To the Rectors of the Lumen Academy for the Arts,
I hope this letter finally finds you, especially since apparently my last three inquiries were either lost at sea or promptly ignored by the Prefects. Regardless, this will be my final letter. I’m writing to request my degree and formal pin, all required for a professional bard like myself. I know I have earned these items because I’ve both graduated and found myself in the employ of a hero. Now, I know there is a certain…stigma around my chosen hero. However, according to past deeds of bards, some of whom have become the Academy’s figureheads, many stories have been sung about men who have done questionable acts. For example, Rector Martin had sung about the deeds of the Barbarian chieftain who had come from Atrox. Granted, the Barbarian was indeed not associated with the ones who raided Valenfrost and Azurvale during the Outsiders Wars but still! The point I want to make is that my chosen hero, James Holter, is the victim of a misunderstanding.
Let me explain from the beginning.
Long ago, James Holter was a simple working man from another world called Earth. He lived a fairly normal life, one that soon fell apart. Apparently, the monotony of life and the constant nightmares and visions of the future was too much for him to bear and he snapped. After a violent departure from his old flame and her illicit lover, James would try to find a new start in life. After a car crash (I’m not sure what that is) James found himself wandering to a lake that held history for him. The same lake that would consume him and somehow transport him into Azura, our world. His summoning was the work of Yorktown’s shaman, Dahlia, who had wanted to summon a demon Hero to defend her town from roving bandits. Of course, she didn’t expect for her ritual to summon someone like James, who had been taken from his homeworld. From the muddy details I’ve gathered, they quickly became allies and nothing weird ever happened between them.
Not long after his arrival, James had found himself amid a conflict that was not his own. The Marauders of the North were threatening Yorktown, looking for Yorn’s last son, Seams Halvorson. Despite common sense, James challenged and fought against their leader, Deimos himself. To no one’s surprise, he was unceremoniously killed by the Red Death, his body left for dead in the town’s courtyard. After his supposed ‘death’, James would be revived by Dahlia. Using both ritualistic and summoning magic, Dahlia forcibly brought back James to life. However, this did not come without consequence as the ritual implanted a spirit by the name of Faust inside of him.
Allied with Seamus and Dahlia, James would trek to the other side of the island to find help against the marauders that had placed the entire island under siege. They would soon recruit the likes of Harald Stroud, a former Champion of Azlene herself! Not even a day into our world and James has found himself in the company of legends! How is that not song-worthy?
Anyway, I digress. James and his new allies obviously didn't know about Harald’s origins, so their reaction to him wasn’t all grand. After preparing a plan of attack with them, Harald would lead the group back to Yorktown, where they’d set up their ambush on the marauder forces. There, they would recruit Felix Arlo, a guardsman determined to defend his town, and Haggard, a drifter who had found himself in Yorktown at that time. He was probably too drunk to remember, honestly. Anyway, these men, along with a couple of others, would assist James in executing his plan to defend the town from incursion. However, the plan did not go so smoothly. While James and his companions were planning and preparing, something made its presence known. Reports describe it as an abomination to nature, covered in crystals and frostbitten skin. It ate an innocent fisherman named Erik Catcher and subsequently consumed his family. This thing would go on to find its way to Yorktown, where apparently it managed to mentally attack James and ruin any hope of a flawless ambush.
The fight for Yorktown was short and brutal. Almost all the marauders were killed, one taken prisoner actually. Casualties on the town’s side were fortunately low but tragic. It was said that Seamus Halvorson actually took on an entire group of marauders on his lonesome, all to valiantly defend a shopkeeper who had failed to evacuate on time. James eventually managed to kill off the abominable creature that had found itself in Yorktown. He and Dahlia would finish the fight by killing the marauder’s temporary leader, a man by the name of Havor. After this, James would find himself face to face with Deimos once again, the Red Death seemingly impressed by the Outlander’s work. In a move that some bards deem song worthy , Deimos spared James out of respect and even left him a ship by the name of Frostbite.
Not long after these events, Yorktown would soon become the target of another ploy. Lumen Knights Gryff Brenwick and Hugo Ardel would arrive at the small island, threatening the populace and sending James out on an illegal quest that tramples on the terms set by Yorn Halvorson and Commander Hammond back during the Outsider Wars! Sorry, I’m getting off-track. James was sent out to three islands to collect samples of the creature that had attacked Yorktown during its siege. Accompanying James were the drunk Haggard, Seamus, Dahlia, and strangely enough a marauder they had taken prisoner. Helen Dunn was spared from her fate by chance, perhaps because Haggard pitied her. Or maybe he just wanted a sparring partner.
During this journey, James would hire the likes of mercenaries. The ones who would work for cheap of course. Among them were Archibald Yevin, a strange elf that I can’t place where from, Bjorn Farkas, a dwarf who loves the thrill of fighting, Edmund Baker, a stranded Azurvalian far from home, and Miles, a Follower of Chaos. They would fight more crystallized abominations, burning their corpses, and taking their samples. That was the case for the first two islands. However, upon reaching their final destination, they found something else entirely. An island hidden by illusion magic, once owned by Yorn Halvorson himself. Shortly after discovering the island, which held the town of Aldren, James and his group found that it was currently under the control of orcs. These orcs were led by a terrifying chieftain known as Blood-Irk, his brutality and savagery knowing no bounds. After an ambush gone wrong, James and his group split into two and both sides went on separate journeys.
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Seamus, upon finding out the island’s purpose, ventured out to explore its secrets. On the other hand, James undertook the task of freeing the orc’s prisoners. Both would succeed, as James managed to free the human and orc prisoners while Seamus would uncover a great secret that will be best kept under wraps. At the end of the day, the island was mysteriously set aflame, razing the trees and town to ash. Thankfully for our heroes, they barely escaped with their lives. However, not without recruiting a band of orcs to their just cause. Not long after this short adventure, the group would disband and James was set to return to Yorktown. Unfortunately for him, the Lumen Knights would betray and attempt to kill him. All the while sending their men to burn Yorktown and slaughter its residents.
In an act of self-defense, James fought back against the Lumen Knights, his victory ending with the demise of Gryff Brenwick and his ally Hugo Ardel. Shortly after this battle for Yorktown, James Holter would go on to form the White Raven Clan, claiming the title of Jarl. Of course, the battle had not come without consequence. The same fight that granted James his cyromancy was also the one that would seal his fate. James Holter would be living on borrowed time in the months following those events. Time before his bond with the spirit Faust ran out.
Jarl Holter would go on to try and set his clan up so they could survive without him, a noble feat. Of course, during his business endeavors, he came across me. Using my charm and irresistible looks, I convinced him to recruit me as his personal bard. Of course, he also hired a necromancer I guess. Not really important.
During those endeavors of his, Dahlia and her allies managed to root out Falrick out of hiding. Yes, that Falrick. Famed Wizard of the Halvorson clan. Found disguised as a peasant in the middle of Yorktown of all places. I theorize he was on secret business, possibly seeking out James Holter. James would eventually return to Yorktown, recruiting Wizard Falrick before setting out on another quest. The recruiting of a roving band of Monster Hunters. Of course, they’re not the Monster Hunters from Areno, or the infamous clan from Atrox. These Monster Hunters are made of orcs, all led by their fearless leader Horuk. While I won’t spoil too much, I will say I did witness the exchange between James and Horuk, their duel written down in my chronicle.
James would soon visit and talk with the Followers of Iendis, strange people who worship the Demigoddess of Fate. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but James had the amazing opportunity to talk with Iendis and even visit the Tree of Fate. A chance that hundreds of bards would kill for. Unfortunately for me thoguh, I never got the chance of chronicling what Holter had seen. You win some and you lose some. Anyway, there was some peace after those events. James would continue to invest in his business dealings, selling illegally naturally produced brew to the Vindis populace. Of course, I played a part in helping his finances by setting up my own plays in Yorktown itself!
This respite of peace unfortunately did not last long, however. On the night of the Midsommar Festival, the Marauders of the North invaded Vindis. Not just that, but the Lumen Kingdom had also sent their own soldiers to counteract and take over the floating city. It was a battle of attrition that went unnoticed in the south until it was too late. You see, the ley line totems in Vindis were subsequently snuffed out, disabling its alarm and muddling all communications to any nearby clans. The only clan who even knew about the invasion was none other than the White Raven. In an act of bravery, James gathered his forces and raided Vindis to restore the alarm totems and reinforce the city.
This is where I’m sure you’ve heard differently. I know of the rumors echoing in the north, about how James had slaughtered Lumen troops and how his allies even killed a Herald of Azlene herself. People say he killed Delphine’s Apostle, Arthur Clarke, who was also an Outlander summoned from Earth. The truth is, he did do those things, but not for the malicious reasons you might think. James actually tried to make peace with the Lumen side of the battle. He attempted to talk things out with Arthur before it all went to hel. While unfortunate, it cannot be understated how vital James’ involvement was in that fight. If it weren’t for him, thousands of innocent lives would’ve been lost and sent to the bottom of the Black Sea.
Hel, he even united a good portion of the southern clans. While it was black magic and forced upon them, you can’t exactly debate the results, right? What I’m trying to say is that you’ve rejected the bard’s own code. The people make the hero, not the aristocrats or the nobles. Every side has a story to tell and there are no wrong answers.
I write this to you now while I rest upon the same mountain that summoned James, watching Yorktown’s growth happen in real time. I see how the townsfolk salute their Jarl, their chest puffed up proudly as they happily greet him. I see the new building being constructed for those who wish to live here. I see ships docked at Yorktown’s harbor, their flags flying the colors of Arenian traders and Raven clan insignias. James Holter, while not even he sees it, is a hero to the people here. Isn’t that what a bard is supposed to do? To find a hero to write songs and stories about. To chronicle their adventures and justify their means. Well, I'll let you chew on that.
Bard of the White Raven Clan,
Elaine Lune.
P.S. I hope you send a response this time. I know you have the resources to do it. I mean, I still get letters from my debtors, asking for student loan payments. This is why I’m attaching the last of my dues to this letter. Maybe the coin will be enough for you lot to actually READ my letters!
image [https://i.imgur.com/5WGft24.png]