Journal #35 - The Battle of Kalypsia’s Keep

I was later told that the war raged on throughout Terrinoth. Esmerelda led an army against General Boldroc, slaying him in battle. Castle Talon was sieged, and as the trolls barraged the fortress, it was protected by Malastar. It wasn’t going to be enough, but when the Filter of Souls was destroyed, the Voices of Magulban sensed it and fulfilled their end of the bargain. The Elden Gate was closed, far away in the Troll Fens. The trolls evaporated into nothingness, and soldiers rejoiced. In the Mistlands, Castle Dalobar and its towers stood tall above the Mistlands, within Kalypsia’s Keep, before the Karakesh mountains. A vision was imparted to us, of King Goma awaiting us upon the ramparts.
 
The sun shined brightly, and I scented the sea. I awoke with blurry vision, and someone approached. The floorboards creaked. A figure in the hallway spoke to a member of the clergy, turned around in maroon robes, and with long white hair. I recognized Malastar. Lug was sitting in a bed next to me, and I saw the eggs he was given in the next bed over.
 
Malastar greeted us and brought os up to speed. He had rescued us from where we lay, and the people of Almstead wished to care for us in thanks of our deeds. The east wing of Almstead, somewhere in the outskirts we lay in hospital for nearly two weeks. As Malastar said, no one traverses the Echo and merely returns the same. He tells of being notified by Mortana of the fate of Alastar, and felt it his duty to fight for his cause.
 
Malice was defeated, the hold of Maldronos upon the land was lifted, and the world begins anew again. The Troll Fens were subsided. Hyena-men themselves were no match for Castle Talon and the united might of Terrinoth and the Free Cities. Esmerelda led them into battle, was victorious, and they wanted to name her chieftain of the Three Rivers. But one act remained for us…
 
Castle Talon was on the footstep of Kalypsia’s Keep, through the Mistlands lay Castle Dalobar. Within its sanctum was the very last piece of our puzzle, to finally undo what Alastar set out to.
 
Malastar revealed the Chrysanthemum Cross, wrapped in cloth of silver. He said it was time to unite the Cross with the Baron. Apparently the cross was a relic which would defend itself, thus any attempts at destroying it were doomed to failure. Instead, a contrary action was advised. Return it to its home. It was the heart-mechanism of Castle Dalobar, which moved much like a Wizard’s Tower. Castle Dalobar in fact was the unique creation of Cyrandiil the Black, Master of Dalobar, a child of Fey and the Echo, the Cross was a relic of a time long past. It belonged inside the castle, it was its key. The castle was connected to the same realm we just traversed, a realm connected to Magulban intrinsically, a rift split into the Echo from the very first time the castle had jumped. It survived the transformation of Magulban, and when united with the castle, Dalobar will be able to be moved once more.
 
That was the problem. That is how the Dragon King would be awakened. Where it slumbered, was underneath the molten lava of Karakesh. Castle Dalobar was moved atop it, and the Cross removed, leaving it static there to guard the sleeping wyrm. If the castle moves, the dragon will be exposed and able to be woken once more. And yet, the Cross cannot be destroyed, and as we’ve seen, it can be used for the most utterly foul of purposes. What was there left to do?
 
It must be united. It has stirred its master as well, Cyrandiil. The master of Dalobar, the master of the Pale Riders, awakened once more. Stirring only for now, he won’t remember much, a fragmentation of the wizard he used to be. But if we go to the castle with respect, dignity, and integrity, Malastar assured us he would give us access to all necessary chambers, especially if we bore the Cross as a gift to be returned. Cyrandiil the Black will know what to do with the cross. We shall see.
 
Lug is to deliver the Cross to Castle Dalobar. Malastar will await us at the docks to make the passage together.
We go to see the emperor; as we leave the hospice wing the people are lining the streets cheering for us.
 
Many people await us with the Emperor. The Free Cities want the Emperor to assist in clearing all foes from Terrinoth, and then they wish to build a Great Wall to divide their realm from the Fell, at B’yor. It would wall off Ru’Steppes as well. Esmerelda asks me to, with their assistance, create a tunnel connecting our realms, and to join Zuranda as a free city to the realm, with the pledge of the Free Cities to protect us.
 
I said it was promising but I could not commit us on my own, I said I would take it to the Chieftans. Behind me I heard a voice, my letter has reached its target. It was Volric, Merrys’ father, sent by Dhuraam with the authority of the clans.
 
We agree to enter into the pact.
 
The Emperor wished to be convinced of the security of his realm with such a pact, and Ghiravont offered to fulfill this task be taking on a knighthood. He took a blood oath, and officially became a Knight of Almstead. Orlando joined him.
 
The Emperor will station a garrison at Three Rivers Crossing, taking a third of the river to create a harbor, with a small fleet patrolling the west; his warden will be Ghiravont, and his officer Orlando. Should ever the realm be in danger, he expects not a letter, but a prompt in-person report.
 
Tatiyana, Voice of the Council, expressed her thanks. We were awarded East Magistrate Tower Proper to serve as a home and base of operations, complete with security - Hanz.
 
In the following days, Orlando started a beer company with Amber. I performed Firefly’s magnum opus at his favorite pub, and worked with Malastar to embed my chieftain’s rune shard into my familial battleaxe, which I now call the Ru’Mender.
 
Malastar gave to us ten medallions created from the shards of Alastar’s staff, which could be used to communicate with each other across distances and planes. Additionally, our deeds caused us to be recognized as heroes of the realm.
 
Malastar advised Roric on how to dispose of the shale sword which resulted from capturing the soul of Malice. He dropped it in the deepest water of our journey north, the Middle Sea.
 
Over a hundred days later, we approached Castle Talon. Provisioned and mounted, we rode with a hundred knights and our retainers to face the Mistlands. As we approached, Ghiravont became unresponsive.
 
He was experiencing a moment out of time, memories long forgotten stirred once more. The binding of Karakesh and Castle Dalobar, binding the Prismatic Alliance to the fate of the Mistlands. And then he recalled, the Pale Rider, leader of the Riders of Nordu, was Ghiravont’s own brother. Ghiravont was in fact there that day, long ago, when the ritual was conducted; the memory was shielded from him. He once served Cyrondiil the Black along with his brother. He grappled with his consciousness, and we could see his struggle. I tried to soothe him with Firefly’s melody, and he seemed to center himself .
 
A beam of piercing light shot out from him, penetrating the mist and dispelling it. We saw the mountains clearly. If only that was all that we saw. Instead, an unspeakable horde of undead stood between us and Castle Dalobar, a very mountain of undead alone. We charged on horseback, and skeletal warhorses with knights and lances of undeath attack us on our flank - we were ambushed by the Riders of Nordu.
 
It became a chase, a chase and a battle in one. In front an unpassable horde of bodies which must be cleared with great effort; behind, the charging riders of death. We persisted for a full day and a full night, 24 hours. I do not know how we did not die from exhaustion, but we did not.
 
We did however, die from many other causes. Buerig, Arlo, the three members of Malastar’s second company whom we met beneath Aldandun, Esmerelda herself, and every one of the hundred knights in our company fell to keep us progressing and unhindered. Lug flew as an eagle, until the Pale Rider appeared, riding a white dragon.
 
In the final moment, the dragon spewed icy breath and blocked our way. The last of our knights broke through to make room for us. I was caught from behind by a rider of Nordu, and only Merrys’ final act of sacrifice kept me alive. She took out the lieutenant of the Pale Rider, somehow resurrected from our last encounter with it. I don’t see how she could have survived. At the time I had no time to feel emotion, but as I write this in hindsight I feel indebted to Clan Volric, who may now have no heir.
 
Finally, we approached the city, riding through the streets. The Pale Rider advanced on its dragon, and then landed in front of us. It screamed for Ghiravont, and Ghiravont rode forth. He called the rider brother, and it flew down and took Ghiravont in the talons of the dragon steed. Off the bridge it flew, and Malastar smote the dragon with a lightning bolt. It fell, dead in the sky. I surely thought it was the end of Ghiravont Lucio. But it was not.
 
We fought our way across the bridge and up the levels of the city to the keep. Dispatching the remaining riders of Nordu, only then did I notice the incredible energy emanating from the lava pits beneath the bridge. Lug went to investigate, still an eagle, and returned bearing the nearly lifeless body of Ghiravont.
 
After being tended to, he told a story of fighting his brother, unfortunately to the death. The Pale Rider was Drevved, an Undradys, slain with the third Vaporidian Blade, his soul captured. Thinking back to the comments of Malastar, and what happened next, I see I should have had stronger misgivings. Former servant of the master of this castle, Drevved and sent after his own brother. There is deep evil here I am sure of it.
 
At that point, we recovered our strength in the pouring rain, as Malastar examined the great door into Dalobar, which he took an hour to open. Finally the doors opened, and we entered.