Lanek stared at the crown for only a moment before he reached out to the spirit or being that resided in it, hoping that his stats had reached the point where they could communicate. The crown had been one of his main reasons for leaving the camp, aside from needing a bit of time alone. Although he was fairly confident that his bond with Eldros and his dranrid traits would protect him if the thing in the crown was malevolent, he decided to proceed with an abundance of caution.
The last thing he wanted was for the thing to take over and attack the camp, those people had been through enough. Out here he was no threat to anyone and Maximilian was prepared to put him down if he lost control, although the demigryph hadn’t liked it when Lanek had asked him to agree to it. However, the demigryph had understood in the end.
It only took a moment for the middle-aged man in plate armor to appear before him. It may have been Lanek’s imagination, but the figure seemed to be much more solid than it had been before. He was able to make out more details, such as the closely trimmed beard and haircut that looked like something out of the military back home. The man’s hair was mostly gray with streaks of black. The spirit’s eyes were a pale blue.
“Please tell me you can hear me now, Lanek.” The man asked quietly, frustration and impatience coloring his voice.
“I can. Before we get to what you want, how about you tell me why this damn thing locked me in place when I picked it up? I’m tempted to toss it in the ocean just to be safe.”
The spirit looked pained as he responded. “I apologize for that, it has nothing to do with me but with how the crown was created. It was designed that way to make sure that the crown always had a bearer as long as a suitable host was nearby.”
“That would rely on someone actually picking the crown up first. Seems like a bit of flaw in the system.” Lanek said.
“When the bearer of the crown dies, the crown selects someone nearby and calls out to them. If the only people nearby are enemies of Laethon, the crown will go dormant.”
“So, the gaunts weren’t suitable hosts. Why is it so important that the crown have a host?” Lanek asked.
The spirit’s eyes seemed to flare at the mention of the gaunts, a palpable sense of rage emanating from him. “The crown holds the martial knowledge of its past hosts and uses it to aid its current host.”
“I’m going to need a bit more detail than that.” Lanek prompted as the spirit trailed off.
The spirit sighed. “My apologies, I am not trying to be difficult. I find it troubling to explain what was Laethon’s most closely guarded secret and the key to their success to an outsider. I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore, with Laethon destroyed and her people slaughtered.”
“Look, I get it. You don’t know me, but I need to know more if I am expected to trust you and the crown.” Lanek said.
With a nod, the spirit continued. “I understand. If the bearer of the crown is someone following the path of a fighter, it will guide their training and make them a far better fighter. Basically, imagine what would happen if an aspiring warrior were to suddenly have the sole attention of multiple masters.”
“Their progress would be staggering. Not to mention the sheer variety of techniques they would have at their disposal.”
“Exactly.” The spirit said. “On the other hand, if the bearer of the crown is not a warrior, which didn’t happen often in the royal line of Laethon, the crown would find others ways to help them. The first was to take over the host’s body and use the accumulated knowledge of the past hosts to keep the current bearer alive.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The spirit continued as he saw Lanek’s frown. “This only ever happened with consent and the host could always break free whenever they saw fit. The main issue of this approach is that it is limited by the awareness and physical fitness of the host. Even though all prospective hosts were put through physical training, injuries were common when the crown took control.”
“What if the host was a magic user? Or did that disqualify a host?” Lanek asked curiously.
“Not at all, the royal line of Caelis had a strong talent for magic. In fact, it was Caelis’ first queen who created the crown in the first place. If a host was a magic user, the crown would allow me to come to their aid and protect them. This was only an option for a mage due to the high mana cost for my manifestation.”
Lanek stared at the spirit, thinking on his words for several long moments. What do you think?
The spirit speaks the truth. I see no harm in claiming the crown and you’ll need it if your situation is as dire as you fear.
Thanks, boss. That’s all I needed, I’m sorry to interrupt your work with Idril.
You are welcome, I applaud your caution. Besides, where would I find a new Chosen if something happened to you? Eldros said cheerily.
Shaking his head, Lanek broke the connection while chuckling at Eldros’ levity. The primordial had been much more jovial with the reclamation of the most recent place of power. Frankly, it was good to see as it made Lanek feel like he was making real progress.
“Alright, I’m convinced that you aren’t a threat to me or my people. So, tell me who you are and what you want. You seemed extremely agitated when I first picked the crown up.” Lanek said.
“Of course. I am Isaac, the first king of Laethon. My wife and I were members of the adventuring party that discovered the Ashen Depths. The rewards and fame we received for that discovery allowed us to found Laethon.”
“Wait, the reward was large enough to start your own city? That seems a bit excessive.” Lanek said in disbelief.
“It’s due to how rare dungeons are and how much they can contribute to the prosperity of whoever owns them. I’m sure you are aware of the fact that wars have been fought for control of the various dungeons, right?”
Lanek nodded. “That’s what I’ve been told, yes. Who paid for the discovery of a dungeon?”
“When a dungeon is discovered it was law that it be reported to the Adventurer’s Guild first. There were harsh punishments if the information was leaked to someone else first.” Isaac looked at Lanek quietly for a moment before continuing. “Have you not been to the Guild? You are made aware of this law when joining the Guild and must swear a binding oath.”
Oh shit.
“How much can you see of the outside world?” Lanek asked.
“Without a host, I am unaware of the outside world. Like the crown, I have been dormant since the fall of Laethon.”
“What do you remember from before you went dormant?”
“I remember the gathering of our soldiers and the orders to seal the city after we had received word that Caelis had been overrun. I remember the battle with the gaunts, right until the last man, the last king was killed. After that, there is nothing until you picked up the crown.” As Isaac spoke, he became more somber and concerned. “What is it, Lanek?”
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Caelis and Laethon were not the only casualties. As far as I can tell, the entire world was attacked. I’ve traveled beyond Laethon to the coast and found nothing but ruins of villages and the abandoned town of Ashport. There were no signs of civilization to the west of Caelis. We are currently several months of travel to the north of Laethon and have seen no signs of habitation either.”
The spirit’s eyes widened in shock. “How is that possible? Caelis and Laethon were strong, but there were kingdoms and empires that were far more powerful, surely they held out?”
“I honestly don’t know. We are heading to Norvegr, a village in the north near the ruins of Geirsa and the Tempest Labyrinth. According to Liv, a friend from that village, no kingdoms or cities survived in the north. Things may be different on one of the other continents, but this one has been pretty thoroughly devastated. From what I’ve discovered, the world has been the target of conquest by the gaunts’ masters.”
“And so what are you trying to accomplish in such a world?” Isaac asked.
“For now? Just survive and make a new home for people in Caelis. Beyond that, do my duty to Eldros and Wurgoth and help him reclaim his power and hopefully fight off the invasion. I’m guessing that’s why I received the Chosen title after all.” Lanek said with a sheepish laugh.
“A Chosen? Of the Primordial of the Wild and the greenskins’ god? That is an odd combination, Lanek.” Isaac said, disbelief evident in his voice.
“Well, there aren’t a whole lot of gods left. Most of the primordials are dead or weakened to the point where they have very little influence and the greater gods are apparently all gone. Before you ask, I have no idea what happened to the gods. As for the primordials, I think their places of power have been defiled or destroyed deliberately. The only reason I came into contact with Wurgoth is that goblins and hobgoblins were the first living beings I met that didn’t try to kill me on sight.”
“I see. This makes my request all the more pertinent. You asked me earlier what I wanted. What I want is to get vengeance for Laethon and my slaughtered descendants. It appears that more than Laethon cries out for vengeance, so I ask that you let me aid you on that front. Please.” Isaac said as he knelt before Lanek.