was my friend and my brother in faith. We spent the night talking while we made our way north. Talking of our past, our adventures and our hopes for the future. Just before dawn we were there on the Plain of Hope, at the ruins of the temple of Solarth. Two walls of the temple still stood tall, I looked around, the foundation was good, it just needed to be rebuilt. When I told Keltor this he said it would be rebuilt. He told me that I would rebuild the temple before I left the island. I asked him how he could be so sure and he just smiled telling me that he knew. You will build the temple and a great tower here. At the top of the tower will be a light, the light of hope. It will be a guide to those who are now lost in the dark. He then told me that we must part, that he must take this last walk alone. He told me to stay within the ruined walls of the temple, that I would be safe from harm there. I tried to question him about what was going to happen, he would only tell me that it was the gods will.
So I stayed behind and watched as my friend walked across the Plain of Hope, when he was near the middle of the field he stopped and started to look around. He took the Fist of Solarth in to his hand and waited. I could hear the approaching army as I knew he could as well. He just stood there, watching, waiting for them to come. As promised Kesslin was leading his army, one thousand strong towards the home of the Melkor. The sky over the Plain of Hope was clear that day, Keltor's white robes blazed under the sun. He stood tall and firm as the army approached. They stopped short, only Kesslin and his commanders came forward to meet with Keltor. I thought of leaving my hiding spot there at the ruined temple but something kept me firmly rooted to the spot. I assume it was the same thing that allowed me to hear their voices as they spoke. When Keltor raised the Fist of Solarth over his head, he spoke not to just Kesslin but to all the army.
"My name is Keltor Stormcaller, Cleric of Solarth. I came here to help return you to your proper path as the true chosen people of our god. You have been led astray by an agent of evil, yet you are still not lost. This is your chance to return to the light, embrace your brothers to the south and go forward together as one people, blessed by the good god. If you chose to continue down this current path, you will face the fury of the god who only sought to protect you." I had hoped that I would see a mass exodus of men. While more than a few dropped their weapons and returned to their home land, most stayed where they were. Waiting for the order to march. Kesslin told Keltor to stand aside or he would be trampled as the army came forward. At first I thought it was just the sun but as the army took its first steps forward The Fist of Solarth started to glow. Soon the glow spread down his arm and soon his whole body was covered in that strange golden light. Blinded by the darkness of Kesslin's heart, they continued forward. It was then that Keltor began to rise up into the air. Kesslin screamed out to his men to continue on, that it was nothing but a trick to scare them off. When Keltor was directly over the advancing army he shouted out one last thing. "I am sorry."
It was then that Keltor threw down the Fist of Solarth. I imagined for a moment that it landed at the feet of Kesslin. There was a blinding flash of light followed by a rumble of thunder. I fell to my knees there in the ruins of the temple of Solarth, I could feel the world shaking under me and I could hear the screams of the men who knew they were now doomed to a horrible death. Clouds of dust rolled across the Plain of Hope, for a short time, blotting out the sun. I stayed there in that temple on my knees until I could hear nothing else. When the dust cleared I got to my feet, leaving the ruins behind to go in search of my friend. Not more than a few hundred feet from the ruins the land was shattered. Solarths fury had torn the island in two. I stood on the edge of the destruction and prayed for my friend for I knew that I had seen him for the last time. I am sure Solarth understood my tears that day. Where the Plain of Hope once was, there was now a hundred foot gap between the Othos and the Melkor. The bodies of the men who died that day were now lost in the ocean between the two halves.
In the days ahead Logan and I were able to reach out to the Othos, to reconnect them with the Melkor. As I was instructed by my friend, I rebuilt the te
mple of Solarth with the tower he described. After two years of work we were able to heal the rift between the two villages. Once again they were going forward as intended by Solarth. The island of Napatiea was no more. They have now taken the name of Va'Nox. It means the broken. I am sending this journal back home with Logan, he and the remaining ship's crew are going to leave the island. As I still have work to do here, it will be awhile before I can return home. Logan has told me that he will be back in one year's time to collect me. I do not doubt his words and truth be told I am looking forward to going home again. To return to my home land and to start my own family. Until that time I will be here, doing the gods work.
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After Kandella finished the translation she sat back and read everything she wrote one more time. When the idea came to her that those people, the Va'Nox were still there after all this time she started to get excited. Was it possible that there was still a temple out there. That those people were still alive and the continued on through the years. More importantly she thought, they could be the only ones who continued to worship Solarth after the fall. Is it possible that they were never touched again by the corruption of Asmodai? Taking her written translation, she returned everything to the box and took it up stairs to the office of Bishop Hans. As she climbed the steps out of the cellar she knew what she had to say, she knew what it was that she would ask of him. This find was far too important to ignore. Faced with what she believed was a road with endless possibilities she was going to ask him to send her there. To find that link to the past. She believed that this was the true meaning behind her coming to Arcadia and she was determined to make him see this as well.
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