Thread: Grimoire of Myths

Lily Storm And so it was that our lands expanded to include more. The new comers were made part of the people, and taught our ways. What's that you say? what became of the dead within the wastes? Well, that is a tale in and of itself. Gather close, and I shall tell you of it... The dead lay deep within the wastes, so many scattered that the Song-Sages could not hope to find more than a tiny fraction of them. But these dead did rise from their places, but somehow knew that to come before the people would be only their destruction. Even in their despair, some semblance of the wish for existance lingered on, and they would no cast aside their being. The sudden expansion of the lands of the people alarmed a great many neighbours, and they began to wonder if the people did harbour some ambitions of empire. What was more, the fall of the nation that had sent it's horde to the wastes freed other lands of pressures that they had faced, and it was not long before war erupted in the lands around. The people were asked to lend aid, to send warriors to their neighbours and trade partners. Thus did the people meet their leaders to discuss the fate of the lands around them. The people did refuse to send military aid to their trade partners, but did shower them with other aids. Healers were sent, weapons and armour were sent to them, and the taxation of traded goods was lessened, freeing the countries resources to face their foes. But peace for the people was not to be had just yet. Pushing past the neighbouring lands, a force of warriors beset the borders of the people, strong beyond expectation, and wrapped in plates of metal far heavier than any mortal man could bear. It was then that the people realized. In some of the lands beyond their neighbours...existed lands with guardian spirits of their own. And these spirits had made their people mighty indeed. The people, however over-matched, were not ones to give up, and fought a heroic defence, slowing the advance of their foes to a crawl. But the advance ground on, eating up distance from the border to the vulnerable towns within the heart of the land. It seemed that a great slaughter was looming, and the people seemed powerless to stop it. One of the people would not stand by and watch the end come. Taking what supplies she could, she marched into the wastes. It did not take her long, perhaps a few days, before she met the great mob of dead who walked. They began to move, as though set upon her, when she spoke to them of the coming foe. These dead had been warriors in life, and from a land who had long sought a foe that they could call worthy. She implored them to make their stand, to follow her into the teeth of the enemy, to find their worthy foes, and to redeem themselves for their flight from the Belldonna Stalker. With a single motion, unified in purpose, the horde turned, and marched, following after the woman who had harnessed the power of the dead behind her. No Song-Sage her, she nonetheless gave voice to song, calling a song of war and victory. Thousands upon thousands of dead voices lifted with her to fill the air with power. Around the frame of the woman, did the light of fire begin to flicker. With their loyalty to her now, chains of spectral fire linked the dead to her, and she marched with them, as though the Dusk Spirit reborn. The dead fell upon the invaders in a ceaseless tide. As living men they had been powerful fighters, trained for much of their lives, and armed for war. Now, in their new forms, they knew not pain, nor fear. And with them stood the woman who had brought the storm of death to the foe. Mighty beyond measure, the enemy was nonetheless forced back by the ceaseless tide of dead who walked. The warriors of the people looked on in horrified awe as the fallen rose up once more, chains of the same fire binding them to the woman who strode with the dead, and turning their fearsome power against their brethren. The invaders were pushed out of the lands of the people, and their broken remnants were pursued all the way to teh borders of their home. When the dead legion returned, their leader strode to meet with the people. The Song-Sages did fear this legion. They sought to know the mind of the woman who had summoned them, and what ambitions she might have. Fortunately for all, she had none. She had sought to save the people, and had done so. She was now ready to release any of her followers who wished it, allowing them to find their rest and peace of the death. And for those who did not wish this rest...then she would take her legion and storm into the Dark lands, bringing a war to the creatures within. To the shock of all, not a single being within the dead legion opted for release. They would follow her into the Dark lands, and would do so with her song of war on their lips. Humbled at the sacrifice the woman offered, the peace she offered her followers, and the loyalty of those same followers, the Song-Sages escorted the legion to the Dark lands, learning the song of war as the march went on, and ensuring that the deeds of this woman would not fade from the memory of the people. And so she did march into the dark, leading her army to almost certain doom. But perhaps her action would purchase some peace for the people. We still sing her song, that we might always remember that the greatest of our number is measured by the deeds they have done.