Prince Aegic's Letter To King Alric II
In 1247 AoU, in the opening months of what would eventually be the final year of The Demon War, the young Crown-Prince, Aegic Enarren, defied the express wishes of his father, King Alric Enarren II, and absconded from the perceived safety of the Cerulean Palace and the capital of Valliné to join the fight against the evil forces of the Arch-Demon Val'Gorath.
The King, fully cognizant of the realities of war, and of the horrendous atrocities being committed by the ravening hordes of Val'Gorath's cultists and demon followers across the land, had forbidden his son from getting involved, fearing that were he to venture forth, he might never return. The Prince, young and naive, raised on tales of ancient heroes and bold deeds done in service of The Kingdom of Vallanna and its people, saw things differently.
Shortly after his 17th birthday, he would gather in secret a small group of friends, including Eryn Trevethen (whom he would later marry), and his mentor, Olarael Sin'ara, and leave the palace in the dead of night to wage his own campaign against the forces of evil. This group would come to be known as The Azure Chain.
Knowing his father's mind on his involvement, and wishing to explain himself, Aegic would leave behind this letter, which has since gone on to be a somewhat legendary document among scholars of the Demon War.
Father, I would beg your forgiveness for the manner in which I must leave these halls and your good graces in this time of peril. I know that it was your wish that I should be shielded from the horrors which plague the kingdom in these dark days, but it is for that very reason which I feel I must disobey your wishes and go forth from this place. Is it not the duty of all good beings to stand up for what is right? Should not those who have the means to deliver the helpless from suffering do everything in their power to make it so? I would sooner give my life in service of those who look to us for protection than live long and safe, shying away from the darkness behind these walls while others die in my stead. Again, I beg your forgiveness, but I hope that in time you and mother will understand that I had to do what I felt was right. We will meet again. AegicThe King and Queen's grief at receiving this letter and the news of their son's departure was prodigious. Within but a few short months however, Aegic and his band of companions would prove pivotal in the war effort, turning the tide, and bringing word from Val'Gorath's former slave, Gideon Alodar, of not only the Arch Demon's plans, but of the whereabouts of his fortress within the ruined Dwarf city of Auricheim, deep into The Auric Wastes. The young Prince would lead the forces of good in the assault on Auricheim (in what would be known as The Battle of Auricheim), and personally bring the war to a close with the defeat of Val'Gorath.
Comments