Xavier and Elle ran as fast as they could for as long as they could. Every time Xavier’s stamina bar started to bottom out his body felt like his limbs were made of lead, forcing him to slow to a walk until it recovered. Ella kept pace with him as he ran, and they would trade carrying the cub back and forth between rests. Despite their pace, it took them through the day and into the next night before they could see the remains of Bramblegate.
The closer they drew to the smoke the stronger its scent became, after a while however, that was compounded with other smells, blood, viscera, and death hung heavy in the air as well. The area glowed with harsh red and yellow light lending to its embodiment of what Xavier could only call a hellscape. The walls around the village were breached in several locations, the wood and stone collapsed into heaps of rubble giving easy passage into the interior. The fires had mostly diminished leaving small flames, glowing embers, and twisted wreckage where once sturdy homes and businesses once stood. Even the docks to the river were in disarray and mostly collapsed into the water flowing past the village. Devastation had come to Bramblegate and left it a shell of what it had been.
A light rain started to fall as the duo crept through the forest edge seeking a vantage point to inspect the village and soon found a small rise closer to the river and well away from the path that had led them to the village initially. What they saw was heart-wrenching. Bodies lay where they had been struck down indiscriminately, man, woman, and even child. There were bodies clad in chain and leather armor lying in the detritus of the battle as well, but they were much less common. The army that had struck had clearly been the superior and surprise force.
The destroyed village was not vacant however, as Xavier and Ella soon discovered, there were elements of the force that had attacked the village still loitering about. Great caged wagons held motley collections of various peoples all bound hand and foot before tightly packed into the locked confines. All looked downtrodden and disheveled many with fresh wounds, only the worst of which had been bound with soiled cloth as bandages. As they watched they heard other sounds, crying and screaming coming from various parts of the village, distinctly female voices for the most part. Xavier’s blood ran cold upon hearing those noises and he looked to Ella to see the horror and determination on her face matched his own.
Setting the cub down in the protective undergrowth Xavier drew the strange dagger. Crouching and moving as carefully as possible he and Ella crept toward the closest gap in the devastated wall and snuck into the village. The streets were a more horrifying conglomeration of charred wood, bodies, blood, and gore than outside of the walls. The two stepped gingerly around to avoid stepping in viscera or tripping over the other filth on the ground.
Xavier, driven by the crying, moved towards the closest sound. It took several minutes to navigate the debris clogging the streets before he was able to peer around a corner of an intact stone building. What he saw confirmed his fears, a sobbing young woman was held facedown over a stack of semi-broken barrels. Behind her, his trousers around his ankles stood one of the invaders. The rhythmic thrusting of his hips left no doubt about his actions. The woman's sobs were only broken by occasional louder cries of pain.
Ella drew her bow upwards starting to pull the string to her cheek when Xavier placed a hand on her arm, halting her action. She glared at him and gestured to the tableau before them angrily. Neither one spoke for fear of rousing the attention of the otherwise distracted invader, but Xavier shook his head and held up the dagger before pointing. Ella narrowed her eyes at him then finally relented and nodded her head slightly.
Leaving her behind in the relative cover of the building, Xavier moved slowly as he tried to be as careful and quiet as possible. He guiltily took comfort that the woman’s suffering only served to keep the man distracted to his coming just dues. It was that distraction, the invader blithely believing that the village had been secured and they were just left to sweep the remaining villagers up, and in his case enjoy the spoils, that left him unaware until it was too late to react.
The point of Xavier’s dagger buried into the side of the man’s throat, Xavier’s other hand rising to pull the invader's head backward exposing the soft flesh more. Sawing the blade roughly Xavier tore the man's throat out and a sanguine fountain erupted over the sobbing form held to the barrels. The man gurgled out, his eyes rolling back into his head as he slumped to the ground freeing the woman from all his control. As he did so Xavier moved around to kick sharply between his legs crushing the offending member that now hung limp there.
Ding!
You have killed a level 6 warrior. +180 Exp.
The sudden change of her situation caused the young woman, a human girl of maybe seventeen, to search for what was happening. Looking over her shoulder as she slowly rose, she saw the anger etched in Xavier’s face and started to scream again before he raised a finger to his lips in the universal gesture of silence. He pointed to the dead invader’s dropped sword and motioned for the girl to grab it. Once she had, and adjusted her dress to cover herself once again, he led her back to where Ella was still hiding. The girl sobbed and clutched to the woman in new hope as Xavier moved off once again following the noises of suffering.
They moved further into the village following similar sounds to find a halfling youth being similarly abused by one invader while a second invader laughed while he kicked an oddly shaped ball around the alleyway. Ella’s arrow sprouting from the soccer-playing solder drew the sudden attention from the first just before Xavier’s blade sunk into his armpit driving deeply into the flesh and through his heart. The halfling ran to where the second invader lay dying and scooped the ball up. As Xavier moved closer, he noticed it wasn’t a ball at all but the severed head of a female halfling. It was then he saw her body lying crumpled and blood-soaked against the alley wall. Tears streaming down his face the halfling lad gently set the head in the woman’s lap before pulling the short sword out of the scabbard of the invader who had been abusing her. His face a rictus of anger he began to flail wildly at the man's body hacking it roughly to pieces in his outrage.
Ding!
You have killed a level 5 warrior. +150 Exp.
Ding!
You have killed a level 6 warriorr. +180 Exp.
After the young halfling had vented his rage upon the corpse he turned his tear and blood-soaked face towards his rescuers as if challenging them to say something. Xavier met his gaze for a few moments then gestured for him to follow.
The abuse of the first two played out several more times as they continued their grim march through the remains of the village. The most disturbing one was when they came upon the female Gan Ceann victim. It surprised Xavier at first having fought the one in the cave several days ago, he hadn’t realized it was not a monster race but a people. She had been caught by a pair of invaders. One had his foot on the back of her headless shoulders pinning her body to the ground for the other’s ease. Both were laughing and joking while they had their sport and were too distracted to notice Xavier and a human lad moving into position behind them. Her head had been sitting on the ground between the invader's legs and she had seen Xavier moving closer which led to her gasping and almost calling out before he gestured her silence. She now carried her head in one hand as her other held the invader’s mace.
It was not long before Xavier and Ella had eight in total following them. The original young human woman was named Cynthia. The halfling lad had said his name was Loram. The Gan Ceann woman had introduced herself as Tethra. There were four more women, a human named Hedra; a halfling known as Marnie; a dwarven lass who answered to Rilsa; and a humanoid wolf, one of the Animari, by the name of Darra. The lone additional male was a young human by the name of Ferran.
The motley crew was grim, their clothes and weapons coated in the blood of their abusers and vengeance hung in the air around them with a physical presence. Xavier had gotten the experience prompt for an additional fifteen dead invaders ranging in levels from five through a singular level nine, who had required Xavier and two others to take down. Partway through he was awarded with an unexpected but satisfying event.
A crescendo of chimes rang through his ears.
Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 4! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE!
He dismissed the information for now, he could deal with the new points later when he was safe and had finished the grim work the village had provided him.
The noise of the remaining fires blended with the screams of the dying and tortured, that and just general overconfidence of the remaining invaders left Xavier and his small group to skulk almost wraithlike through the village, as far as unskilled, untested individuals could sneak with such a trait that environment that is. They made plenty of noise and stumbled more than once but the conditions led to their being unnoticed by the last remaining invaders. Six larger warriors clad in the same chain and leather as the other invaders milled about with another man in scale armor. They were clustered around the pair of cage wagons filled with the last survivors of the attack. Xavier’s scowl grew, and he did not like the odds, even though his group was slightly larger the numbers were too skewed in the favor of the attackers. Catching the shoulder of the young and still rage-filled halfling he pulled his small group back several streets away.
“We need a plan, I don’t think we can take the whole of them by surprise the way we have been, there are too many of them,” Xavier stated plainly. “I have no intention of saving you all just to deliver you back to them or death.”
The anger ebbed slightly from the collection of faces staring at him as he spoke, ebbed but didn’t vanish completely. They still had a need to exact revenge for not only what had happened to them but for the sake of their destroyed village, lost loved ones, and disrupted way of life.
Xavier moved quietly back through the streets to observe the wagons and their guards once more. It was evident that they were not leaving in the immediate future which gave him time to think and possibly prepare. As he returned to where he had left the others, he noticed the fallen body of one of the invaders. The corpse still was clad in armor. He wondered if that was why the others had not left yet. In games, armor was at least somewhat valuable, and he couldn’t imagine the invaders leaving such behind. He smiled wickedly as a plan slowly started to take form.
The night wore on and as it did the weather took a turn for the worse, clouds opening in a deluge of rain that all but snuffed out the remaining fires and quenched their dying embers. Galdrik, the nominal commander of the remaining invaders swore under his breath. He was still missing some of his men and they should have been back an hour ago. He spit to the side as he realized why they were probably taking so long. He didn’t begrudge the men their fun, it had been a brutal if lopsided fight to subjugate the village. But it wasn’t like they couldn’t entertain themselves when they next made camp, there were plenty of captives to pick from after all. He was just about to send several of the nearby men to go round up the lollygaggers when a small group finally emerged from down one of the side streets. Their presence had been masked by the driving rain until they were almost on top of him. He squinted through the darkness and was reassured by their armor even if he couldn’t see their faces yet.
“Good,” Galdrik thought to himself. “Now we can get moving and leave this place to the crows.” It was a good distance to Ironhaven and the sooner the slaver was away from the scene of the attack the safer he would feel. He whistled shrilly and two of his crew took up guide ropes for the oxen that were harnessed to the wagons, starting them in motion down the road. By Galdrik’s estimate, he would be able to catch up to the rest of the company by the time they camped that night. He watched as the last group that emerged from the village fell into step behind the wagons before turning and heading to the front of the small caravan.
Xavier couldn’t believe it had worked so far, no one had challenged their arrival or them just falling in with the group. Sure, they had all dressed in the garb of the fallen invaders but the majority of that was ill-fitting and would be more of a hindrance than benefiting the individual who wore it, but the other invaders swallowed the gambit hook, line, and sinker. He moved over to Cynthia’s side and spoke softly.
“I don’t know how long we have before they will realize we are not their friends. Can you get close to the wagon and somehow let them know we’re here to help? Make sure they stay quiet, or this will go horribly.” He whispered to her.
She nodded once and moved to the back of the closest wagon causing those interred within to shrink back from the bars trying to avoid her. Pulling her hood back briefly so they could see her face she motioned for them to keep quiet and beckoned one of them, a large male Gan Ceann closer. He shifted and then set his head on the floorboards of the wagon near where she walked. She relayed Xavier's message to him quickly and as quietly as she could before falling back to walk with the rest of the disguised group.
Once she had rejoined them Xavier inhaled deeply, it was time to become some big damn hero he supposed. The remaining invaders were spaced about the two wagons. None of them walking too close to one another which should make what he was attempting to do easier. “As if slipping up behind skilled warriors and simply cutting their throats was a simple much less easy task to do, even if you ignored the fact that it was outright murder.” He thought to himself. He had been doing that a lot lately. Funny how coming to a new world made you more introspective.
He moved as casually as possible forward, his eyes on the closest invaders to his first target. They all seemed to be hunched into their cloaks and hoods taking what shelter was possible in the rain. Xavier held the dagger against his forearm to hide its slight gleam as he drew closer to the first individual. The last couple of steps were a rush as he threw his arm around the man’s waist and reached to drag the edge of the blade over his throat. Holding the struggling form upright as it flailed and tried to make a noise beyond the wetly whistling gurgle from its ruined neck Xavier slowly lowered it to the ground as the eyes on the captives locked on him. Cynthia’s words were just now making the rounds of the huddled group, and they were shocked to see one of the invaders killing their own but kept to the silence requested.
Ding!
You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp.
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill – Subterfuge level 1. Subterfuge is the fine art of deception, misdirection, and subtle manipulation. Masters of this skill can pick locks, forge documents, disarm traps, and tell lies so convincing they could sell ice to a frost giant. Whether slipping unnoticed into a noble’s treasury or planting rumors to topple a kingdom, subterfuge is the go-to skill for anyone who prefers cunning over brute force. Of course, if subtlety isn't your thing, you could just call it "being shady" and move on.
Xavier’s grin grew at the prompt, and he moved to slip around the back of the wagon seeking the back of his next target. He was able to mimic the procedure several more times. One of the disguised men rescued from the village took the wagon rope when Xavier killed the invader leading it. The steady prompting filled his head with each death.
Ding!
You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp.
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Ding!
You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp.
Ding!
You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp.
All appeared to be going according to plan, that was until he came to the fifth invader. As luck would have it, the weather’s long chill had given the man a runny nose, resulting in a sneeze right as Xavier struck for his throat. The knife sliced through the bridge of his nose and across his cheek but did not make for a mortal blow. The man lashed out with an elbow catching Xavier in the stomach and doubled him over before yelling out the alarm.
The slaver known as Galdrik spun hearing the hew and cry from the wounded invader. Both he and the last uninjured raider spun to see the cause. Their hands reached for weapons, the one guiding the first wagon dropping the rope to pull a short sword, and Galdrik unslinging a heavy axe. Xavier had dropped to his knees winded from the strike. An arrow flashed through the air and glanced off the heavy armor Galdrik wore, and a soft curse could be heard from the back of the convoy where Ella was already drawing another arrow. Anger and desperation drove a call of vengeance from the throats of the disguised villagers, and they hefted weapons taken from the dead in unskilled but willing hands and ran toward the remaining three individuals who had caused so much pain and loss.
Holding a hand to his bloodied face the invader who had elbowed Xavier reached for the mace hanging at his belt intending to crush the head of the man who would dare injure him. The long wooden handle slipped free of its leather loop, and he raised the weapon over his head. Xavier looked up still gasping for breath and saw the impending doom. Lurching forward, desperate to avoid the crushing blow of the cruel metal orb, Xavier drove his shoulder into the man’s stomach and lifted him from the ground driving him to the mud. The mace still connected with his lower back, but the strength of the swing was reduced by the change in momentum and direction due to the tackle causing much less damage than intended. Both lost their weapons as the solid ground became a jarring end to their descent.
The two men struggled, rolling back and forth for dominance. Though the invader had greater strength, Xavier fought with a determination backed by what horrors he had witnessed, and an iron will to survive. The fight drew on and it was inevitable that Xander’s lesser strength and skill would eventually yield. Eventually, the invader had the young man pinned in the mud and was reaching for his lost mace when he abruptly stopped. Xavier peered into the suddenly confused eyes of the man hovering over him when a gout of blood poured out of the invader’s mouth and covered Xavier’s face and chest in a sanguine spray. The man collapsed atop Xavier, and he was left staring up over the corpse’s shoulder and into the snarling face of the young halfling lad. The youth’s hand still clasping the once again bloodied short sword and had run the invader through from behind.
Ding!
You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp.
He was rewarded once again with the crescendo of chimes.
Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 5! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE!
The might of the invaders they were seeking revenge against was great enough that it had propelled him to yet another level. Thank the gods that luck and planning had been holding out for them as this only affirmed the fact that had they attacked head on it would have been a slaughter. He pushed the corpse to the side, his breath slowly returning to normal as he struggled to his feet and sought out his dagger once more.
Elsewhere the fight was going poorly. Though Ella was keeping Galdrik occupied with arrows, she had managed to secure better quality ones while they scavenged the corpses in the village, she was not able to keep him from lashing out at the other villagers. Skill and quality of arms and armor granted a seemingly insurmountable advantage for the slaver, while the other invader was swinging his short sword back and forth driving back to two villagers facing off against him.
Having recovered the unusual dagger Xavier ran forward to join the pair against the lesser warrior first placing faith in the larger number of attackers and Ella to keep the leader distracted. Xavier swung wildly as the invader shifted to include the new threat in his line of view along with the two villagers. The dagger caught the man’s arm and cut deeply, slicing through the chain armor he wore as if it were lace. The damage drove the man’s hand to spasm, and he lost the grip on his sword leaving him unable to defend himself as the villagers pummeled him with mace and hammer respectively.
That left just the leader, Galdrik. His fury only grew as he looked around at those closing in upon him. Ferran moved up to his left holding a sword with both hands, a death grip on the hilt turning his knuckles white. Darra was to Ferran’s left, the long haft of a spear held in her paws. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she snarled at the slaver. Behind them stood Rilsa, a sturdy hammer held tightly in her fist. Xavier approached from the slaver’s back while his attention was held by the others.
Galdrik surged forward his heavy axe swinging towards Ferran. Ferran just managed to bring the sword up in front of the axe saving his life but the strength of Galdrik’s swing rang through the sword and knocked it from the young man's grip. Darra took the opportunity to thrust her spear forward but Galdrik was not new to fighting and had anticipated her movement. He spun to the side raising his arm to turn the spear's point with one of his bracers, another loud clash of metal ringing out.
Sneering the slaver taunted the Animari. “Come now pup, is that all you have?” He darted forward, a brutal swing of his axe only avoided thanks to the woman’s natural wolf-like reflexes.
He wasn’t however prepared for Rilsa, the young dwarf lass had been apprenticed to the village Blacksmith and her natural strength was only enhanced by the hard labor. She charged in from the side unleashing a loud yell as she slammed the hammer into Galdrik’s side. The impact managed to dent the scales covering his torso and solicited a snarl of pain from the slaver's lips. He retaliated with a quick slash towards her, the edge of the axe grazing across her shoulder and parting the links of the borrowed chain shirt. She pulled away crying out in pain as her flesh parted where the edge caught skin and muscle.
As Galdrik spun with the momentum of the axe he came face to face with Xavier and his dagger. Galdrik raised the axe bringing it down in a diagonal slash to try and cleave the impudent man in two only to have Xavier dive to the side and thrust the dagger into the path of the blow. The enchanted blade sliced clean through the gauntlet of the slaver and drew blood. Galdrik roared in pain, his earlier confidence visibly shaken now, but his skill ensured he was still dangerous.
"Keep him busy!" Xavier shouted, locking eyes with Ella.
Ella had moved to take a position behind a fallen log, from there she nocked an arrow and took aim. She loosed it with practiced precision, the shaft striking Galdrik in the thigh. He staggered, rage contorting his face, but the wound slowed his movements. "You’ll regret that, wench!" he growled, limping toward her.
As Galdrik turned his focus to Ella, Darra struck, and jabbed at his weakened leg, forcing him to stumble. Rilsa, still grimacing in pain, took advantage of his stumble and repaid the wound he had given her. The heavy head of her hammer slammed into Galdrik’s axe arm, and a sickening crunch filled the air. He bellowed in agony as the weapon fell from nerveless fingers.
Xavier moved in front of the slaver raising his dagger menacingly. “This is for Bramblegate,” he said softly, his voice was steady but cold. With a swift movement, he thrust the dagger upwards into the soft flesh that made up the bottom of the slaver's jaw. The abnormally sharp blade drove deeply into the man’s head piercing clean into his brain. As Xavier pulled the blade free the slaver crumpled to the ground, his breath rattling within his chest as the light faded from his eyes.
Shouts filled the air from the captured villagers still in the cages the noise shaking Xavier from the momentary stupor the fight’s end had resulted in. He quickly crouched and searched through the slaver's pockets until he found a ring of keys. He tossed them to Ferran who ran to the first of the carts and began fumbling with the lock one of the keys snicked and it opened. He moved back to the second cart and did the same there. Soon there was a large crowd surrounding Xavier and Ella. Villagers stood huddled together in the rain and mud. They stood in small groups comforting one another or grieving together. Xavier counted how many had survived the attack carefully. His final tally left him with forty-eight total villagers: two Gan Ceann, sixteen Humans, eight Dwarves, ten Halflings, six Gnomes, and six various Animari. His eyes traveled back down the path towards where the remains of Bramblegate lay. He didn’t know if all of them would be willing to join him in journeying back to his lands, but he had to offer it at least.
He turned his gaze back to the gathering of people and took note of the wariness in their eyes. Sure, he had helped rescue them and slain their captors but for all they knew he was a worse evil. After a few minutes the larger Gan Ceann stepped forward, holding his head with both hands he lifted it to meet Xavier’s eyes studying them a moment before asking a simple question, “Why?”
Numerous answers sprung to Xander's tongue. He wanted to save them. He wanted them to come with him. It’s what a hero does. Slavers are evil. All of them sounded hollow on his lips, however. After a while, he simply shrugged slightly and said, “I couldn’t stand by and let what I saw happening just happen. It wasn’t right.”
Grunting the Gan Ceann tipped his head up and down slightly. “We have nothing to pay you with, most of our goods and money were taken with their larger party. Those were only the ones left behind to clean up and capture any that had tried to hide or flee.” He sighed softly lifting his head to look down the road where Xander had before. “It will be hard for those of us left to rebuild, I do not think Bramblegate will survive this time.”
There, that was the moment Xavier needed. He spoke quickly. “There might be another option. I was coming to your village to see if anybody was willing to help found a new one deeper in the forest. I don’t know that it would be safer, but it is more removed from easy access. I am rebuilding where the ruins of an ancient city used to stand. The place seems to have been forgotten by all, it's that old. There is plenty of game and land that could be cleared for farming. I just need people willing to relocate and settle there. I am the Lord of those lands and would do everything in my power to keep you safe if you did so.”
A soft murmur started in the crowd standing behind the Gan Ceann male. Those villagers that Xavier had personally rescued in the city and had fought beside him to save the others had voices that sounded above the others talking about his actions. They seemed to side with trusting the young lord and the more they spoke the more other villagers studied Xavier consideringly.
The Gan Ceann male shifted his head to one hand as he scratched his chin with the other, an odd action to witness given the displacement of the body part. Eventually, he lifted his head to his shoulders and settled it in place. “My name is Braegor Voidiron, I am the Blacksmith of Bramblegate but also its Ealdorman. While I do not have cause to distrust you, I do not have cause to fully trust you either. Most of my village was slaughtered or taken, we are the only ones left now. I have no way to muster a force large enough to try and rescue the others. We will be lucky to survive this winter now.” His voice was tinged with pain and anger as he spoke. “Can you promise to protect my people? Can you rescue the others?”
Xavier opened his mouth to speak then paused. He took a few moments to consider his words carefully against what he had just been asked. “No, I cannot promise anything.” He raised his hand to forestall any questions. “I do swear to do my best to do so, however. Together we can rebuild not only your people but my settlement. We can make it more than what either of us had. If you support me, I will do everything I can to find your missing family and friends. We can stand together and ensure that slavers and anyone else will think twice before attacking us.”
As he spoke a new determination settled over him. He paused a moment as a new prompt filled his vision.
You have gained a new trait: Unyielding Liberator
Having witnessed the devastating aftermath of a tyrannical assault, your resolve is as unshakable as your blade is sharp. The burning ruins of Bramblegate and the anguished cries of its people etched a singular purpose into your soul: to fight against oppression and to rescue the helpless from the clutches of cruelty. Your actions speak louder than words—when faced with the last soldiers enslaving the people of Bramblegate, You and your companions delivered swift justice, leaving no room for mercy. For those who committed unspeakable acts of violence, revenge was precise, personal, and unrelenting.
Effect:
* Strengthened Resolve: Xavier gains a bonus to morale-based rolls and abilities when fighting against slavers, tyrants, or oppressors.
* Justice Over Mercy: In situations involving the abuse or enslavement of others, Xavier will prioritize swift and decisive action, often at the expense of diplomatic solutions.
* Fearsome Reputation: Enemies who learn of his deeds are more likely to falter in battle, intimidated by his uncompromising sense of justice.
* Unbreakable Loyalty: Those he rescues see him as a savior, and his reputation among the oppressed makes him a natural leader and ally to rebel causes.
The collection of villagers started to straighten listening to his words. Their faces lost some of the pain and anguish, it being replaced by a renewed fervor to survive and better yet, take back what was lost and stolen. The murmur of discussion grew in volume until they were shouting along with Xavier swearing to rise and triumph, to build a new life and village, to go forth, seek glory, seek love, and live!
Ella moved quietly to stand at Xavier’s side. A smile on her lips as she watched the crowd’s elation build from despair. She looked at Xavier and spoke softly. “Rynthavael, The Blade’s Rebirth. You should name your new settlement in honor of what was lost and what,” she gestured to the crowd, “will be a rebirth of not just one but two villages forged into a single entity.”
The name struck Xavier’s soul like a clarion call, the distinct rightness of the word resounding within him. He raised his hand holding the dagger high and yelled out. “For Rynthavael, for our people!”
The call was taken up by the villagers as those who had weapons raised them, and those without in turn raised their fists. Xavier’s new trait filled them with a resolve and loyalty that had been lacking moments before. “Rynthavael! Rynthavael! Rynthavael!” Three times the word echoed out and the universe answered.
Your settlement has grown dramatically. Through your actions with the hostages of Bramblegate you have increased your population by forty-eight souls. This sets you well on the path to one of the goals required to level your settlement. Take care young Lordling such rapid changes can have unexpected consequences of their own.
Your trait Unyielding Liberator has improved the loyalty of all villagers rescued from Bramblegate. These villagers have gained a loyalty boost of +2000 loyalty
Your overall settlement loyalty has changed from -1000: Unreliable – “They might show up to battle, or they might be off chasing a butterfly. Either way, don’t hold your breath.” to 1000: Reliable – “They’ll be there when you need them, no questions asked. They might even bring extra arrows or potions without you reminding them.” +6% to settlement crafting, +6% to settlement harvesting, +6% to settlement defense.
Your trait Unyielding Liberator has improved the morale of all villagers rescued from Bramblegate. These villagers have gained a morale boost of +1500 morale
Your average villager morale has changed from -1000: Miserable - “They look as if they’ve been hexed with a gloom spell. Every task feels like a punishment, and every victory tastes like stale bread.” To 500: Delighted – “They’re genuinely enjoying themselves. They’ll toast to you in the tavern and might even brag about being in your settlement.” +4% to settlement crafting, +4% to settlement harvesting, +4% to settlement defense.
His new talent was a wonder! Just the effects of it alone shifted the loyalty and morale of the villagers he had rescued from pitiful negative effects to positive ones. Plus, it convinced them to join his settlement. He had grown his population by nearly half what he needed to increase the settlement to the next level. He knew he needed to focus on the other tasks for that as well, but he had his own people now. He smiled broadly and moved to sheath his dagger when he paused and studied it. Its prompt had changed since he last looked at it. The border now had a brilliant red tint to it.
You have discovered:
Vaeltheris “Eternal Song of the Blade”
Unique Ethyr’Vael “Soul Forged Blade”
Item Class: Weapon
Item Rarity: Legendary
Item Quality: Masterwork
Weight: 1kg
Durability: Unknown
Damage: 30 – 45 Piercing/Slashing
Traits: Though it appears sturdy, Vaeltheris is surprisingly light and perfectly balanced, almost as if it moves with the wielder’s intentions rather than their strength. Its weight adjusts slightly to provide the ideal amount of heft for any strike, making it feel like an extension of the wielder’s body.
Material: Vaeltheris is forged from a silvery, semi-translucent metal that gleams faintly with an internal light as if housing the embers of a forge within its core. This magical alloy is unbreakable, resistant to the ravages of time, and eternally sharp.
Form: The blade is slender yet slightly curved, designed for both grace and lethality. Faint, swirling patterns of runes and filigree adorn its surface, glowing softly when attuned to the wielder's emotions or magic. These designs are etched so finely they appear to shift and ripple like liquid under certain light.
Special Traits:
1. Living Steel: The blade repairs itself if damaged (though breaking it is almost impossible). If chipped, the missing piece regrows with a faint shimmer.
2. Ethereal Edge: The sword’s edge can phase slightly into an incorporeal state, allowing it to bypass certain magical defenses.
3. Additional traits may be discovered.
Xavier’s jaw fell open as he stared dumbstruck at the blade. The thing was legendary! It was beyond anything he had ever expected of it. He looked at Ella in shock, she had a slight smirk on her lips as she shrugged at him and then turned back to watch the crowd. He sheathed the blade and looked as well. His people were ready to move, back to the Bramblegate, to salvage what they could and then on to their new home.