Journal #26 - The Burial of Korrigash

Bloodied and dirty, we entered the courtyard. A familiar goliath approached, the one who cared for Buerig when we first arrived, a healer. He ushered us into his tent.
 
I laid down Korrigash’s body, and he asked me how long since he fell. It had been nearly 36 hours at that point, he was wilting. Healer asked me why I brought him back, he couldn’t comprehend why I wouldn’t leave my friend to decompose in the foul lair of an Un’dradys.
 
We were told to rest, and not leave the tent. The healer offered to perform a funeral service for Korrigash. Tababraya stopped him – if he completed the ceremony, any hope of revival would be lost. We debated, amongst ourselves. The pros and the cons, the benefits and the risks. Could Korrigash maintain control against the Whole? How would he feel about such a creature, and all of its victims, being housed in his flesh? We could not bring ourselves to do it. Fate had decided, Korrigash must be laid to rest. We will destroy the Vaporidian blade, but not in his body.
 
As he was laid to rest, I knew my decisions had consequences. From two, one. Perhaps Tanabraya was right, but I must stay the course with my decision. We buried some keepsakes and mementos with Korrigash, especially of Red. It was sort of a burial for both, taken by Magdalena and the Un’dradys.
 
In the morning, we had to compete. We slept long.
 
The first day after the burial of Korrigash, we were nearing the end of our “competition.” Merrys greeted us in the morning, and brought us to Valos. He complimented us, and informed us of visitors expected for the fight - from the Red Network. I was told to prepare Clan Bonebreaker, and not to do anything rash.
 
The chiefs addressed us, Dhuraam and Valos. With them, we saw a burnt-faced man in black tight-studded leather, the others seemed to recognize him. It was Straga Blackthorn, the man who killed Tybeerian. Mabel was there, too. Brother and sister, leaders of the Black Quartz.
 
They claimed that orders had come down from the Red Throne, Valos was accused of harboring traitors to the throne - and here we were. Straga said the only way for Valos to learn was for Clan Volric to be taught it. Since Merrys was to hold the merit for the day’s competition, the Red Lady would settle for her!
 
This incited panic. Valos demanded they take him instead. Arguments over honor and risk. But in the end, Valos would not hear it. He gave his final words of wisdom to Merrys, words that for all he knew would be the last.
 
Valos: “Do not break, for we are stone. The river flows around us, not through us.”
Merrys: “We are an obstacle of time, our burden is our family, our burden is our strength, and our strength is who we are. “
 
Before being led away, Valos instructed his father, Chief Dhuraam, that Merrys was to succeed him as chief of Volric. He told us to fight the good fight, and that we did.
 
We were led to the arena, and the lift brought us up. Straga and Mabel were flanking the goblin king in the stands. The fight was the Bonebreakers verses the Favored Foes in the semi-finals. Only one team could advance to entertain the Red Lady, and this would be a bloodbath, said the announcer. The gate opened, and the crowd roared. Every seat was filled, twenty times the crowd size of our first fight.
 
The Favored Foes were led by a familiar sight, the fan favorite “Red Heir” - Esmerelda Jade, encased in the living stone of Lug’s elemental friend still to this day, months later.
 
My heart sank. We couldn’t kill her. I told myself that this surely was a farce, the Witch knew all about us, the plan could never succeed. Why was this still going on? And yet, there was nothing we could do.
 
Esmerelda yelled at us, not to hold back, for she would not, only one could entertain the Red Lady.
 
We did not hold back. Neither did we execute them. We did our best to dispatch them without killing, and it was a sore test. Lug regretfully called back the stone creature, leaving Esmerelda exposed for the first time in this tournament. We vanquished them, though they had clearly earned their place in this round.
 
We did our best to entertain the crowd, and the loved us. Despite this, the goblin king was infuriated. He said the Bonebreakers could not advance, accused us of cheating, with our filthy magic and Boradine ways. If it was magic we desired, it was magic we’d get – and he slung a devastating spell at us. It was countered by Tsunay, but she fell doing so.
 
At that very moment, Merrys yelled “NOW! Take up arms!” and the crowd began to fight – it was a packed house for another reason entirely. The goblin king turned to run, but he was held at swordpoint… by the Black Quarts. Straga and Mabel, alongside Valos and goliath guards, the goblin king was now hostage.
 
At long last, the avalanche had come. The people of the Summits were rising, to fight their fight.
 
Jherginga, the Goblin King, would not surrender. He sicked his troops upon us, and Straga yelled at us to get Jade’s body off the ground, to meet them at Durhaam.
 
Goblins and hyena-men pinned us into the arena, but we decimated them. Trolls came down behind us, and we killed them too on our way to the elevator. We bandaged our wounds and downed a stock of healing potions. Jade was in a hurry, and I thought I would surely die. She slashed the ropes of the lift causing us to free fall. But at the last moment, she used a scroll of feather fall, slowing us to a soft landing. Amber and I broke down the doors of the lift room, and we entered the streets of Zuranda.
 
Battle was everywhere. We tried to run through, but I was separated from the others. I slew a horde of goblins, and returned to the others soaked in blood. We arrived at the keep.
 
Instead of sanctuary, here was yet more bloodshed. We were ambushed. Firefly and I fell to scores of enemies, yet instead dropping, my orcish rage kept me lucid. Half-conscious, I saw Valos smite the goblin king with a thunderous blow. I then truly thought I was hallucinating. Andarius, the squirrel fellow, as well as seemingly every chapter of Nothric and forces from around Terrinoth rallied to our aid. Bright white light shined over them, led by Allastar the White.
 
The goblin king executed Valos there on the steps, with a horrible necrotic spell of life stealing. He then lept off the wall, and ran away. Buerig took the keep, displaying a rare feat of valor. He had earned my respect, surely. He ordered us to follow the goblin king to the lair of the Red Witch.
 
While I had thought that surely Valos was dead, he yet clung to life himself. He called to Merrys, and Firefly was healed. Allastar approached.
 
He told me that I must slay the goblin king, Jherginga. To inspire the orcs when I take the crown. He is trying to warn the Witch, who will try to rush to finish the ritual. While staring at the Sunbrace, he told me that he would deal with her, and to fulfill my destiny - he would embrace his in turn. He transformed into a white owl, and flew off into the distance.
 
At that moment, I knew it was time. We must put everything on the line, to fight for freedom.
 
Upon my final prayer I will know, because so too shall all. Towers began to fall, the ceiling of Zuranda began to crack. The Sunbrace began to glow. Beams shot out of it into the Dorndepths below, absorbing the lives of the hundred mages far below. The ritual had begun. Yet, a short time later, the pulse was cut off. A single white beam from another tower hit the Sunbrace, and the beam going down to the depths flickered out. Allastar was fighting.
 
Merrys said she would join Nothric and fight with us. Mortana (Domino), Tsunay, and Tanabraya pursued the Red Witch via the Seer, the rest of us went to follow the goblin king deep underground. Allastar had told me, it was Jherginga who had slain my family, and enslaved my people.
 
After so many years, vengeance was near.