Week 09: The city of dreams

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Raekwon, the city of dreams, was situated on an island at the mouth of the Yavernia Fjord. Long had it been a port of trade for not only those inlanders, but as well for those who wished to pursue the exotic items of the north - beyond the great ice flow. The few traders who ventured that far were spoken about in whispers, never looked at directly, and given a wide berth as they walked the city streets. They were mortal, that much was known for sure, some of them even grew up in Raekwon itself, but the journey north is not an easy one, not a safe one. Strange walrus men, monstrous creatures of the deep, inhospitable weather and more dwelt in the north. To not only survive such things, but to return to them - a man would have to be mad. And so the people of Raekwon wondered over the treasures and avoided the messengers.
Things were not so easy for the men of Voraci. On the first day of the occupation, a captain named Palthar had demanded to search one of the ships for magical items. He and his whole platoon, 25 men in total, were cut to ribbons and dragged aboard the ship. Their bodies never surfaced. After that, the crew was arrested. When the morning came, 45 men lay dead, the jail cells were open, and the crew was missing - only to show up at their usual pub down the street. Of course, at this point there were few enough men of Voraci left to hold the town, so they let them go; let them go and didn't report it. Sure, the soldiers could have called for reinforcements, they could have brought down Ferrus and his black robed spell casters, but their lives would have been forfeit for their failures.
These sailors of the north, often referred to as Frost Rangers, took no sides, took no vengeance - they just continued about their lives as if nothing had happened, as if the war didn't exist for them. Voraci forces took to searching their wares after they’d been unloaded, after they’d been sold to local merchants. Both sides coexisted in a self imposed ignorance of each other.
But that is not the story we are to hear today. We’re here to listen to the tale of the Templars, who arrived some time later and made their home in Raekwon, city of dreams. Just as mysterious as the Frost Rangers, these knights of gray appeared out of nowhere, bringing their enormous wealth, dedication, and silence to the city. Occupying an ancient and crumbling temple of Velmontarious in the ruined and dangerous old town, these gray knights whisked about with no apparent rhyme or reason. They spoke to no one except to book passage on a ship, they bought no supplies, but sailors who ferried them to their strange and unassuming destinations swear they ate food and drank water like any mortal man. No one could say how many they numbered, for when dressed in plate mail and gray fabrics, they all looked alike.
Perhaps the men of Voraci learned their lessons from Palthar, perhaps they work with the templar, perhaps they are too busy trying to keep hold of a city who seems not to fear them, perhaps they fear men who do not fear old town; for whatever reason, Voraci soldiers seem to let the templar go about their business.
One night, many months ago, the old temple was lit from within with the light of a thousand candles. The temple glowed with an unearthly beauty for an hour, before fading again into the darkness that occupied old town. This event, often spoken about in hushed whispers of every pub and tavern in the city, was referred to as the Night of Light, and became a great source of amusement for the city of dreams. What does it mean? Who are the templar? Why do they keep to themselves? What great treasure are they hiding? Where do they come from? 
This is the story we are here to learn. This is the story that we are here to answer. These men will play a role in our future, but who can say what they will bring - boon or bane. It is time for our first chapter to close, and our next to begin.
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