The Death of the Hounds of War
Some of the most powerful Emotions can be found in the wake of death. They open to us a realm wholly undiscovered... a realm which should remain that way. Some power is not meant for mortal souls.The Hounds of War, a powerful and well-known mercenary guild, were defeated by the treachery of their employer, and given inglorious deaths. They would have faded from memory were it not for a popular song sung in taverns all over Radavain. However, in truth, this is not their story. This story forms the origins of Aphesis' hatred, and reveals how a single man turned into one of the most destructive evils in recent memory.
Summary
The Hounds of War received a message one day from the Baron of Sestal, Lord Parford, requesting their services to deal the final blow against his traitorous brother, Keplin. The Baron was offering pay far above their already lofty rates, so Senlinn, their leader, was more than happy to accept it. Aphesis, her lover and second-in-command, expressed some concern about the Baron: he'd heard the man was cowardly and unkind, and furthermore, his instincts were telling him it was a bad choice. Senlinn brushed off his worries, claiming the Baron was no worse than the other cowards they had worked for before.
Over the course of their travels to the battlefield, Aphesis would bring up his worries three more times, and each time, Senlinn would brush him off.
Once they reached the battlefield and got into position, Senlinn led the charge into the fray as she usually did. However, the Baron had told them that some of his troups would accompany them into the fight. The Hounds quickly realized that there were none, and Parford had pulled his troups elsewhere, using the Hounds as a distraction instead. They were incredibly outnumbered.
The Hounds were powerful, with incredible amounts of Emotion and combat prowess behind them, but the overwhelming numbers made their fate inevitable. Though they put up a fantastic fight, the Hounds began to grow tired from their struggle, and one by one, they fell to Keplin's army. The last two Hounds standing were Aphesis and Senlinn, but soon enough they found themselves surrounded.
Proud to have defeated such powerful and infamous foes, Keplin took the Hounds prisoner. He forced Aphesis to watch as he tortured his beloved in front of him, and then, once he had taken his pleasure in her suffering, he killed her. Consumed by rage and grief, Aphesis cast an Emotion so powerful that it pulled the souls from Keplin and his army, killing them all instantly.
Aphesis' last act was to crawl to the broken body of Senlinn and cradle her in his arms. He vowed that one day he would return to avenge his true love, and that no man nor woman nor beast would be able to strike him down. Then, his body turned into smoke, and drifted away on the wind, never to be seen again.
Historical Basis
There are many records of a mercenary group known as the Hounds of War, and many of the stories and songs about them can be traced back to real battles. There is no doubt that they were incredibly powerful and skilled, and definitely real. Likewise, Sestal is a real county, with a statue erected on the spot where that fatal battle took place, giving respect to all those who died there. The names of the fallen Hounds of War are inscribed on it.
However, many of these exploits and tales are often padded with lies and exaggeration. Nobody has been able to recreate the so-called Emotion that sucked the very soul out of Lord Keplin and his soldiers, and turned Aphesis' body to smoke; there's also no proof that Aphesis and Senlinn were ever in a relationship. Of course, that would hardly make for a good story, so many scholars believe the ending was changed to resonate more with listeners.
In Art
In 1370, a songwriter named Klive began to sing a song called 'The Death of the Hounds of War' in local taverns around Bellimar. It was met with great acclaim, and propelled him to stardom in numerous circles; it also brought the legend to light for many who had not heard of the group's defeat. The last few verses, which focused rather heavily on the figure of Aphesis and his plight, were easily the most popular for their ability to inspire Sadness, and turned Aphesis into a tragic hero in the public consciousness.
The popularity of the song waned in the early 1420s, but remains commonly requested at taverns even in the present day. Klive, on the other hand, never wrote another song, despite his runaway success. He vanished a couple years after the peak of its success- most likely having drank himself to death or ran into misfortune as a result of his wealth.
Date of First Recording
1370
Date of Setting
1368
Senlinn
The Hounds of War
Baron Parford of Sestal
Lord Keplin & his armies
And lo the clouds did blacken
With fire from the sky
Down came the twisted Hounds of War
Howling their savage cry
They came to claim the payment
For their masters' horrid crimes
In gore that soaked and blood that spilled
At least a hundred times
Each one was worth a hundred men
In Anger and Sadness known
Learned from each and every death
They carved into their thrones
The six came riding down that night
With destruction on their breath
None of them knew that presently
They were riding to their death
Aphesis' scream rent the sky
His heart did break in two
And all the men around him died
Their souls from bodies flew
Yet nothing soothed the pain inside
When he saw his lover dead
He would have cried the ocean blue
And bled the rivers red
His body tore itself apart
His Emotion was too great
Yet as he held poor Senlinn close
He saw the threads of fate
He grasped them tight in one cold fist
And from his mouth did cry
'No man nor woman nor beast I see
Can strike me down to die!'
Then Aphesis turned to smoke
The winds carrying him away
And though his name may carry on
He's not returned yet to this day.
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Nice! I like how the legend was remembered through a specific song and you even talk about the composer and his life.