It has been both a pleasure and a torment gathering the assembled documents regarding the incidents that occurred both in the Eastern and Western sides of the continent. I speak, of course, of what is commonly referred to as 'The Griffin Sword War' - a rather small blot on the pages of elven history, but noteworthy for its widespread effects on places of historical significance and the political thunderstorms in both Illistim and Vaalor which heralded its arrival.
Let us begin with the source of this information - a being which goes simply by the name "Nershuul". Countless papers could - and will - be written on what I will simply refer to from this point on as 'his' origins, but suffice it to say that the contingent of our representatives were able to acquire the corpse after he was struck down, and we summarily managed to revive what little life was left in the creature.
~1~
As the report must stay focused on the events, I will keep my descriptions brief - the being known as Nershuul's true form is a small black creature shaped roughly like a hand, with three 'fingers' branching from each hemisphere for a total of six. A number of eyes line the top of its, for what may be termed, 'head', insectoid in nature. A long, prehensile stinger protrudes from its back, and this is the means by which it can communicate, either by forcefully overtaking a living host's body with the stinger or by manipulating a 'fresh' corpse. It had been attached to a giantman, whose true identity was unable to be scryed when we found it. It seems unable to communicate properly without a host.
Regardless of the creature's fascinating biology, the most interesting facet of Nershuul is that he was close to one of the pivotal figures in these events - he was a right hand of Morvule far before the events of the Griffin Sword we know of came to play.
~2~
While it took quite a long time of what will simply be referred to as 'persuasion,' Nershuul eventually disclosed everything we asked of him. Whether he is lying or not cannot be known - he has expressed regret that his Master is no longer among us and is well aware of the fact that everyone but our people thinks him dead. Rescue has not come for many years, and he eventually realized the hopelessness of his situation.
Let us begin with Morvule himself - according to Nershuul, Morvule was originally of elven origin, though he does not know of his originating House. During the days after the Undead War, he underwent a transformation initiated by Luukos and appeared forever changed. Many remember his serpentine appearance - the slitted eyes, the scaled skin - what many in religious circles simply call a "True Luukosian," internally referred to as one of "the Flawless" by cultists and fanatics of Luukos.
~3~
We know from the "trinkets of fate" that appeared throughout the various shrines and temples of the world shortly after the conclusion of the events that each of the four priests had personal contact with their deities. This seems to have been a trend with Morvule, according to Nershuul. He apparently acted on behalf of his Arkati a number of times throughout his long life. The details of these incidents will be enclosed in a separate report. His role in the Griffin Sword War was easily apparent from only a few sessions with Nershuul - he was the bond that kept a somewhat shaky alliance together. It was he who initially brought the four together, and it was he who knew the secrets of the Griffin Sword.
~4~
According to Nershuul, the plans, even the alliance, came into effect far before the sword was ever sundered. The four initially met years before and began construction on their stronghold which was revealed at the pinnacle of their campaign against the civilized world. This was achieved through a stunning array of powerful flow magic from all four leaders of the respective sects - Morvule, a student of the planes as clearly evidenced by his penchant for demon summoning, provided the locale for their hidden sanctuary, hiding it away in planar secrecy. Draezir - closest to Morvule of the four due to past campaigns and exploits - was entrusted with shrouding the sanctuary and the plane itself from magical detection when crossing between worlds. Eryael, often thought to be the weakest magically of the four, was actually charged with the gateway into the other realm, persistently linking it to our own, a feat which is positively remarkable given the size of their armies.
~5~
Zerroth provided a foundation for the physical building of the sanctuary, linking the very walls and materials to his body.
The aim of the alliance, Nershuul said, was to empower their respective Arkati with the stolen power imbued in the sword - rumored to be that of Lorminstra herself and to ascend into true immortality and join the pantheon after ravaging the general landscape of Elanith in a victorious bloodbath unseen before or ever again. He even fondly mentioned what the symbols of the four were going to be -- a three-headed serpent, an amber jackal's eye, a jagged black greatsword, and a tattered incarnadine rose.
~6~
To that end, the four's first aim was to build their sanctuary, which held what is simply called, 'The Altar of Darkness' - supposedly a direct conduit to their Arkati's power. Nershuul spoke of its creation with what might have been the first sign of fear we've ever seen from him - none were allowed to enter save for the sacrifices used, and they were brought in by the thousands. When it was completed, he said, the temple came alive - what was once simply an obsidian construct in the middle of a forgotten plane became a living heart whose pulses were that of the dark Arkati its inhabitants worshipped.
Such an undertaking was not without its precautions, it was explained - the four realized what folly it is to imbue anything directly with an Arkati's power, after all, the same folly is what they were now seeking to exploit. The altar was merely a conduit, a place to channel power, but not draw from.
~7~
The same dynamics of a simple shrine or temple were at play here, but they were magnified beyond any humble priest's dreams. Nershuul spoke of audiences at the altar with both the Arkati themselves and their spiritual servants, though they were brief in the years of their campaign and only the four ever convened there during those times - all others were forbidden.
After the building of their sanctuary, what has been henceforth called 'The Black Temple,' the second part of their plan involved the abduction and conversion of the last known connection to the Griffin Sword - Morfell Destrieder.
Morfell, one could say, was the one who set all this in motion - prior to this rather worldwide campaign of destruction, he had been originally bequeathed the sword, purportedly by the Arkati Lorminstra herself. It was also he who betrayed her, and summarily the sword was broken up into four pieces, which started a small war in the Western region, specifically near the town of Wehnimer's Landing.
~8~
It ended with the sword reforged.
However, in the interim years it was never touched - a point of curiosity to many historians looking at the current events that lead to its second sundering. This question appears to have been answered by our informant - it could not be touched merely for the fact that the protections were put in place by the Arkati Lorminstra herself. No matter the amazing power of the four, they could not overcome such a warding.
What was known, however, was that the sword was irrevocably linked to Morfell. As it had been sundered under his hand once before, it could be recovered in the same fashion. And Morfell was mortal - he could be broken, Nershuul explained. They used his connection in order to exploit that which had remained pure and untouched for years following its reforging. According to reports, Morfell, while betraying his chosen Arkati, repented at the end of the first war over the sword and went through a long journey of penance.
~9~
It seems this desire for redemption kept the sword fully protected. So long as Morfell remained devout, the sword would forever be unattainable.
Nershuul spoke proudly of how he was among the few chosen to be present and help with the capture of this man.
They found him among an outpost of Voln near the Turamzyrrian Empire. According to Nershuul, no one was aware of his past, and he was taken quietly and without incident. It was then his tortures began. Nershuul apparently took part in these quite extensively - he spoke in detail of preying on the mind of the warrior-priest after all four of the priests visited him, and he delighted in the illusory worlds of torment they would plunge him into. Suffice it to say, this went on for several years before the submission they sought was attained.
~10~
I can barely imagine the suffering that was visited upon Morfell -- after seeing what destruction the four priests wrought when loosed upon the world, their combined power focused on one man is an almost unthinkable situation.
We also see why Eryael's allegiances were tapped - the devotees of Pain and Suffering seem to take a more 'personal' approach to torment rather than the massive armies of Luukosian, Sheruvian, and V'tullian, which has often been a point of question to many observing this event - after all, outwardly, it did not seem Eryael was incredibly useful in terms of battle until the very end days of the alliance. However, Nershuul speaks highly of Eryael's unwavering efforts to break Morfell in the most useful way possible and points to his efforts as a key point in their strategy.
~11~
Regardless, it was when Morfell finally succumbed to his captors that the 'taint' in the sword was detected by the prophet of the Arkati Lorminstra - Ulstram Chanerser.
Early reports regarding Ulstram's background places him initially among a small group of radical Lorminstran cultists devout to the point of zealotry. This would seem to be the case as the "trinkets of fate" show him among these zealots and battling seemingly innocent people.
In this trinket, it was shown that he slaughtered both an innocent man and what, according to interviews with witnesses of the events leading up to Ulstram's death, appears to have been the man's daughter. This, in turn, lead to a sort of haunting, yet the presence which visited Ulstram on several occasions seemed to lack any qualities of the undead, and we believe it to be a memory, his guilt transmogrified into spiritual form.
~12~
Regardless, Ulstram's path ultimately led him to the sword, having been set on his quest by Lorminstra herself. He was accompanied by Kendryth, a former paladin of Koar.
Kendryth hailed from the Turamzyrrian Empire, having trained under various knightly orders within the empire and spent a brief amount of time on the Demonwall fighting against the Scourge. He met Ulstram when, during the Jantalarian invasion of Mestanir, his brother was murdered by a witch-hunter under the employ of the Jantalarian forces. Hunting down the murderous woman to a darkened alley, he nearly struck the killing blow before a voice stopped him - it was Ulstram, who spoke of how vengeance would never solve his grief, it would only worsen it. Casting his sword and vows aside, he would become Ulstram's Ward, learning from him and protecting him all at once.
~13~
The taint which Ulstram sensed was ultimately unrealized to be the taint that was spreading inside Morfell - this was the fatal flaw in Ulstram's plan. While Nershuul points out that Ulstram's presence was unexpected to the alliance, Morvule had contingencies for a number of situations. Intervention during the final stages of their long plans was among them.
It was decided, then, to leverage the armies of the four to provide a suitable distraction, while Morvule planned around Ulstram's proposed cleansing of the sword. The original plan, Nershuul described, was to rend the taint upon the sword open right in Erebor's Square while Ulstram attempted to cleanse it. While this would not have plunged the sword fully into darkness - such a thing was to come later upon their altar -- it had the grimly satisfying result of turning the surrounding environs into a wasteland.
~14~
Had they gone through with their original plans, the city known as Wehnimer's Landing would have been destroyed utterly, condemned to be a cursed, infertile land for ages akin to the Wizardwaste or many of the places where undead horrors walk indefinitely.
Morvule had limited interaction among those who would come to be known to us as the free agents of Lornon - adventurers who, for one reason or another, claimed their allegiance to a number of Lornon Arkati, yet were not among the throngs of generally mindless hordes of the armies of the Four. They were independent - some agreeing wholly with the Four's plans, some only partially, and some not at all. They would eventually be come to be accepted at varying levels by the Four priests, with each of them forging different ways of contact with their respective followers. Later on in their campaign, they would be used for various missions of deception and would prove to be quite integral to the plans of the Four.
~15~
Morvule saw the usefulness in those who followed Luukos in the general area, and moved to make contact with them early, tasking them with general reconnaissance and revealing an ancient shrine that was lost to the area for them to convene.
Among those contacted would be Dispater ArchDevil, Dajamar Nasci'Serpente, Nevrek Araknathalin, Armaxis Telexana, and Achillea Ormeth. They would be the first to carry the mark of the Luukosian Order - dark ophidian marks for those of the priesthood and dark red fang-shaped marks for those who would act as guardians of the faith and whose prowess lay in the art of physical combat.
As the armies marched, the four continued to weave their plans quietly in the background.
This did not happen, however, as Ulstram did the one thing they did not expect - he fought back, using the sword's power.
~16~
It was explained that Morvule was certain Ulstram would not fight once he revealed himself - they apparently knew of his background - and that his attempts to further cleanse the sword would only make the taint more palpable and easily culled.
The details of what truly happened were only fully explained to me by Nershuul himself, who was apparently present at the events, cloaked in shadow.
What was expected was that Ulstram would be untrusting of the assembled crowd - he admittedly knew of people there who were unsympathetic and even hostile to his cause and that he would not open a conduit between the gathering and the sword. That is exactly what happened though, and he used the combined power of the crowd to anchor the sword's purification process, essentially spreading out the burden of the taint's energies to the entire crowd instead of simply himself.
~17~
With so many targets, Morvule had to act quickly. It was risky, but it was the only way - he had to destroy the bridge of this power - Ulstram - in order to stop the purification process.
It was then that Ulstram made his stand, using the sword itself. As the crowd bore a significant weight of the taint and had actively begun to seal it away, Ulstram was able to focus on awakening the power of light contained within the sword and thus use its power against Morvule.
The four's plans were nearly crumbled that evening. Ulstram's unexpected actions served to leave Morvule only one choice; the sword had to be sundered under less than optimal conditions. The clash of two opposing powers caused the entire sword to nearly be destroyed - were it not for its sundering years ago, it might have - but the scars which remained became wounds once again, and the sword exploded in a fireball of cataclysmic power over the skies of Wehnimer's Landing as the two battled fiercely.
~18~
While the four put on a facade of unity, ultimately, it was at that point where their alliance was nearly shattered. After revealing themselves, their armies were set upon Wehnimer's Landing - yet another distraction as they retreated to their sanctuary, the priests leaving the hastily assembled forces to raze half of the town, leaving it in tatters. The breaking of the sword had even more unexpected consequences - Morfell was dead.
This apparently set the four into a rage, as their one link to the sword was now severed. Eventually, however, Morvule was able to regain control and went through with a drastic plan. He raised Morfell as one of the higher forms of undeath - a lich. Nershuul had said something regarding the idea of simply raising him from the dead, that the sword had destroyed any chances of regaining him in such an intact fashion - as the sword was cast into shards, so was Morfell's soul.
~19~
Lichdom was the last resort, and Morvule used a significant portion of his power in reassembling the tattered remains of Morfell's soul and binding it inside of his former shell of a body.
However, the one advantage the four had counted on since the failure to recapture the sword, that Morfell's connection would lead them to the sword pieces, was nonexistent. Apparently, this connection was only maintained by Morfell being alive - with him among the ranks of the undead now, it was impossible to use him as a tool in their plotting. Realizing this, he was simply put to use in the creation of the undead armies and monitored as one would keep watch on a prisoner. Nershuul notes that Eryael took particular interest in Morfell's transformation, having never encountered someone who survived their soul getting nearly obliterated. Ultimately, it was Eryael who convinced Morfell to fully become a willing and trusted pawn of the four's alliance.
~20~
Faced with no other paths, I imagine such a fate was a welcome respite to the myriad of horrifying alternatives.
It was then the contingency plans of both sides began to come into play. The rumors of the first shard began to surface as having landed near the dwarven settlement of Kharam-Dzu, on the island of Teras.
It was decided among the four that one priest would be used to combat the forces of the opposing side, while the other three would search quietly for the other shards. This, as we know now, apparently did not work. The first to be dispatched was Zerroth, the berserker warrior-priest of V'tull.
~21~
Zerroth's background is hazy, and Nershuul knew only basics - he was an outcast of the Grot'Karesh Hammer clan, and through some bizarre circumstances was possessed by V'tull a number of times, eventually becoming one of the Arkati's favored through his sheer lust for blood and battle. He led several cults over the years, dissolving in a bloody frenzy and reforming with the most elite of soldiers who survived the self-imposed armageddons. He was known to favor places of volcanic activity, and the four decided that he would first strike at Teras, as he was the most familiar with the harsh layout of the land, having had past dealings in the primordial subterranean lava flows.
~22~
Thus, a fleet of Zerroth's warships was dispatched to surround the island even as Ulstram's followers descended upon it. Both sides were consumed with battle every evening, with neither giving any quarter. From what Nershuul tells us, the V'tullians were so consumed with battle to the point of neglecting several important key points of information. During a raid on a dwarven caravan, several scraps from a lost expedition were found - these scraps would eventually point to the last known location of the shard.
It was these scraps that Ulstram and his followers found - they mounted a raid upon the ships, first intended simply to disable the V'tullians ability to wage war on a nightly basis. However, they stumbled upon this information while destroying Zerroth's flagship and quickly used it to locate the first piece - the hilt, buried deep in one of the lava flows.
~23~
However, Ulstram's penchant for trusting those who seemed on the verge of conversion cost him dearly here. Among his group was an empath, Siwas Devessi, whom accompanied the group to the flows. She spotted the hilt and summarily made off with it.
While initially conflicted, Siwas would eventually offer up the hilt to her patron, Mularos, through Eryael's hands. After recovering the piece, she fled to Solhaven, which incidentally, is where the search for the next piece began.
The recovery of the hilt by one hidden in the midst of Ulstram's followers caused a moral fallout and a schism which would only grow wider as the conflict became more and more desperate. A portion of Ulstram's followers were unhappy with his forgiving, pacifistic nature and sought to punish the local followers of the four.
~24~
Siwas, Nershuul explained, took refuge in the underground Temple of Luukos - the only active temple in the region - and was guarded fiercely by both the inhabitants of the temple and the various free agents of Lornon, who joined the fight against Ulstram. Nershuul himself monitored her from the shadows day and night, and spoke of her doubts regarding her ability to hold on to such a powerful artifact and what might happen. Among those to console her were Mekthros, Licel, Aramana, Pyrocite Burnweed, Alisaire Freya, Sepher, Querthose Mallick, Setzier vonEvenlore, and Grhim Anyukal.
While there were a number of skirmishes that Nershuul vaguely recalls monitoring, the catalyst of this schism occurred when Siwas was burned alive on the market bridge of Solhaven. Lead by a faction of radical religious zealots emboldened by the backing of a number of powerful adventurers, she was abducted and burned before any of the local authorities could respond.
~25~
This would ultimately strain Siwas' relationship with her lover - Turinrond Coyoterre, a follower of Onar's ways, counted himself as her protector. His failure to do so, along with her mounting allegiance to the Four, would serve as a catalyst for the final annulment of their courtship and a rather brutal act of violence towards Siwas on Turinrond's part.
Nershuul responds to this with a vague hint of amusement - it had apparently been Eryael's plan to cultivate this schism, and he intentionally refused to accept the hilt, risking the scorn and chiding of his compatriots. Siwas was told that she needed to become a martyr, that her suffering would serve as a fitting beginning to the conversion of the hilt's properties into one the four priests could use.
~26~
It is here that we must digress into a curious aspect of the sword. The sole reason for the immediacy of the search, and the only reason why the bearers of these shards were not instantly slaughtered and their corpse plundered, was that once a shard was touched by anything living, its dormant power awakened, however slightly. Once someone 'claimed' a shard by touching it, it would send a ripple throughout the world that both Ulstram and the Four would surely detect. Even while it was unwhole, the wards imbued in it since its creation became active once again, and it would remain inert and utterly resistant to any magic that was not the bearer's own. This lead to a situation where if the bearer was killed or destroyed before willfully passing over the bond to someone else, the piece remained untouchable.
~27~
For both the priests and Ulstram, this was an incredibly dire thing, as both sought to cleanse or reforge the sword, and if it were to remain untouchable by all magic, be it light or dark, their respective missions would fail instantly.
On the eve of her burning, Eryael accepted the hilt from Siwas, even as the search for the next shard - what would come to be found as the quillions -- began in the Freeport of Solhaven.
Nershuul spoke with excitement as he described the transformation of the hilt - it was brought before the altar, and for the first time in many years, he was among those chosen to be admitted and participate in the ceremony. He described how the temple underwent yet another change - rooms appeared that he did not remember being there, the air took on strange scents, and a myriad of other things which indicated that immense power had been gained.
~28~
It seemed to affect Eryael in particular as he had originally claimed the piece and lead the ceremony - which was described to me as a blend of the respective Arkati's rituals, with blatant Mularosian overtones.
Meanwhile, however, the campaign in Solhaven had been decided on both sides, and we must take a moment to examine the political climate therein. The Mercantyler's Guild, at the time, was one of the largest political influences on Solhaven's law enforcement. They had remained neutral to the Dark Arkati, building single, simple shrines to each so as not to anger any of them. The religious nature of the inhabitants and travelers really did not concern them much, and, as so often humans are, they were concerned over trade issues with those of darker persuasions and did not move to enact a harsher outlook toward the adventurers whose allegiances were aligned with the four priests. So long as there was not open fighting, they did not choose to intervene.
~29~
Ulstram, as was his philosophy, preached of understanding, forgiveness, and purity. This only served to frustrate the more militant of his would-be followers. Nershuul also spoke of deep roots in regards to Luukosian and Sheruvian activity there, however, there was no implicit suggestion of cooperation between those sects and Solhaven's lawmakers.
It was decided that the Sheruvian High Priest - Draezir Moltoniron - would be the one to lead the search in Solhaven. Nershuul knows very little of his background, save that he had an active role in setting up the temple of Sheru in the Broken Lands and establishing a solid foothold for Sheruvian forces on the continent. We also know that Draezir despised Estrion and Siarl's past exploits, as their actions were an affront to Sheru's power to think that anyone would seek to overthrow him, according to the High Priest.
~30~
Regardless, the campaign in Solhaven had begun. Kendryth's forces began to fan out among the woods and were reported to have limited engagement with Draezir's forces. While Kendryth had a small contingent of men, he could not spread them so far as Draezir's armies and had to balance between focusing solely on the search or rooting out Draezir's camps and destroying them. While bolstered by the helpers and followers of Ulstram in the search, it seemed for a time neither would be successful.
Nershuul spoke of Draezir being familiar with the outlying forests where the shard was rumored to have been. The initial plan was rather covert in nature; Draezir's encampment was hidden by a veil constructed by the Sheruvian High Priest himself, and it took a large amount of power to maintain it as his armies worked to scour the land. Having no forces to spare, Draezir loosed something terrible upon the inhabitants of Solhaven to keep them busy - living nightmares, the essence of terror made real.
~31~
Neither living or unliving, demonic or holy, where these beings came from, Nershuul knows nothing of - however, to his senses, they were very similar in makeup to the rapture cloaks, which have been spread throughout the world as ancient artifacts of Sheruvian origin. Where these specific artifacts have their power checked, these creatures were unbridled in their lust for the flesh of the living.
Nershuul spoke of their innate desire to become, for what is better termed, 'alive.' Without any guidance or control from their apparent maker, the creatures terrorized the city night after night. At first, it was merely one of these beings, and after several isolated attacks on travelers throughout the city, the victims flesh was consumed and they were left dead or barely struggling for life, the pattern of attack changed.
~32~
A resident of Solhaven - Revalos - was taken on one of the rainy nights when the creatures would lurk throughout the southern portion of the city, and through a grisly ritual, another creature was birthed from his flesh - nearly identical to the first.
As Revalos was chosen to harbor a shadowy passenger to grow within him, so was another - a rogue named Haxley Dormagic, whose betrothed named herself among one of Sheru's ranks - Witcheaven Glantria. While Witcheaven sought to culminate the shadowy presence within Haxley, ultimately he was cleansed by Ulstram and Kendryth in a ritual undertaken within the confines of Phoen's temple. Revealing the truth that Witcheaven had coaxed the infection within Haxley, he summarily left her, her wavering allegiances finally solidified with that of Sheru's forces.
~33~
The two otherworldly beings would later come to find an unlikely ally in a Dhe'nar elf known as Alisaire Frey. Beyond the fact that Nershuul knew of her guidance by two prominent Luukosian figures in the Western regions - Armaxis Telexana and Nevrek Araknathalin - they knew little else of her origins. Nershuul spoke of a ritual undertaken in the abandoned Luukosian temple on Teras Island -- conducted by Armaxis sometime in the past -- that essentially had sealed the path she walked.
The motivations of the creatures became clear when they met the young Dhe'nar elf atop the temple of Niima. They would use her as an anchor to this world, and through her become as close to living as possible. A fusion of shadow and flesh, essentially.
~34~
However, during this time, Ulstram's efforts had been focused on ridding the city of excessive violence, and the creatures had become a point of contention among many in Solhaven. On the eve of what would have been the completion of this bizarre process, Ulstram lead a group of followers to the street-side lair of the shadowy creatures and Alisaire, where they disrupted the ritual at the last moment. The creatures were banished to wherever they had come from, and Alisaire remained incomplete. What the three plotted was never truly known, even to those who interrupted the ritual, and most likely will never be known beyond the limited eyes of those allowed to read this document.
Furious at the loss of what must have been precious assets, Draezir took a cue from his Luukosian allies and hatched a plot of deception. Betraying Ulstram's trusting nature, Draezir tasked one of the Sheru free agents within Solhaven - Aramana Leirath - to hand him a relic.
~35~
Playing the part of a confused and pain-stricken convert, Aramana was able to serve as the bearer of a perfect trap for Ulstram. Taking the relic in his hands, Ulstram was instantly whisked away to a realm of Draezir's creation - nightmares and darkness.
In the interim, Draezir had begun to split his forces once his creatures were dispatched - the Sheruvian armies marched nearly daily on the city of Solhaven.
Nershuul was delighted to tell us of this particular exploit, as he was able to freely participate in the torture against Ulstram. It was explained that he was interrogated by all four of the priests quite extensively. It was particularly tactical in nature, Eryael seemed to gain no pleasure from his normal frivolities in torture. It was mentioned that something deeper was torturing Ulstram several times, and the scars that Eryael could inflict on the surface would pale in comparison to the wounds Ulstram had inflicted upon himself.
~36~
Nershuul remarks that Eryael would simply gaze at Ulstram in a fascinated fashion between sessions of torture, mouthing words no one could hear.
They had initially hoped to coax something of Ulstram's latent prophetic abilities to foresee where the shards might be, but it was proving fruitless. Morvule was rallying to simply destroy him and leave it at that, but Eryael and Zerroth, particularly, were of the opposite persuasion. They had forcefully destroyed Morfell's will; what was this but another holy man to be dashed against the rocks?
Regardless, Draezir found the constant encroachment into his efforts to find the shard more than annoying and began to focus his forces into simply capturing the town of Solhaven. This was achieved on the 23rd of Jastatos, 5102, at the hour of midnight. Initially, Sheruvian forces were flooding the streets, pushing back the defenders.
~37~
When the Sheruvians had finally gained a tactical advantage in the battle, a strange type of magical construct was deployed - similar but not wholly the same as the constructs found around Old Ta'Faendryl.
They were the guardians of the city, keeping the occupied area quiet by allowing those of the proper alignment to roam free among the streets, while others were forced inside homes, inns, and other such refuges with threats of inexorable death. Nershuul speaks fondly of this time, as a child might remember a favorite candy, for he was free to roam the streets and break in to whatever houses he wished. He speaks of devouring entire families as they slept huddled together in fear of the onyx jackal statues outside. The era of what Nershuul calls 'Nighthaven' had begun, the term apparently having been coined by the local worshipers, who could now wander the streets as if they owned the city themselves.
~38~
Many attempts were made to destroy these constructs, but it proved fruitless.
It was at this time when the formal terms of each opposing side became increasingly widespread - the four priests became known as the Dark Alliance, and those who sided with Ulstram or simply opposed the Dark Alliance were referred to as The Resistance. While initially quite true in every sense of the word due to the occupation of Solhaven, this term stuck with those opposing the four priests throughout the conclusion of the battle.
Kendryth had become a more persistent and driving presence since Ulstram's capture, seeking to bolster the beleaguered and weary forces of the Resistance. He took responsibility for the fall of Solhaven and vowed to take it back. Having been ambushed and nearly captured and killed by Sheruvian forces whilst the city was being occupied, his officers gained a vital piece of information - a high-ranking Sheruvian would be traveling to the city on the 29th of Jastatos.
~39~
Finally making his way to the captured city, Kendryth found he was also nearly powerless against the sentinels of Sheru. The Resistance planned and waited patiently, while Draezir lorded over the streets nightly. Nershuul explains that this, again, was a subterfuge meant to enrage those who would seek out the shard and focus their attention elsewhere.
The evening of the 29th finally came, and with it, an ambush was laid on the wooded path that leads to Solhaven. Initially, the followers of the four priests - Mekthros, Pyrocite, and others mounted an attack, which initially dealt several blows to the Resistance's efforts, but they were dispatched within moments. Hoping that the ambush was not revealed, the Resistance stormed into a carriage and there found a Sheruvian Inquisitor.
~40~
The Inquisitor, Nershuul explained, was to act as a regent, while Draezir left to focus his efforts on the search and to eventually negotiate with the inner barony of Vornavis for the transition of Solhaven back to their rule in exchange for Vornavian forces covertly searching for the shard. This would be accomplished by enacting a second stage to their plan of occupation - the kidnapping and torture of citizens, with supporters of Ulstram specifically targeted. Since the Inquisitor's death occurred that night, this plan was never enacted.
What was found in the wake of the Inquisitor's death, however, was a chest containing the keys to the eventual freeing of Solhaven and Ulstram. Draezir, now enraged at the success of Kendryth's campaign, began to simply raze Solhaven in search of the chest. Fleeing Draezir in order to concentrate their efforts on opening it, they fooled the Sheruvian into heading north into the forest, while they hid in the sea caves to the south of the city.
~41~
There, they opened the chest to find onyx shards and an orb. Within was a small note explaining the purpose of the items.
The onyx shards, ultimately, disabled a strong field of magic permeating the sentinel statues patrolling the streets of Solhaven and allowed for the Resistance to destroy their would-be captors by hacking them to pieces.
The orb, on the other hand, was a link to the realm created specifically for Ulstram. Nershuul describes the sphere's purpose as a way to interrogate the prophet remotely to obtain lists of names for the sentinels to eventually seek out on the streets.
Ultimately, Kendryth was able to open a link to the realm where Ulstram was imprisoned, and the assembled supporters were able to free the prophet from his prison. As they journeyed toward this goal, Draezir's occupying forces were crumbled, and the Freeport of Solhaven was taken back by the Resistance.
~42~
While Draezir and the rest of the four were taken aback by the sudden victory of the Resistance, this did not halt the main effort of their ultimate goal. Rather than attempt to retake the town, which would have simply served as a bargaining chip for more resources to search for the shard, they redoubled their efforts and gained some important information from a very small tribe of shan that had made their home deep in the Cairnfang forests, where they had continually searched.
Bolstered by their efforts to free Solhaven of the grip of the priests, the Resistance planned a strike against Draezir's encampment - with Ulstram's considerable magical power, there was a greater chance the location could be uncovered. Within a few days, the locale of the encampment was found, and Ulstram and Kendryth's forces moved out.
~43~
Several things were happening concurrently when this plan was being carried out - Draezir's forces were arriving on the site that was told to them by the shan tribe, and several of the allies of the four were gathering by the order of Morvule to destroy any survivors of Kendryth's camp. While the Sheruvians expected a backlash, their army's sole goal was to find the shard, and they focused on just such a thing even as Ulstram and Kendryth neared the camp.
Fighting through the Sheruvian forces, Ulstram eventually began to get flashes of their intentions, and coupled with newly found clues within the encampment itself, the group was lead through a maze of forest where the search had previously been conducted. Eventually the two opposing groups met exactly where the new dig site had been.
It was within a cave that eventually Alisaire Frey found the sword piece beneath a charred rock. She was among the many who stood at that spot, and she reacted quickly.
~44~
Initially, many thought Alisaire was simply neutral with possibly a darker bent due to her being a full-blooded Dhe'nar elf. Her past was cloudy to most, but Nershuul informs us she had been aiding the priests since their arrival in Wehnimer's. However, even Morvule was unsure of how her reactions would be - the Dhe'nar elves have an innate thirst for power, and with her in control of the quillions and having already betrayed her blood for the path of Luukos, they were curious as to what she might do.
Nershuul spoke of their meeting - Alisaire had become enamored with the creatures with which she'd almost bonded her very soul. She wished to complete what had been severed so abruptly by Ulstram and his kin. Morvule, both punishing and rewarding her for her ruthless ambition in subtly holding the sword piece hostage, granted her wish. She was bequeathed a talisman, whose very nature was linked to the creatures and told that once a thousand years had passed, the bonding would be complete.
~45~
Alisaire accepted the offer, and the quillions were turned over to Draezir for the additional price of withdrawing his army from Solhaven's borders - a thing which was no longer necessary at this point in their campaign. Nershuul again describes its reforging into a component of darkness - the Black Temple once more expanded of its own accord, and each of the priests was able to more easily keep up their individual functions with less and less of their own power. It simply became more self-sustaining.
It is here we must take pause to present our own findings through various channels other than Nershuul. As mentioned prior, our interest had been piqued ever since the Griffin Sword itself was shattered, and we have compiled information on several significant events, if not slightly lesser in scope to the grand scheme, that occurred that could possibly have influenced the overall situation.
~46~
At this point in time, several prominent Western militias had come to the stage - the Northern Fury, lead by Valicar VonWraithmaster, the House Onoir, lead by Morgiest Frostgiant, the Freeholders, jointly lead by Cappurnicus Calerous and Kaishaku Kenshiyaku. It also planted the seeds for future organizations such as the Haven Emergency Resource Team and catapulted other local organizations such as Cairnfang Manor into prominence due to their help with both the invasion, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. The Silver Gryphons, an old established order, would also lend aid during this time, as well the Free Citizens of River's Rest - their involvement here would deeply root them in the joint defense of Solhaven.
Help from the East would come in the form of the Second Militia - a local band of adventurers of mixed races who took up residence around Ta'Vaalor and attempted to uphold the standards of the Vaalorian military.
~47~
Among the myriad events which happened in Solhaven was the introduction of several who would aid the Four priests consistently - Mekthros Savius, Alisaire Frey, Armaxis Telexana, Setzier vonEvenlore, Querthose Mallick, Aramana Leirath, Naamit DMonica, Grhim Anyukal, Maimara Andriatti, Avidleigh, Maphiston, Sepher, Angelrise, Witcheaven, Aramana, Ysharra, Uniana, Rekarth, Hadya, Thrassus, Licel, Dispater, Dajamar, Achillea, Wulfhen Rayliad, Sayori, Naessi, Marclar, and Valanis would all seek to serve the aims of one of the Four in some fashion. Some were rewarded for their efforts, while others were ostracized for their failures.
It was then that a period of quiet settled over the lands, a brief respite due to no sign of any of the other sword pieces. This would essentially be the calm before both a political and quite physical storm.
~48~
From reports of our contact within the Illistim political circles, the changes began very quietly - among the various factions and causes within Illistim's walls, those with a militant bent began to receive a large amount of funds from unidentified sources, increasing their political clout within the various courts. Rumors also began to circulate among the nobility - one of the most prominent being that Tyrnian, King of House Vaalor, had openly disparaged the Illistim's military might during a formal ceremony. While we know for a fact this is untrue, the sewing circles of the Illistim nobility were set ablaze with these scandalous whispers. While a majority of the mostly scholarly elves didn't pay attention, the scant few who did held enormous power within the courts, and their actions soon paved the way for what was to come.
Nershuul reveals that he himself helped greatly during this time - he was given a list of minor political nobles and told to overtake them while they slept.
~49~
This concludes the first compendium on the war for the Griffin Sword.
~50~
Let us begin with the source of this information - a being which goes simply by the name "Nershuul". Countless papers could - and will - be written on what I will simply refer to from this point on as 'his' origins, but suffice it to say that the contingent of our representatives were able to acquire the corpse after he was struck down, and we summarily managed to revive what little life was left in the creature.
~1~
As the report must stay focused on the events, I will keep my descriptions brief - the being known as Nershuul's true form is a small black creature shaped roughly like a hand, with three 'fingers' branching from each hemisphere for a total of six. A number of eyes line the top of its, for what may be termed, 'head', insectoid in nature. A long, prehensile stinger protrudes from its back, and this is the means by which it can communicate, either by forcefully overtaking a living host's body with the stinger or by manipulating a 'fresh' corpse. It had been attached to a giantman, whose true identity was unable to be scryed when we found it. It seems unable to communicate properly without a host.
Regardless of the creature's fascinating biology, the most interesting facet of Nershuul is that he was close to one of the pivotal figures in these events - he was a right hand of Morvule far before the events of the Griffin Sword we know of came to play.
~2~
While it took quite a long time of what will simply be referred to as 'persuasion,' Nershuul eventually disclosed everything we asked of him. Whether he is lying or not cannot be known - he has expressed regret that his Master is no longer among us and is well aware of the fact that everyone but our people thinks him dead. Rescue has not come for many years, and he eventually realized the hopelessness of his situation.
Let us begin with Morvule himself - according to Nershuul, Morvule was originally of elven origin, though he does not know of his originating House. During the days after the Undead War, he underwent a transformation initiated by Luukos and appeared forever changed. Many remember his serpentine appearance - the slitted eyes, the scaled skin - what many in religious circles simply call a "True Luukosian," internally referred to as one of "the Flawless" by cultists and fanatics of Luukos.
~3~
We know from the "trinkets of fate" that appeared throughout the various shrines and temples of the world shortly after the conclusion of the events that each of the four priests had personal contact with their deities. This seems to have been a trend with Morvule, according to Nershuul. He apparently acted on behalf of his Arkati a number of times throughout his long life. The details of these incidents will be enclosed in a separate report. His role in the Griffin Sword War was easily apparent from only a few sessions with Nershuul - he was the bond that kept a somewhat shaky alliance together. It was he who initially brought the four together, and it was he who knew the secrets of the Griffin Sword.
~4~
According to Nershuul, the plans, even the alliance, came into effect far before the sword was ever sundered. The four initially met years before and began construction on their stronghold which was revealed at the pinnacle of their campaign against the civilized world. This was achieved through a stunning array of powerful flow magic from all four leaders of the respective sects - Morvule, a student of the planes as clearly evidenced by his penchant for demon summoning, provided the locale for their hidden sanctuary, hiding it away in planar secrecy. Draezir - closest to Morvule of the four due to past campaigns and exploits - was entrusted with shrouding the sanctuary and the plane itself from magical detection when crossing between worlds. Eryael, often thought to be the weakest magically of the four, was actually charged with the gateway into the other realm, persistently linking it to our own, a feat which is positively remarkable given the size of their armies.
~5~
Zerroth provided a foundation for the physical building of the sanctuary, linking the very walls and materials to his body.
The aim of the alliance, Nershuul said, was to empower their respective Arkati with the stolen power imbued in the sword - rumored to be that of Lorminstra herself and to ascend into true immortality and join the pantheon after ravaging the general landscape of Elanith in a victorious bloodbath unseen before or ever again. He even fondly mentioned what the symbols of the four were going to be -- a three-headed serpent, an amber jackal's eye, a jagged black greatsword, and a tattered incarnadine rose.
~6~
To that end, the four's first aim was to build their sanctuary, which held what is simply called, 'The Altar of Darkness' - supposedly a direct conduit to their Arkati's power. Nershuul spoke of its creation with what might have been the first sign of fear we've ever seen from him - none were allowed to enter save for the sacrifices used, and they were brought in by the thousands. When it was completed, he said, the temple came alive - what was once simply an obsidian construct in the middle of a forgotten plane became a living heart whose pulses were that of the dark Arkati its inhabitants worshipped.
Such an undertaking was not without its precautions, it was explained - the four realized what folly it is to imbue anything directly with an Arkati's power, after all, the same folly is what they were now seeking to exploit. The altar was merely a conduit, a place to channel power, but not draw from.
~7~
The same dynamics of a simple shrine or temple were at play here, but they were magnified beyond any humble priest's dreams. Nershuul spoke of audiences at the altar with both the Arkati themselves and their spiritual servants, though they were brief in the years of their campaign and only the four ever convened there during those times - all others were forbidden.
After the building of their sanctuary, what has been henceforth called 'The Black Temple,' the second part of their plan involved the abduction and conversion of the last known connection to the Griffin Sword - Morfell Destrieder.
Morfell, one could say, was the one who set all this in motion - prior to this rather worldwide campaign of destruction, he had been originally bequeathed the sword, purportedly by the Arkati Lorminstra herself. It was also he who betrayed her, and summarily the sword was broken up into four pieces, which started a small war in the Western region, specifically near the town of Wehnimer's Landing.
~8~
It ended with the sword reforged.
However, in the interim years it was never touched - a point of curiosity to many historians looking at the current events that lead to its second sundering. This question appears to have been answered by our informant - it could not be touched merely for the fact that the protections were put in place by the Arkati Lorminstra herself. No matter the amazing power of the four, they could not overcome such a warding.
What was known, however, was that the sword was irrevocably linked to Morfell. As it had been sundered under his hand once before, it could be recovered in the same fashion. And Morfell was mortal - he could be broken, Nershuul explained. They used his connection in order to exploit that which had remained pure and untouched for years following its reforging. According to reports, Morfell, while betraying his chosen Arkati, repented at the end of the first war over the sword and went through a long journey of penance.
~9~
It seems this desire for redemption kept the sword fully protected. So long as Morfell remained devout, the sword would forever be unattainable.
Nershuul spoke proudly of how he was among the few chosen to be present and help with the capture of this man.
They found him among an outpost of Voln near the Turamzyrrian Empire. According to Nershuul, no one was aware of his past, and he was taken quietly and without incident. It was then his tortures began. Nershuul apparently took part in these quite extensively - he spoke in detail of preying on the mind of the warrior-priest after all four of the priests visited him, and he delighted in the illusory worlds of torment they would plunge him into. Suffice it to say, this went on for several years before the submission they sought was attained.
~10~
I can barely imagine the suffering that was visited upon Morfell -- after seeing what destruction the four priests wrought when loosed upon the world, their combined power focused on one man is an almost unthinkable situation.
We also see why Eryael's allegiances were tapped - the devotees of Pain and Suffering seem to take a more 'personal' approach to torment rather than the massive armies of Luukosian, Sheruvian, and V'tullian, which has often been a point of question to many observing this event - after all, outwardly, it did not seem Eryael was incredibly useful in terms of battle until the very end days of the alliance. However, Nershuul speaks highly of Eryael's unwavering efforts to break Morfell in the most useful way possible and points to his efforts as a key point in their strategy.
~11~
Regardless, it was when Morfell finally succumbed to his captors that the 'taint' in the sword was detected by the prophet of the Arkati Lorminstra - Ulstram Chanerser.
Early reports regarding Ulstram's background places him initially among a small group of radical Lorminstran cultists devout to the point of zealotry. This would seem to be the case as the "trinkets of fate" show him among these zealots and battling seemingly innocent people.
In this trinket, it was shown that he slaughtered both an innocent man and what, according to interviews with witnesses of the events leading up to Ulstram's death, appears to have been the man's daughter. This, in turn, lead to a sort of haunting, yet the presence which visited Ulstram on several occasions seemed to lack any qualities of the undead, and we believe it to be a memory, his guilt transmogrified into spiritual form.
~12~
Regardless, Ulstram's path ultimately led him to the sword, having been set on his quest by Lorminstra herself. He was accompanied by Kendryth, a former paladin of Koar.
Kendryth hailed from the Turamzyrrian Empire, having trained under various knightly orders within the empire and spent a brief amount of time on the Demonwall fighting against the Scourge. He met Ulstram when, during the Jantalarian invasion of Mestanir, his brother was murdered by a witch-hunter under the employ of the Jantalarian forces. Hunting down the murderous woman to a darkened alley, he nearly struck the killing blow before a voice stopped him - it was Ulstram, who spoke of how vengeance would never solve his grief, it would only worsen it. Casting his sword and vows aside, he would become Ulstram's Ward, learning from him and protecting him all at once.
~13~
The taint which Ulstram sensed was ultimately unrealized to be the taint that was spreading inside Morfell - this was the fatal flaw in Ulstram's plan. While Nershuul points out that Ulstram's presence was unexpected to the alliance, Morvule had contingencies for a number of situations. Intervention during the final stages of their long plans was among them.
It was decided, then, to leverage the armies of the four to provide a suitable distraction, while Morvule planned around Ulstram's proposed cleansing of the sword. The original plan, Nershuul described, was to rend the taint upon the sword open right in Erebor's Square while Ulstram attempted to cleanse it. While this would not have plunged the sword fully into darkness - such a thing was to come later upon their altar -- it had the grimly satisfying result of turning the surrounding environs into a wasteland.
~14~
Had they gone through with their original plans, the city known as Wehnimer's Landing would have been destroyed utterly, condemned to be a cursed, infertile land for ages akin to the Wizardwaste or many of the places where undead horrors walk indefinitely.
Morvule had limited interaction among those who would come to be known to us as the free agents of Lornon - adventurers who, for one reason or another, claimed their allegiance to a number of Lornon Arkati, yet were not among the throngs of generally mindless hordes of the armies of the Four. They were independent - some agreeing wholly with the Four's plans, some only partially, and some not at all. They would eventually be come to be accepted at varying levels by the Four priests, with each of them forging different ways of contact with their respective followers. Later on in their campaign, they would be used for various missions of deception and would prove to be quite integral to the plans of the Four.
~15~
Morvule saw the usefulness in those who followed Luukos in the general area, and moved to make contact with them early, tasking them with general reconnaissance and revealing an ancient shrine that was lost to the area for them to convene.
Among those contacted would be Dispater ArchDevil, Dajamar Nasci'Serpente, Nevrek Araknathalin, Armaxis Telexana, and Achillea Ormeth. They would be the first to carry the mark of the Luukosian Order - dark ophidian marks for those of the priesthood and dark red fang-shaped marks for those who would act as guardians of the faith and whose prowess lay in the art of physical combat.
As the armies marched, the four continued to weave their plans quietly in the background.
This did not happen, however, as Ulstram did the one thing they did not expect - he fought back, using the sword's power.
~16~
It was explained that Morvule was certain Ulstram would not fight once he revealed himself - they apparently knew of his background - and that his attempts to further cleanse the sword would only make the taint more palpable and easily culled.
The details of what truly happened were only fully explained to me by Nershuul himself, who was apparently present at the events, cloaked in shadow.
What was expected was that Ulstram would be untrusting of the assembled crowd - he admittedly knew of people there who were unsympathetic and even hostile to his cause and that he would not open a conduit between the gathering and the sword. That is exactly what happened though, and he used the combined power of the crowd to anchor the sword's purification process, essentially spreading out the burden of the taint's energies to the entire crowd instead of simply himself.
~17~
With so many targets, Morvule had to act quickly. It was risky, but it was the only way - he had to destroy the bridge of this power - Ulstram - in order to stop the purification process.
It was then that Ulstram made his stand, using the sword itself. As the crowd bore a significant weight of the taint and had actively begun to seal it away, Ulstram was able to focus on awakening the power of light contained within the sword and thus use its power against Morvule.
The four's plans were nearly crumbled that evening. Ulstram's unexpected actions served to leave Morvule only one choice; the sword had to be sundered under less than optimal conditions. The clash of two opposing powers caused the entire sword to nearly be destroyed - were it not for its sundering years ago, it might have - but the scars which remained became wounds once again, and the sword exploded in a fireball of cataclysmic power over the skies of Wehnimer's Landing as the two battled fiercely.
~18~
While the four put on a facade of unity, ultimately, it was at that point where their alliance was nearly shattered. After revealing themselves, their armies were set upon Wehnimer's Landing - yet another distraction as they retreated to their sanctuary, the priests leaving the hastily assembled forces to raze half of the town, leaving it in tatters. The breaking of the sword had even more unexpected consequences - Morfell was dead.
This apparently set the four into a rage, as their one link to the sword was now severed. Eventually, however, Morvule was able to regain control and went through with a drastic plan. He raised Morfell as one of the higher forms of undeath - a lich. Nershuul had said something regarding the idea of simply raising him from the dead, that the sword had destroyed any chances of regaining him in such an intact fashion - as the sword was cast into shards, so was Morfell's soul.
~19~
Lichdom was the last resort, and Morvule used a significant portion of his power in reassembling the tattered remains of Morfell's soul and binding it inside of his former shell of a body.
However, the one advantage the four had counted on since the failure to recapture the sword, that Morfell's connection would lead them to the sword pieces, was nonexistent. Apparently, this connection was only maintained by Morfell being alive - with him among the ranks of the undead now, it was impossible to use him as a tool in their plotting. Realizing this, he was simply put to use in the creation of the undead armies and monitored as one would keep watch on a prisoner. Nershuul notes that Eryael took particular interest in Morfell's transformation, having never encountered someone who survived their soul getting nearly obliterated. Ultimately, it was Eryael who convinced Morfell to fully become a willing and trusted pawn of the four's alliance.
~20~
Faced with no other paths, I imagine such a fate was a welcome respite to the myriad of horrifying alternatives.
It was then the contingency plans of both sides began to come into play. The rumors of the first shard began to surface as having landed near the dwarven settlement of Kharam-Dzu, on the island of Teras.
It was decided among the four that one priest would be used to combat the forces of the opposing side, while the other three would search quietly for the other shards. This, as we know now, apparently did not work. The first to be dispatched was Zerroth, the berserker warrior-priest of V'tull.
~21~
Zerroth's background is hazy, and Nershuul knew only basics - he was an outcast of the Grot'Karesh Hammer clan, and through some bizarre circumstances was possessed by V'tull a number of times, eventually becoming one of the Arkati's favored through his sheer lust for blood and battle. He led several cults over the years, dissolving in a bloody frenzy and reforming with the most elite of soldiers who survived the self-imposed armageddons. He was known to favor places of volcanic activity, and the four decided that he would first strike at Teras, as he was the most familiar with the harsh layout of the land, having had past dealings in the primordial subterranean lava flows.
~22~
Thus, a fleet of Zerroth's warships was dispatched to surround the island even as Ulstram's followers descended upon it. Both sides were consumed with battle every evening, with neither giving any quarter. From what Nershuul tells us, the V'tullians were so consumed with battle to the point of neglecting several important key points of information. During a raid on a dwarven caravan, several scraps from a lost expedition were found - these scraps would eventually point to the last known location of the shard.
It was these scraps that Ulstram and his followers found - they mounted a raid upon the ships, first intended simply to disable the V'tullians ability to wage war on a nightly basis. However, they stumbled upon this information while destroying Zerroth's flagship and quickly used it to locate the first piece - the hilt, buried deep in one of the lava flows.
~23~
However, Ulstram's penchant for trusting those who seemed on the verge of conversion cost him dearly here. Among his group was an empath, Siwas Devessi, whom accompanied the group to the flows. She spotted the hilt and summarily made off with it.
While initially conflicted, Siwas would eventually offer up the hilt to her patron, Mularos, through Eryael's hands. After recovering the piece, she fled to Solhaven, which incidentally, is where the search for the next piece began.
The recovery of the hilt by one hidden in the midst of Ulstram's followers caused a moral fallout and a schism which would only grow wider as the conflict became more and more desperate. A portion of Ulstram's followers were unhappy with his forgiving, pacifistic nature and sought to punish the local followers of the four.
~24~
Siwas, Nershuul explained, took refuge in the underground Temple of Luukos - the only active temple in the region - and was guarded fiercely by both the inhabitants of the temple and the various free agents of Lornon, who joined the fight against Ulstram. Nershuul himself monitored her from the shadows day and night, and spoke of her doubts regarding her ability to hold on to such a powerful artifact and what might happen. Among those to console her were Mekthros, Licel, Aramana, Pyrocite Burnweed, Alisaire Freya, Sepher, Querthose Mallick, Setzier vonEvenlore, and Grhim Anyukal.
While there were a number of skirmishes that Nershuul vaguely recalls monitoring, the catalyst of this schism occurred when Siwas was burned alive on the market bridge of Solhaven. Lead by a faction of radical religious zealots emboldened by the backing of a number of powerful adventurers, she was abducted and burned before any of the local authorities could respond.
~25~
This would ultimately strain Siwas' relationship with her lover - Turinrond Coyoterre, a follower of Onar's ways, counted himself as her protector. His failure to do so, along with her mounting allegiance to the Four, would serve as a catalyst for the final annulment of their courtship and a rather brutal act of violence towards Siwas on Turinrond's part.
Nershuul responds to this with a vague hint of amusement - it had apparently been Eryael's plan to cultivate this schism, and he intentionally refused to accept the hilt, risking the scorn and chiding of his compatriots. Siwas was told that she needed to become a martyr, that her suffering would serve as a fitting beginning to the conversion of the hilt's properties into one the four priests could use.
~26~
It is here that we must digress into a curious aspect of the sword. The sole reason for the immediacy of the search, and the only reason why the bearers of these shards were not instantly slaughtered and their corpse plundered, was that once a shard was touched by anything living, its dormant power awakened, however slightly. Once someone 'claimed' a shard by touching it, it would send a ripple throughout the world that both Ulstram and the Four would surely detect. Even while it was unwhole, the wards imbued in it since its creation became active once again, and it would remain inert and utterly resistant to any magic that was not the bearer's own. This lead to a situation where if the bearer was killed or destroyed before willfully passing over the bond to someone else, the piece remained untouchable.
~27~
For both the priests and Ulstram, this was an incredibly dire thing, as both sought to cleanse or reforge the sword, and if it were to remain untouchable by all magic, be it light or dark, their respective missions would fail instantly.
On the eve of her burning, Eryael accepted the hilt from Siwas, even as the search for the next shard - what would come to be found as the quillions -- began in the Freeport of Solhaven.
Nershuul spoke with excitement as he described the transformation of the hilt - it was brought before the altar, and for the first time in many years, he was among those chosen to be admitted and participate in the ceremony. He described how the temple underwent yet another change - rooms appeared that he did not remember being there, the air took on strange scents, and a myriad of other things which indicated that immense power had been gained.
~28~
It seemed to affect Eryael in particular as he had originally claimed the piece and lead the ceremony - which was described to me as a blend of the respective Arkati's rituals, with blatant Mularosian overtones.
Meanwhile, however, the campaign in Solhaven had been decided on both sides, and we must take a moment to examine the political climate therein. The Mercantyler's Guild, at the time, was one of the largest political influences on Solhaven's law enforcement. They had remained neutral to the Dark Arkati, building single, simple shrines to each so as not to anger any of them. The religious nature of the inhabitants and travelers really did not concern them much, and, as so often humans are, they were concerned over trade issues with those of darker persuasions and did not move to enact a harsher outlook toward the adventurers whose allegiances were aligned with the four priests. So long as there was not open fighting, they did not choose to intervene.
~29~
Ulstram, as was his philosophy, preached of understanding, forgiveness, and purity. This only served to frustrate the more militant of his would-be followers. Nershuul also spoke of deep roots in regards to Luukosian and Sheruvian activity there, however, there was no implicit suggestion of cooperation between those sects and Solhaven's lawmakers.
It was decided that the Sheruvian High Priest - Draezir Moltoniron - would be the one to lead the search in Solhaven. Nershuul knows very little of his background, save that he had an active role in setting up the temple of Sheru in the Broken Lands and establishing a solid foothold for Sheruvian forces on the continent. We also know that Draezir despised Estrion and Siarl's past exploits, as their actions were an affront to Sheru's power to think that anyone would seek to overthrow him, according to the High Priest.
~30~
Regardless, the campaign in Solhaven had begun. Kendryth's forces began to fan out among the woods and were reported to have limited engagement with Draezir's forces. While Kendryth had a small contingent of men, he could not spread them so far as Draezir's armies and had to balance between focusing solely on the search or rooting out Draezir's camps and destroying them. While bolstered by the helpers and followers of Ulstram in the search, it seemed for a time neither would be successful.
Nershuul spoke of Draezir being familiar with the outlying forests where the shard was rumored to have been. The initial plan was rather covert in nature; Draezir's encampment was hidden by a veil constructed by the Sheruvian High Priest himself, and it took a large amount of power to maintain it as his armies worked to scour the land. Having no forces to spare, Draezir loosed something terrible upon the inhabitants of Solhaven to keep them busy - living nightmares, the essence of terror made real.
~31~
Neither living or unliving, demonic or holy, where these beings came from, Nershuul knows nothing of - however, to his senses, they were very similar in makeup to the rapture cloaks, which have been spread throughout the world as ancient artifacts of Sheruvian origin. Where these specific artifacts have their power checked, these creatures were unbridled in their lust for the flesh of the living.
Nershuul spoke of their innate desire to become, for what is better termed, 'alive.' Without any guidance or control from their apparent maker, the creatures terrorized the city night after night. At first, it was merely one of these beings, and after several isolated attacks on travelers throughout the city, the victims flesh was consumed and they were left dead or barely struggling for life, the pattern of attack changed.
~32~
A resident of Solhaven - Revalos - was taken on one of the rainy nights when the creatures would lurk throughout the southern portion of the city, and through a grisly ritual, another creature was birthed from his flesh - nearly identical to the first.
As Revalos was chosen to harbor a shadowy passenger to grow within him, so was another - a rogue named Haxley Dormagic, whose betrothed named herself among one of Sheru's ranks - Witcheaven Glantria. While Witcheaven sought to culminate the shadowy presence within Haxley, ultimately he was cleansed by Ulstram and Kendryth in a ritual undertaken within the confines of Phoen's temple. Revealing the truth that Witcheaven had coaxed the infection within Haxley, he summarily left her, her wavering allegiances finally solidified with that of Sheru's forces.
~33~
The two otherworldly beings would later come to find an unlikely ally in a Dhe'nar elf known as Alisaire Frey. Beyond the fact that Nershuul knew of her guidance by two prominent Luukosian figures in the Western regions - Armaxis Telexana and Nevrek Araknathalin - they knew little else of her origins. Nershuul spoke of a ritual undertaken in the abandoned Luukosian temple on Teras Island -- conducted by Armaxis sometime in the past -- that essentially had sealed the path she walked.
The motivations of the creatures became clear when they met the young Dhe'nar elf atop the temple of Niima. They would use her as an anchor to this world, and through her become as close to living as possible. A fusion of shadow and flesh, essentially.
~34~
However, during this time, Ulstram's efforts had been focused on ridding the city of excessive violence, and the creatures had become a point of contention among many in Solhaven. On the eve of what would have been the completion of this bizarre process, Ulstram lead a group of followers to the street-side lair of the shadowy creatures and Alisaire, where they disrupted the ritual at the last moment. The creatures were banished to wherever they had come from, and Alisaire remained incomplete. What the three plotted was never truly known, even to those who interrupted the ritual, and most likely will never be known beyond the limited eyes of those allowed to read this document.
Furious at the loss of what must have been precious assets, Draezir took a cue from his Luukosian allies and hatched a plot of deception. Betraying Ulstram's trusting nature, Draezir tasked one of the Sheru free agents within Solhaven - Aramana Leirath - to hand him a relic.
~35~
Playing the part of a confused and pain-stricken convert, Aramana was able to serve as the bearer of a perfect trap for Ulstram. Taking the relic in his hands, Ulstram was instantly whisked away to a realm of Draezir's creation - nightmares and darkness.
In the interim, Draezir had begun to split his forces once his creatures were dispatched - the Sheruvian armies marched nearly daily on the city of Solhaven.
Nershuul was delighted to tell us of this particular exploit, as he was able to freely participate in the torture against Ulstram. It was explained that he was interrogated by all four of the priests quite extensively. It was particularly tactical in nature, Eryael seemed to gain no pleasure from his normal frivolities in torture. It was mentioned that something deeper was torturing Ulstram several times, and the scars that Eryael could inflict on the surface would pale in comparison to the wounds Ulstram had inflicted upon himself.
~36~
Nershuul remarks that Eryael would simply gaze at Ulstram in a fascinated fashion between sessions of torture, mouthing words no one could hear.
They had initially hoped to coax something of Ulstram's latent prophetic abilities to foresee where the shards might be, but it was proving fruitless. Morvule was rallying to simply destroy him and leave it at that, but Eryael and Zerroth, particularly, were of the opposite persuasion. They had forcefully destroyed Morfell's will; what was this but another holy man to be dashed against the rocks?
Regardless, Draezir found the constant encroachment into his efforts to find the shard more than annoying and began to focus his forces into simply capturing the town of Solhaven. This was achieved on the 23rd of Jastatos, 5102, at the hour of midnight. Initially, Sheruvian forces were flooding the streets, pushing back the defenders.
~37~
When the Sheruvians had finally gained a tactical advantage in the battle, a strange type of magical construct was deployed - similar but not wholly the same as the constructs found around Old Ta'Faendryl.
They were the guardians of the city, keeping the occupied area quiet by allowing those of the proper alignment to roam free among the streets, while others were forced inside homes, inns, and other such refuges with threats of inexorable death. Nershuul speaks fondly of this time, as a child might remember a favorite candy, for he was free to roam the streets and break in to whatever houses he wished. He speaks of devouring entire families as they slept huddled together in fear of the onyx jackal statues outside. The era of what Nershuul calls 'Nighthaven' had begun, the term apparently having been coined by the local worshipers, who could now wander the streets as if they owned the city themselves.
~38~
Many attempts were made to destroy these constructs, but it proved fruitless.
It was at this time when the formal terms of each opposing side became increasingly widespread - the four priests became known as the Dark Alliance, and those who sided with Ulstram or simply opposed the Dark Alliance were referred to as The Resistance. While initially quite true in every sense of the word due to the occupation of Solhaven, this term stuck with those opposing the four priests throughout the conclusion of the battle.
Kendryth had become a more persistent and driving presence since Ulstram's capture, seeking to bolster the beleaguered and weary forces of the Resistance. He took responsibility for the fall of Solhaven and vowed to take it back. Having been ambushed and nearly captured and killed by Sheruvian forces whilst the city was being occupied, his officers gained a vital piece of information - a high-ranking Sheruvian would be traveling to the city on the 29th of Jastatos.
~39~
Finally making his way to the captured city, Kendryth found he was also nearly powerless against the sentinels of Sheru. The Resistance planned and waited patiently, while Draezir lorded over the streets nightly. Nershuul explains that this, again, was a subterfuge meant to enrage those who would seek out the shard and focus their attention elsewhere.
The evening of the 29th finally came, and with it, an ambush was laid on the wooded path that leads to Solhaven. Initially, the followers of the four priests - Mekthros, Pyrocite, and others mounted an attack, which initially dealt several blows to the Resistance's efforts, but they were dispatched within moments. Hoping that the ambush was not revealed, the Resistance stormed into a carriage and there found a Sheruvian Inquisitor.
~40~
The Inquisitor, Nershuul explained, was to act as a regent, while Draezir left to focus his efforts on the search and to eventually negotiate with the inner barony of Vornavis for the transition of Solhaven back to their rule in exchange for Vornavian forces covertly searching for the shard. This would be accomplished by enacting a second stage to their plan of occupation - the kidnapping and torture of citizens, with supporters of Ulstram specifically targeted. Since the Inquisitor's death occurred that night, this plan was never enacted.
What was found in the wake of the Inquisitor's death, however, was a chest containing the keys to the eventual freeing of Solhaven and Ulstram. Draezir, now enraged at the success of Kendryth's campaign, began to simply raze Solhaven in search of the chest. Fleeing Draezir in order to concentrate their efforts on opening it, they fooled the Sheruvian into heading north into the forest, while they hid in the sea caves to the south of the city.
~41~
There, they opened the chest to find onyx shards and an orb. Within was a small note explaining the purpose of the items.
The onyx shards, ultimately, disabled a strong field of magic permeating the sentinel statues patrolling the streets of Solhaven and allowed for the Resistance to destroy their would-be captors by hacking them to pieces.
The orb, on the other hand, was a link to the realm created specifically for Ulstram. Nershuul describes the sphere's purpose as a way to interrogate the prophet remotely to obtain lists of names for the sentinels to eventually seek out on the streets.
Ultimately, Kendryth was able to open a link to the realm where Ulstram was imprisoned, and the assembled supporters were able to free the prophet from his prison. As they journeyed toward this goal, Draezir's occupying forces were crumbled, and the Freeport of Solhaven was taken back by the Resistance.
~42~
While Draezir and the rest of the four were taken aback by the sudden victory of the Resistance, this did not halt the main effort of their ultimate goal. Rather than attempt to retake the town, which would have simply served as a bargaining chip for more resources to search for the shard, they redoubled their efforts and gained some important information from a very small tribe of shan that had made their home deep in the Cairnfang forests, where they had continually searched.
Bolstered by their efforts to free Solhaven of the grip of the priests, the Resistance planned a strike against Draezir's encampment - with Ulstram's considerable magical power, there was a greater chance the location could be uncovered. Within a few days, the locale of the encampment was found, and Ulstram and Kendryth's forces moved out.
~43~
Several things were happening concurrently when this plan was being carried out - Draezir's forces were arriving on the site that was told to them by the shan tribe, and several of the allies of the four were gathering by the order of Morvule to destroy any survivors of Kendryth's camp. While the Sheruvians expected a backlash, their army's sole goal was to find the shard, and they focused on just such a thing even as Ulstram and Kendryth neared the camp.
Fighting through the Sheruvian forces, Ulstram eventually began to get flashes of their intentions, and coupled with newly found clues within the encampment itself, the group was lead through a maze of forest where the search had previously been conducted. Eventually the two opposing groups met exactly where the new dig site had been.
It was within a cave that eventually Alisaire Frey found the sword piece beneath a charred rock. She was among the many who stood at that spot, and she reacted quickly.
~44~
Initially, many thought Alisaire was simply neutral with possibly a darker bent due to her being a full-blooded Dhe'nar elf. Her past was cloudy to most, but Nershuul informs us she had been aiding the priests since their arrival in Wehnimer's. However, even Morvule was unsure of how her reactions would be - the Dhe'nar elves have an innate thirst for power, and with her in control of the quillions and having already betrayed her blood for the path of Luukos, they were curious as to what she might do.
Nershuul spoke of their meeting - Alisaire had become enamored with the creatures with which she'd almost bonded her very soul. She wished to complete what had been severed so abruptly by Ulstram and his kin. Morvule, both punishing and rewarding her for her ruthless ambition in subtly holding the sword piece hostage, granted her wish. She was bequeathed a talisman, whose very nature was linked to the creatures and told that once a thousand years had passed, the bonding would be complete.
~45~
Alisaire accepted the offer, and the quillions were turned over to Draezir for the additional price of withdrawing his army from Solhaven's borders - a thing which was no longer necessary at this point in their campaign. Nershuul again describes its reforging into a component of darkness - the Black Temple once more expanded of its own accord, and each of the priests was able to more easily keep up their individual functions with less and less of their own power. It simply became more self-sustaining.
It is here we must take pause to present our own findings through various channels other than Nershuul. As mentioned prior, our interest had been piqued ever since the Griffin Sword itself was shattered, and we have compiled information on several significant events, if not slightly lesser in scope to the grand scheme, that occurred that could possibly have influenced the overall situation.
~46~
At this point in time, several prominent Western militias had come to the stage - the Northern Fury, lead by Valicar VonWraithmaster, the House Onoir, lead by Morgiest Frostgiant, the Freeholders, jointly lead by Cappurnicus Calerous and Kaishaku Kenshiyaku. It also planted the seeds for future organizations such as the Haven Emergency Resource Team and catapulted other local organizations such as Cairnfang Manor into prominence due to their help with both the invasion, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. The Silver Gryphons, an old established order, would also lend aid during this time, as well the Free Citizens of River's Rest - their involvement here would deeply root them in the joint defense of Solhaven.
Help from the East would come in the form of the Second Militia - a local band of adventurers of mixed races who took up residence around Ta'Vaalor and attempted to uphold the standards of the Vaalorian military.
~47~
Among the myriad events which happened in Solhaven was the introduction of several who would aid the Four priests consistently - Mekthros Savius, Alisaire Frey, Armaxis Telexana, Setzier vonEvenlore, Querthose Mallick, Aramana Leirath, Naamit DMonica, Grhim Anyukal, Maimara Andriatti, Avidleigh, Maphiston, Sepher, Angelrise, Witcheaven, Aramana, Ysharra, Uniana, Rekarth, Hadya, Thrassus, Licel, Dispater, Dajamar, Achillea, Wulfhen Rayliad, Sayori, Naessi, Marclar, and Valanis would all seek to serve the aims of one of the Four in some fashion. Some were rewarded for their efforts, while others were ostracized for their failures.
It was then that a period of quiet settled over the lands, a brief respite due to no sign of any of the other sword pieces. This would essentially be the calm before both a political and quite physical storm.
~48~
From reports of our contact within the Illistim political circles, the changes began very quietly - among the various factions and causes within Illistim's walls, those with a militant bent began to receive a large amount of funds from unidentified sources, increasing their political clout within the various courts. Rumors also began to circulate among the nobility - one of the most prominent being that Tyrnian, King of House Vaalor, had openly disparaged the Illistim's military might during a formal ceremony. While we know for a fact this is untrue, the sewing circles of the Illistim nobility were set ablaze with these scandalous whispers. While a majority of the mostly scholarly elves didn't pay attention, the scant few who did held enormous power within the courts, and their actions soon paved the way for what was to come.
Nershuul reveals that he himself helped greatly during this time - he was given a list of minor political nobles and told to overtake them while they slept.
~49~
This concludes the first compendium on the war for the Griffin Sword.
~50~