Defender Text: Charter Chronicles

AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LIBRARY DEFENDERS HAVE BEEN RUSHING TO RECOVER TEXTS FROM THE PAST. SOME HAVE EVEN SPENT TIME TO WRITE NEW ENTRIES INTO THE LIBRARY.

BELOW ARE TEXTS ADDED DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS. THESE DEFENDER TEXTS ARE ALL WRITTEN FROM ONE PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW AND BELIEF…

Into Twilight

I am one of 7 sisters that serve what is commonly known as God, but what our sect calls the Charter. My sister Saraneth, the second amongst us, told me to come to these lands and become a Defender. The rest will follow me when my work is complete.

I first arrived to the plains, wide eyed and more than a little nervous. It was there that I was found by Sclera. I told him of my creed, to bring rest to the weary. He explained to me the four jobs of Defenders. It is with some irony now, that I recall Sclera’s statement, “And Hawkers… are very fast.”

He showed me to Canyon where I took a room in the tavern, and slept. For 8 months.

When I awoke, I found a badge next to me. Bordemia. The newbie clan. I came outside and Sclera took me to gather Flanae seeds for Tryteh. In those fields I pondered the unrest of the land, that a Flanae could disperse energy that ultimately coalesces into a Fire Fiend. What agony is there in the land, that it could create a Fiend?

Sclera could not answer me. He thought nothing strange of it.

He told me of Ameerah, and her daughter Atarah, who was also his pupil. There was unrest when Atarah died, her parentage called into question. This mystery called to me and so I travelled to Luxem Tower. There at Atarah’s final resting place, I mused on if her soul was truly at rest. And there I met Karitte.

I sensed in Karitte a similar soul – someone who shows reverence for Life’s end. I spoke of Atarah, and of the unrest of the land that birthed fiends. Karitte said there was no way to confirm Atarah’s heritage – all the records in the library had been burned. But she said that the planets themselves had been wounded in the final battle against Arua. And a way to help… Lay in assisting Bith and Bennett.

And off I went to speak to Bith, who spoke of a recent incident that had caused the appearance of something new. Dirty Crystalline. He sought Defenders to go to the Gorge of Silence to gather samples. To my side suddenly came Vodka, and Master Reiji. With the Gurus beast of burden, the temperamental mammoth Myranica, we set off.

It was my first time traveling further than Zant, and it was not easy. I was new, and vulnerable. As we crossed Anima Lake, a demon in the area began to attack. Snowpandu, I now believe it was, given all injuries were incurred by a long range bullet.

I fell many times to local natives and wildlife, on the journey there. Vodka kindly hurried me back every time.

When we reached the Gorge and began our work to gather crystalline, we were attacked by a Crool bandit that had followed us there. Upon his demise, I found on his person a note. It was a job given by the goblin Nelvine – bring the mammoth Myranica back to him, alive.

With our samples collected and loaded onto Myranica, we returned to Gurus Town without much excitement, but now also accompanied by Torbjorn. He and Vodka bickered the whole way back. Bith thanked us for our work, saying these crystals would fetch a nice price. Which surprised me, as I thought this was for research. Later I would find out he sold the crystal to a Jellybean looking to establish himself as a miner.

Next I sought out Bennett the mountain guide. He told me of his concern – native miners had been disappearing of late, and his friend Rili had accepted a job some weeks prior. Rili had not been heard from since, and Bennett feared the worst. He handed me a permit and told me to enter the Goblin Caves and bring Rili home.

For this, Master Reiji once again came to my side. With him was Pivo, a cleric of the Akram Kingdom. Master Reiji taught me how to move in stealth, to avoid unnecessary conflict. We three set out for the caves to perform our scouting mission.

On the second floor, we found six Moldies shackled and at work. The first few we found spoke only Rosarian, and we had to continue on. None of us could comprehend them. However we found one that spoke English. I gave him bananas and milk to recover his strength – he was the one who taught me that Moldies love to eat fishing bait. I have been searching for bait to bring him ever since. His name is Hasania.

He said he had been taken by men that looked identical to Pivo – garbed in black armor. Rili was their captain, who had been taken deeper into the caves. He had not seen Rili in some days. We broke Hasania’s shackles and he said that before he came to the caves, he had been a leatherworker. He could make me armor in time.

Pivo stayed with Hasania, while Master Reiji and I continued on. We found Rili dead. In his paw he clutched his final testament and a single crystal – a Black Heart. Head bowed for his passing, we liberated the other Moldies and saw them out of the Caves. Rili’s final testament, and the Black Heart he carried, I carry with me still. He was taken by yetis in the night and put to work for the demon Lowcust, one of the Plagues of Samedi. He mined endlessly, worked without food or water. First on Lunar, then Eldeon, and finally the Caves, where he perished. Mining for Obsidian, Crystalline, and “Azoicite” stone. Materials he never saw in the mines of the Moldie King Pogolash. He named the goblin Yavarina as the head of the goblin slavers.

Yavarina… who in the Caves, we overheard speaking with Nelvine, and someone named Hastien. She was doing business with Nelvine who represented the Dark Armorer. She sought vengeance against the Black Skulls, who were known as the Kaizoku to Defenders. Their violence and greed she compared to the Aruans, Hebarnians, and Mahdan.

All this that I learned, Master Reiji sent me to the Capital, to inform the Principality leadership that something large was at hand. I met General Lareant, and gave him all I knew.

I had been here three days, since I had awoken from my 8 month rest.

Honor the Passing

In the days that followed, I sought endlessly for information on the source of the Moldie slavers. I found out that a yeti named Nelan was hiring Moldies, that Nelvine was offering Moldies in exchange for grey crystalline – Dirty Crystalline.

I helped Master Reiji assist a damaged Penguin Vessel that threatened the planet Lunar should it crash.

During these days, I also began seeking a way to learn medicine. My mission is to bring rest to the weary, but I needed to be more than a simple cleric to do that. MasterGuru and his lieutenant Marshall introduced me to their engineer Orlon, who first brought the Corruption to my attention. We went to the Breezy Hills, and he agreed to teach me all he knew. Orlon tasked me with finding every chemical and medical supply, and bringing 25 of each to him. And so began my tutelage.

And during these days, the Sikuku Shaman Azakas arrived seeking aid. I gave him milk (white, when he requested Chocolate. Does chocolate milk even exist in these lands? I have never seen it.) With General Lareant and Empress Virus’ arrival, he told of his friend Somel. A goblin mage driven mad by grief, he was participating in a hunt funded by the Dark Armorer. The DA sought the capture of a behemoth and was offering a hefty sum for a live one. Somel was to lead the hunting party.

Azakas begged us to talk Somel down, as this mission was surely a death sentence. The Empress grimly asked Lareant if he was prepared to atone for his actions that set Somel on this path. Lareant said yes. And I accepted the task of saving Somel from his quest for retribution.

When the hunting party appeared in Mystic City some days later, I grew anxious. I sought to find Somel and Nelan, whom I hoped was amongst the throngs.

A day later, the party was gone. And on Mount Eruca I saw a new clan, a new badge. The BlackSkulls. Rushing into the mountain.

I heard the roars, saw the hunting parties. Heard natives cry out in fear at what they had awoken. I pleaded with General Kiel to let me wear his badge – there was only one other member of the Principality there, and two clerics could do little. He begrudgingly handed over the badge – it would be a significant amount of time before I comprehended his reluctance.

We failed to stop the capture of the behemoth, and for that I failed to save Somel from his vengeance. He yet lived, but Azakas’ friend would continue down this mad path that would ultimately consume him.

What was worse, the capture of their child awoke the behemoth kings. Nigrum, Rubrum, and their brother. They spoke to General Lareant and General Kiel, who denounced the actions of the BlackSkulls.

I remember seeing Nigrum looming over Mystic City. I remember the ice javelin they threw that downed a Vessel already in the airwaves. I remember the permafrost. I remember how the ground shook with the rage of the behemoths. I remember how pale, frightened, and angry the generals were upon their return. The BlackSkulls were Marked now. If they ever returned to Lunar, the Behemoths would kill them. We would do nothing to stop this, to ensure our own survival.

There were bodies though. Taken and mutilated by the behemoth kings, thrown to ground. Irving recognized one by the mark on its neck – ZeroSlayer. Against General Lareant’s orders, he loaded the body onto his cart and hurried to the Faction, desperate to save his ally.

At the doorsteps of the Faction, Chelsie and Carasia said there was nothing left to be done – he was dead. As Lareant angrily struck Irving, I offered to ZeroSlayer’s brother Zaos to perform a funeral, which he gratefully accepted.

Atop Luxem Tower, Lutis briefly protested the ceremony, as we lacked a body. I merely informed him I did not need a corpse to perform a rite. Defenders gathered, and I spoke of the Charter’s tenants. Of Life’s natural order, and how despite the confoundment of ZeroSlayer’s passing, he was still gone. And we must honor his passing, and the legacy he left.

Memories and respects were offered. And after the benediction, General Lareant requested a memorial for another recently fallen Defender – DeathScar. I agreed that a service would be performed the next day.

And so it came. I gave a ceremony remembering the Blade of the Emperor. A storied Interceptor that I wish I might have known. A man who, in arrogance, had traversed the sands of Orlo alone. His demise came from the Great Lightning, the greatest Devourer of the mysterious fourth planet. A creature so monstrous, it had bitten DeathScar in two.

After the service, Lutis held me back. He explained that he had watched how I performed memorials, how I honored the end of Life. He offered me employment at Luxem Tower – my reverence for Life and Death made it a fitting service, which I accepted with honor.

That evening, a Vessel was seen above the Capital. I joined MasterGuru, Marshall, Gaburieru, General Lareant, Pittufa, and Empress Virus on board our own Vessel, the Lao Tzu. We spoke with the men on board. Silverbeard and his crew. We were attempting to stop Silverbeard from a foolish course of action. His crew accepted our news, but Silverbeard did not. Could not. Overcome by despair, he rammed his Vessel into the Lao Tzu, damaging the helm and overwhelming the engine.

We were falling. Falling from the sky, over open ocean, to our deaths. Empress Virus grabbed the helm, tried to correct our course. The Vessels were falling apart, we were slipping across the deck. Debris flew. I remember the terrifying lurch as I was thrown airborne, launched from the deck. Something struck the back of my head, and I do not remember anything more of the crash.

I had been here one week, since I had awoken from my rest.

Principal Affairs and Medical Supplies

When I awoke, I was clinging to drifting debris amidst the flaming remains of the Lao Tzu and the Dreamkeeper. Staring at the wreckage, I wondered if anything could have been done. If anyone could have been saved. Amidst the still flaming wreckage of what was once the Lao Tzu and the Dreamkeeper, I saw another person. Drifting closer, I discovered it to be Silverbeard, long dead in the water. As befitting of my new employment, I drew his eyes shut and gave him final rites, there at sea. And with that, I let the ocean current carry me back to shore.

Awaking on Kenji Beach, I returned to the Capital. I found the others already returned and speaking with the Order about what was to be done. The reality was nothing – General Lareant, in his anger, went to deal with fighting that had cropped up on Dolphin Island. Little did any of us know that would be the last time we would see him alive.

At Dolphin Island, General Lareant encountered a former comrade, Nondus. They engaged in a duel, and the General was critically injured by a long range bullet. The Faction told us he needed 48 hours of intense surgery to survive.

During that time, Somel attacked the Capital, bringing his hunting party with him. Attempts to talk him down failed, and he was killed.

As General Lareant’s surgery drew to an end, the Faction was attacked again. This time, by the clan we know now as the BlackSkulls. They slipped through a window, and while the General lay defenseless on the table, they slit his throat.

I recall at his funeral, the anger in his eyes as I gazed upon him. As if until his final breath, he hated something.

During this time, I attempted to aid the Moon Children of the Forgotten Temple, who had been suffering from a series of raids by Sprigs of Eldeon. The Moon Child that I met, Eruadra, offered to join my clan if we succeeded in driving off the Sprigs.

We failed. There were far, far more Sprigs than we anticipated, and we were too inexperienced to fight them effectively. After hours of struggling against the Sprigs and their Aplysias, the Sprigs left. Leaving behind the body of a Moon Child that had been bound, interrogated, and killed, that I believe to have been Eruadra, as I never saw her again.

I would later learn of Sprig poaching, and I believe these raids were an act of retribution against the Moon Children for the loss of the Sprigs’ kin.

Meanwhile, as this all occurred, I continued to learn of chemicals and medicine from Orlon. And coupled with my lessons, were stories of Orlon’s own past. His experiences during the Aruan reign, his memories of his superior, Gaio. He gave me his trust, had faith in me, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.

It was his lessons that allowed me to approach the Faction. Armed with new knowledge everyday, I asked about the Corruption, means to cure it. My lesson on Noctilucent Leaf in particular granted the Faction the insight to recognize Plasmoid Aloe as one of the key ingredients in the Corruption.

It is my job to bring rest to the weary, and to this end I sought and still seek, to garner enough reputation that Union Lord Ikaness will hire me with the Faction. It is my goal to understand the Corruption, and cure it.

During all these lessons, we brought an end to the Kaiman-Doonga Civil War, cleaned up Sunshine Coast from the Dark Fall’s aftermath. Defended against a Green Tide. Saw Defender Quill exiled for causing Defender Atarah’s death.

Summoning

I made discoveries of personal interest as well. While training in the Gorge of Silence, one of my Phantom Sword constructs struck a nearby crystalline. Somehow, this act created dozens of constructs. A veritable army. The region was overrun with them. Defender Pivo had to help me clear them all out. But it struck my curiosity. Was it not possible to summon multiple constructs at once?

Guide Kootech told me no, it was not possible. But I did not believe it. I had seen it myself, the creation of a Phantom Army. And so I set to practice. In the Gorge of Silence I focused and attempted to summon. I started small – only two swords. Armed with the knowledge that one construct required a set amount of my own energy, MP, I applied the logic that to summon two, I would need to give twice as much.

I attempted to channel my own energy to achieve this feat. Something Defender Iudex told me was a remarkable revelation – all previous attempts to channel had utilized external energy sources. No one had ever considered using their own energy to perform a channel.

One day, during my training, a random stranger passed by, informed me I wouldn’t get anywhere as I was, and handed me 5 Energy Metal before continuing on their way. With these materials, I was able to summon 2 swords at once, that promptly shattered a few moments later. I would later find out that person was actually a demon. That random act of charity continues to confound me, but it’s better to not dwell on the chaotic actions of chaotic beings.

During this time Hasania, the Moldie I had saved early in my career, returned. He had come to repay his life debt to me, to make me armor. After providing him almost 300 dragon scales, he perfected it – a suit of plate mail just for me. The dragon scales improved energy consumption, while not sacrificing defense, as Hasania told me. This armor I believe will be of great help in perfecting a new technique: Summon Phantom Army, which involves the summoning of multiple Phantom Sword constructs at the same time.

The Plague Lowcust

During this time, the demon Plague of Samedi, Lowcust, began to intensify his activities. More and more Twilight Flames appeared, aggravating wildlife and insects into attacking settlements. During one attack, the Brinto I summoned addressed me – their name was Reis.

Reis was kind, and helped us track a large creature that was burrowing around Junon. It was revealed to be the SIngetail Antares, Hetar. Reis was killed by Hetar at the end of that night, as Hetar spewed poison into the Desert of the Dead.

And then one day, Lowcust filled the Adventurer’s Plains with Twilight Flames, bringing hordes of insects into the region. Defenders and Mountain Guides went to the area, destroying the constructs and fighting against the waves of insects that threatened the town.

Lowcust was there, taunting us as we fought. And as the battle drew on, Defender Irving bantered back more and more. Until Lowcust asked Irving for his soul. Irving responded, “I am going to have to give you an IOU on that one.” A snarky remark that would lead to his demise. Lowcust’s immediate response was, “The pact is sealed!”

Irving didn’t understand the gravity of his comment. To answer with such ambiguity, Lowcust twisted his words, and began aggressively working his way through our line to reach Irving.

As the night drew to an end, Lowcust appeared, and told Irving, “Sleep well tonight,” as he killed him. I watched Irving be taken, unable to lift my wand against him, as I lacked the knowledge to seal.

Not long after, I organized a foray into the Goblin Caves, to resume my search for the Yeti Nelan. Throughout the Caves, Twilight Flames were everywhere. Fighting bats, dismantling the constructs, we encountered Lowcust again. And now he had a minion – Irving’s body, repurposed for his use against us.

We were unable to seal Lowcust that night, but we were able to find Nelan, learn what he knew. And came to be aware of the Black Death, a Corrupted creature that was trapped in the Caves by order of King Gob.

The next day, Lowcust taunted us with the knowledge that Irving’s body had been sent to Orlo, so that Samedi could test and perfect his Corruption. The Empress and several of her most trusted Defenders entered the Oblivion Temple, to try and pursue him and save him. Many Defenders believed that Irving’s soul could be saved, if we sealed Lowcust and recovered Irving’s body. I do not cling to such hopes. His soul is gone. And as of this writing, Irving’s body is still in Orlo, under Samedi’s scalpel.

We were able to end Hetar’s suffering as well, confirming the Antares was in fact Corrupted. The Faction realized that many creatures of Renown in the past were in fact, early Corruption test subjects, and it is now imperative to retrieve samples of any other creatures we encounter.

For days, we chased after Lowcust in the Goblin Caves, in the Cave of Ulverick. Fighting through hordes of insects and maddened creatures, destroying his Flames.

A week after Irving was killed, Lowcust was sealed in the Cave of Ulverick.

Means to an End

Quill, Iudex, and I came to know a Yeti Ruper named Yusbeg that was hiding on Dolphin Island. He was researching one of the Corruption herbs, as penitence for war crimes he had played a part in during the Aruan reign. He told us he was being pursued by an elite team of Sikuku Tiger Riders, known as the Riders of the Storm. Their coming was heralded by unnatural thunderstorms, he explained.

Yusbeg told us he did not want to go to prison if possible, and asked us three for aid in dissuading the Rider Kosel from his zealotry.

The page ends here, half in thought.