I remember when Ilfore was an honorable kingdom. Long before the battle on Mount Sha’ire, the King of Ilfore, King Shaw was already feeling disregarded by the Kings of the North. He knew that King Wellick and King Unden’s days were numbered, but his own days were far from over. A new generation was coming, and he would be a victim of circumstances beyond his control. The war between Lord Kazai and King Ingvar seemingly caused King Shaw to forget the peace this kingdom has been known for, pushing for a place in this war we didn’t have the strength for.

This Kingdom WAS peaceful.

Ilfore wasn’t just striving to be a great kingdom, it was a great kingdom. It was the perfect example of everything Obsidian and Onyx are trying to become. It wasn’t as large as either of those territories, but that allowed it to become the prestigious place it was. I, like many others, wanted to be a part of a purpose greater than my own. I joined up so I could help those in need, and I knew that Ilfore was responsible for helping many towns around it.

When I first became a knight, the Kingdom of Ilfore worshipped a goddess who has since gone missing. This kingdom was prosperous with her guidance, but almost out of nowhere King Shaw felt as if her assistance wasn’t needed and turned his back on her. This wasn’t the first instance of King Shaw acting erratically. He became obsessed with negative ideas. This brewing of the mind that there were problems breaking out all over his kingdom. His desire to solve these problems was the root of each individual issue.

He thought his people would prefer Obsidian and Onyx over Ilfore if they continued to prosper. He felt the goddess would expect more than piety in return. When he would address us there was this uneasy feeling that he didn’t trust us yet he spoke to us like we were the greatest army in the world… And many of us bought into his lie. Now I feel nothing but shame.

Ellmoore was a peaceful town, so they stood no chance against our well-trained army. We crushed them, then enslaved them. Enslaving an entire city isn’t exactly what I signed up for. The worst part of that whole situation is that once we left Ellmoore we never went back. He left it abandoned and ruined, but I could never wash away the blood on my hands.

Some of us couldn’t figure out why he would abandon an entire village we could use as a stronghold if King Ingvar and Lord Kazai decided to travel further South. From a rulership standpoint it seemed like a lapse in judgment. An act that would serve only to scar his own knights and tarnish his own name. How could the people who survived the assault on Ellmoore ever forgive us? I wonder every night if any of the citizens there escaped and didn’t get enslaved and shipped to Sabbia. I wonder if one night they’ll pay one of us a visit and enact revenge…

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Then there is the idea of burning bridges… In this case quite literally. I’m still not sure how we managed to subdue the woman they call Natalai, but if you’ve never heard of her, she’s basically imbued with the power of the sun. If anyone is going to survive what’s in store for the people of Ellmoore in Sabbia, it’s her. And if she finds her way back to our continent, she will surely stop at nothing to leave Ilfore in ashes.

I’m not sure I want to still be in Ilfore if that day ever comes. To be honest I think a lot of the knights are losing faith in King Shaw. Now that we no longer have the support of our goddess, I think the citizens of Ilfore are also losing faith. If King Shaw doesn’t gain back the trust of his knights or his people soon, then it will be too easy for the winner of the battle in the North to take over. If he wants to be ready for them then we need to get stronger. Not to circle back, but taking over Ellmoore and actually using it would have been a good start.

Now I sound as ruthless as the King, but if we’re talking about strategy then taking over the entire South while King Ingvar and Lord Kazai duke it out would be the smarter approach. Unfortunately for King Shaw, that would include the Deadlands and without the help of our goddess there is no way we’re making it past the bog, let alone deep enough to take control of it. The Witch Goddess Aradia rules there and we would be no match for her. I don’t care how well-trained our army is.

Then again, I wonder if King Shaw has already made a deal with Aradia. The sudden shift in personality from insightful ruler to monstrous tyrant would at least make sense if that were the case. Though the rest of the gods seem to have vanished, so maybe the Deadlands are empty, and we can waltz right in and take it.

Despite my fear, that’s for King Shaw to decide, I suppose… And for me to wait for him to make that decision. If I don’t find a way out of this mess, I may take up arms like I did against Ellmoore only this time it would be against Aradia and much like everyone else that goes into the bog I might not make it back home. Home… It’s funny to even think of Ilfore as my home anymore. The King, the people and everything around me has changed so much recently. If King Shaw sends us into the Deadlands to fight Aradia and I do make it out alive, I am just as afraid of what I will find when I get back...