Templar Bellic, a man driven by a burning desire for vengeance, had arrived at Valicar's village years ago. His village had been razed to the ground by mages in a similar fashion, and he had relentlessly pursued them ever since, fueled by a fervent hatred for their witchcraft and necromancy.
After numerous relentless pursuits of Valicar and the vault, Bellic had finally located the vault guarded by an unexpected guardian—a talking animal. It was the old Valicar's pet bird, as vile as ever. Over a year had passed since that discovery, and the battle against the enigmatic bird guarding the vault had proven grueling and tedious. Yet, once the creature had been defeated, the entire mountain came crashing down upon him. He survived only through a divine intervention granted by the gods, with borrowed divine abilities aiding his escape from the mountain's collapse.
Upon returning to the pillars of the church, he had been reassigned to other tasks. Excavation teams had subsequently descended upon the site, laboriously removing rubble, all while discovering that the vault remained securely sealed. Only one person could likely unlock its secrets, but doing so would likely destroy its precious contents.
The northern pillar, deeming Bellic's mission a success, had granted him a divine blessing, further enhancing his already formidable power. They assigned him a new mission on the eastern continent, where the last human kingdom, Aldria, had yet to bask in the divine light of the gods. His task, alongside his master, the Pillar of the East, was to spread the faith in this wayward human kingdom and bring them into the church's fold for the impending war against the alliance.
Meanwhile, Valicar had been tirelessly forging alliances in the west and south. Her actions had grown to be so troublesome that something drastic needed to be done. In response, the pillars of the south and west had been dispatched to crush the Helmhold School. They laid waste to the city of HelmTown, but Valicar, along with the keys, managed to escape using the power of archmage teleportation, disappearing beyond their reach.
Within the castle, Bellic had successfully infiltrated and struck a deal with the next heir in line. If the church would eliminate his father, he would rise to power and pledge his unwavering loyalty to the emperor and the church. However, the true surprise awaited him when he encountered the former heir to the human kingdom, a half-elf bastard named Altheack. She arrived by flight one day in the courtyard, late at night, seemingly searching for her father, who had been taken prisoner. It was a name he had not expected, for the last he had heard, she had been in the company of Valicar.
"The gods provide," Bellic snarled, a cruel grin forming on his lips as he felt the power of his new mark. A golden tattoo adorned his flesh, marking him as one of the chosen, destined to ascend with the pillar of the north once the Veil was destroyed, reuniting them with their gods. Merik, the guardian of humanity, would welcome his devotion with open arms, and Valicar would not be allowed to obstruct his path to power.
With a surge of authority, Bellic cast a spell, illuminating Altheack with a golden ray, holding her in animated suspension. "Now, what do we have here?" he mocked as Altheack reverted to her human form, her internal magic seemingly dissipating under the man's potent spell.
Altheack had stared at Bellic with a mix of confusion and fear, her thoughts raced as she wondered why a templar like him was present in the royal palace. The situation was dire, her only hope she knew was miles away. She was taken away by the templar, and palace guards turned a blind eye to the man.
To Bellic's surprise, the girl proved to be tougher than he had anticipated. He resorted to employing several hours of what he called "advanced interrogation techniques," a cruel and painful process that brought no peace, only agony. He took twisted joy in demonstrating what he believed to be the gods' wrath. While the priesthood spread the message of the gods' peace, Bellic's role was different; he was the instrument of their divine vengeance on Earth.
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Amidst the druid's screams, Altheack was forced to divulge information about Valicar's adventures on the eastern continent, their plans, and even the names of two allies, "Sophia" and "Mike." The templar was relentless, determined to extract every ounce of knowledge from her. In his eyes, the witch Valicar was no different from the mad mages who had burned his village to the ground. He believed that power had corrupted her mind, turning her into a savage and breaking her mind in two.
In retaliation, Bellic had continued his ruthless campaign for years, purging the mage blood from the empire's people one divine smite at a time, mirroring the agony he had inflicted upon Altheack's burnt flesh. His resolve to set a trap for Valicar remained unshaken, fueled by the conviction that she would come seeking her friend, and he intended to exploit this deep connection to further his plans. Meanwhile, he recognized the invaluable knowledge the druid possessed and was determined to extract every morsel of information, sparing no effort to gain the upper hand in the brewing conflict with that witch.
Later he met with his master, The chamber echoed with the weight of their conversation, the imposing figure of the Pillar of the East dominating the space, his stern face illuminated dimly by the flickering torchlight that cast ominous shadows on the walls. Every word bore the gravity of life and death, of the fates of kingdoms hanging precariously in the balance.
Bellic paced, his armored form a dark presence in the chamber as his lion crest flickered in the light, the golden tattoo glimmering softly with a light of its own as he articulated his fervent desire to rid the world of what he saw as a menace. “My lord, we hold her friends, her family... she will come for them, driven by sentiment, a weakness we do not share. The trap is infallible,” Bellic argued, his voice brimming with a dangerous, controlled intensity, the fire of hatred and vengeance burning fiercely in his eyes.
The Pillar of the East remained unyielded, his face a carved stone of hard wisdom and experience, perhaps tarnished by a web of darker motives. He regarded Bellic with a scrutinizing gaze, his eyes piercing like a hawk surveying a potential threat. The ambiance in the room tightened as the Pillar spoke, his voice echoing with a reverberant depth that commanded unwavering obedience, “The girl is more than she seems, a mere pawn perhaps, but one connected to many power figures, a fulcrum upon which many of our enemies join.”
He paused, seemingly gazing into the intricacies of the grand game that was the world, the shifting alliances, and the rippling effects of each move made in this high-stakes game of power and survival. “We must be masters of manipulation, not executioners, Bellic. The Bag of Dalioum holds secrets we are yet to fathom that will prevent us from retrieving the dwarven keys. We must find a way to make her open it, willingly, or by coercion but we must not trigger its safeguards and deprive us of what we seek,” he continued, his voice bearing a calculated coldness, a chilling pragmatism that viewed people as tools, as means to an end.
“But sire,” Bellic interjected, almost impatiently, the fervor of his convictions overtaking his reverence for the Pillar momentarily. “Surely there is a limit to the treacheries we must endure, the compromises we must make! She is a threat to everything we stand for, a blight upon this world fueled by chaotic forces that must be eradicated!”
A silence ensued, the Pillar regarding Bellic with almost predatory scrutiny before finally breaking it, a tinge of disdain creeping into his baritone as he admonished, “Patience, Templar Bellic. It is not time that is our enemy, but haste, and recklessness. It is easy to destroy, but far more challenging to control, to manipulate.” He leaned forward, the torchlight dancing ominously on his stern features as he delivered his final directive, a tone of finality resonating in his voice, “Secure the girl. Secure the bag. Play upon her fears, and her loves, and exploit them until she willingly hands us the keys to unfathomable power. Then, and only then, shall we decide her fate, whether it be mercy or the abyss.”
Bellic gritted his teeth, the fire of his hatred tempered momentarily by the commanding presence of the Pillar, the embodiment of the divine mandate he served. With a clenched fist over his heart, he bowed deeply, yielding to the intricate, perhaps morally ambiguous plan laid out by his master, his voice carrying a reluctant deference as he spoke, “As you command, my lord. The will of the gods be done.”
As Bellic exited the chamber, the heavy doors reverberated with a resounding thud, echoing ominously. The Pillar of the East remained, his gaze locked on the sprawling map before him—a labyrinthine depiction of power dynamics and potential futures. His mind wove intricate plots and contingencies, for the impending invasion of the east would soon be underway, and he was poised to fulfill the ominous promise of his name, conquering the entire eastern realm, encompassing elves, dwarves, orcs, and all.