An Esrian Tale II: Arcadia of the West

***An Esrian Tale II: Arcadia of the West*** was the third game in the Heartstone Saga and the first spin-off from the main storyline. Taking place in the same year as its parent campaign, it told the story of three adventurers out to discover the anomalously magical archipelago of Arcadia and the many mysteries held within.

## Plot

### Part I: Arcadia of the West

In the year 376 of the Arcane Era, the Alvyri Vandryl which had ruled over the lands of Arcadia for centuries began its final years. It was at this time that the house of Gelirthanion ended with the death of Emperor Talaron. Following a series of unfortunate accidents, the palace was closed off, and the Council of the Seers and the Pantheon of Eren convened with trusted members of the court to discuss the succession. Although it would take another year, they would eventually come to choose a noble who had made a meteoric rise from seemingly nowhere.

Fueled by ambition and other hidden motives, Amras Vorosaer was made the Emperor of the Alvyri Vandryl. In the next 5 years, he would institute a rule that would bind the loyalty of the people to him. After the appearance of the Mordant dragon Terminth, he summoned the greatest heroes of the empire to capture and bind him deep underneath the Golden City of Londorwyn, and it was there that in secret he worked to rip the grand soul from the creature. He gathered the greatest minds and magicians from all territories of his vast empire to perform the largest ritual the empire had ever seen.

Although the people believed that the binding of the dragon soul would grant prosperity and luck for the city for centuries to come, in actuality it was performed under the instructions of the Archangel Netheriel, who at that time still resided with his peers in the Kingdom of Heaven. Unbeknownst to all but his servants, he had taught the powers to Amras in exchange for his co-operation. Thusly in the year 381, the Alvyri Vandryl and half of Arcadia was destroyed by the Fire Ritual of Londorwyn, an event that would strip the souls from all living organisms in the land, granting immortality and immense power to the young Amras Vorosaer. His body could not sustain the power, however, and with his old Elven form breaking apart from the increased magical stress, he researched the secrets of Lichdom.

Although he would eventually be successful in his efforts, he would later seclude himself deep below the vaults of Londorwyn to slumber for 1000 years, until the day came that his master required his services. Only a few individuals survived the ritual, and they found that they too were immortal, bound to Amras' soul and fueled by the power of tortured millions. Disgusted by their existence, but fueled by the hope that one would someday come to free them and destroy Amras, they went into hiding under deep magical tombs, sealing away their presence from the immortal Lich-Emperor. They would later come to be opened by Emryn Ashbury, one of the Everchosen of Israphel.

Exactly 1000 years later, year 1381 of the Common Era. 52 years since the first Mediran conquistadores set foot on the fertile lands of Arcadia. At this time, colonies began to bud like sprouts planted in the soil of early April. To the north, Vesryne explorers held vast swathes of land, and to the east a gargantuan stronghold defiantly straddled two seas, the lone gateway to the new world. The port of Qaiwa was the sole port in which gold travelled through, and it owed its luck to the perilous waters surrounding the approaches to Arcadia. Sea monsters, magical typhoons and whirlpools as well as mysterious ghostly winds would often blow ships off course, destroying all those seeking to find a life in the new world. Being in such an advantageous location, Qaiwa was able to levy extortionate taxes on everything, and everyone. From the smallest trader to the richest king, all had to pay their dues to the Archon of Qaiwa, who at that time was the Arcadian native Bhandrama Vijayanagara, who was the 4th Archon of Qaiwa.

However, the traders that did pay the extortionate dues often found solace in the profitable bosom of Qaiwa. A city of flowing cash and gold, those who ventured inside would often find their wares sold within minutes, for across the world of Esria, it had garnered a reputation as being the richest location in the world. In the same year, a lone ship named the *Lady Goode* under the renowned trader-captain Boryn Palmer set sail from Vesryn to the new world. On board, food supplies for the port of Qaiwa. On board, three individuals amongst a sea of migrants. A lone ranger of the Order of the Black, Cuthwin Tiller, as well as a young girl brimming with enthusiasm and spurred on by tales of the magical archipelago, Emryn Ashbury. Lastly, an Ostian man fueled by hatred and revenge, fleeing far from his homeland where a mortal enemy had struck his family a fatal blow, Árvakr Alfarrsson.

During their trip, they were attacked by an infamous Devilfish known as the Archon of the Deep, named so as the waves were a dominion of his own, and he struck at ships with the impunity of a ruler. Smelling the foodstuffs stored in the keel of the ship, it was repelled and finally killed by the three heroes that would later go on to save Esria from destruction.

Arriving in the port of Qaiwa, the three soon found it easier to operate as a group. They ventured together and made enemies together, as was the case with Boryn Palmer, who later turned to privateering under the provincial government. After a failed attempt at stealing the *Queen Marriyye*, a large war-brigantine financed by Medira, the group consorted with the Archon and recieved their reward for ridding him of the Archon of the Deep, including a peculiar golden skull, which would later be used to unlock the tombs of the Everbound, although they would not know it yet.

Travelling across Arcadia, they encountered many different colonies, holdfasts and civilisations, including the Vesryne territories to the north, Oakshore and Brynshire. There they were involved in a conflict between the two, and although their mediations fell short, they managed to save a few townsfolk from certain death. It was at this time that the ranger, Cuthwin, recieved news from home that internal conflict was ravaging the order from within. Druidic influences of evil nature, talk of mysterious red stones glowing with powerful magic, and rumours of the corruption of the Church were commontalk amongst members of the order, which without any leadership or guidance would later go on to serve the Archangel Netheriel in his plans to remake the world. Far away from the conflict, Cuthwin would never come to feel these same influences, remaining far from the source.

### Part II: The Awakening

Later the party would be diverted to the Beacon of the Dead King by a baleful wind that almost split their ship upon the rocks. In doing so, they penetrated the first of many magical barriers set up around the Arcadian heartland. There they were discovered by one of the servants of Amras, who asked them to set him free of his curse of unlife. Reluctantly they granted his request, and in doing so brought the attention of the dreaded Lich-Emperor upon them. As they attempted to escape the island, he granted life using the power of the heartstones to the corpses of sailors who had washed up on the island, and thousands swarmed their vessel.

They ultimately escaped, making their way to the ruined halls of Calavyr. They used the skull to open the first of the tombs of the Everbound, and proceeded inside. It was here that Emryn was able to be reached by the distant mind of Terminth, who had survived on the last dregs of his soul. He attempted to warn her of the presence of Aemavirr the Black, although ultimately he was unable to do so. The party later encountered the young dragon above the tomb of the first Everbound, and after a brief fight they managed to force the dragon to escape. He later returned to his master, who would torture him until death, reviving him afterwards using carmine magic. This would grow him to enormous size, larger than any dragon who had inhabited Esria previously, and fueled his great malice and cruelty.

It was in the first tomb that Emryn would be informed of her role as Everchosen, the one prophesized by the Wayseers who would go with the will of Eren. Although unsure of everything, she was assured that her fate had already been chosen for her, and was told that another tomb lay to the west, beneath where the supposed Fountain of Youth lay.

The group went from tomb to tomb, learning more of their divine mission and slowly being led towards their final fate. They met with Julien D'Arligny, a secret agent of the Order of the Ermine Sepulchure, who was carrying the ancient divine spearhead of Isprahel, Lazarus. They finally came to the city of Larachmare, the capital of Yndria. Seeking help from King Tarquin, they learnt that the tomb of Yndria had already been opened, and the Everbound inside had vanished decades prior. They also met the last member of the Wayseer order, Volodar Taltherion, who advised them to head to the Freehold of Ryn, an ancient structure built on the Arcadian heartland centuries ago in preparation for the arrival of the three who would save the world.

It was at this time that Amras Vorosaer, riding on the back of Aemavirr the Awakened came to destroy the city on the orders of his master, the Archangel Netheriel. Although Amras did not stay, he left Aemavirr to finish off the city. However as a team, the three took down the dragon. With the help of Merrill and Mees, Árvakr and Emryn attached Lazarus onto the end of a ballista bolt, and with the help of Cuthwin who managed to latch onto the dragon in flight, fired the bolt into the heart of the Black dragon, killing him instantly.

As Aemavirr fell from the air, Cuthwin also fell to the houses below, crushing his bones and killing him. In his final moments, what little humanity that was left in Aemavirr faded, and he expressed his regrets to Emryn telepathically.

Meanwhile in Purgatory, Cuthwin wandered the weighing halls. There he saw thousands of glittering heartstones lying in the primordial sand. Although he did not stray from the path, he came to the gates of Heaven, and saw that they were closed by dark magic. There, stood at the threshold he became one of the few humans to stand face-to-face with the Archangel Netheriel and live, who regarded his presence as a human would an ant. Intoxicated by his imminent victory and the success of his plans, in a moment of arrogance he returned Cuthwin's soul to him, knowing that no human from then on could stop his plans. He returned Cuthwin to the plane of Esria to live out his final days of existence before the world was destroyed. He would later come to regret this fatal mistake.

### Part III: Londorwyn Rises

After searching the rubble, the party found Cuthwin alive and well, and escaping with other refugees across the sea, they came under attack by Sköll Birgisson, who had come to Arcadia to finally end the line of Alfarr. However, unbeknownst to all, the fallen angel Zuriel had allowed one of his cursed artifacts to fall into the hands of the tribesman. The Compass of the Traveller activated, bringing a maelstrom of dark energies upon the group. In the chaos, together with his soulbound brother, Árvakr killed Sköll, although in doing so freed his brother of the single thing binding him to the world. As the entire fleet sank beneath the waves, the party fell into the maelstrom, entering Zuriel's domain. There they watched as Zuriel killed Volodar, taking his potent blood as a catalyst to fuel the final spell that would destroy Esria.

Although they would escape from Zuriel's domain, it would take the use of Lazarus to revive Cuthwin and Árvakr. Without any means to save Volodar, Emryn held his hand as he died on the beach of Cadoghen. Venturing north, they passed through dead lands. Chased by the spies of the enemy and engaged by ancient creatures native to the barren land, they eventually came to the Freehold of Ryn. There they recieved their final mission. Using an ancient passage fortified by divine runes and rituals, the three were able to momentarily pass into the Kingdom of Heaven using ways unknown to any entity other than the Archangel Israphel. There they met with one of his representatives, who told them of the final tomb lying beneath Londorwyn. They were given divine gifts, which would carry them to their destination.

At the tomb of Londorwyn, Emryn met with her direct ancestor, Terminth, as well as the corpse of her father, Seregos. Although she had arrived too late to meet her father, his last message was relayed to the young girl. The three of them were tasked with bringing an end to Heartstone Crisis, by stopping the invasion of Heaven by the Army of the Dead.

As the three came to the royal dais of Londorwyn, they found that they were too late. Casting the final spell, the Lich-Emperor Amras Vorosaer sacrificed himself on the dais and in doing so sent millions of souls to the Archangel Netheriel. This, combined with the potent blood of the Wayseer Volodar, and the many souls of those killed personally by Netheriel, fueled the final ritual. Emryn, Cuthwin and Árvakr watched as Esria was destroyed around them. So began the battle of the Grand Heartstone.

After the death of Netheriel and the destruction of his servants, from the portal to Heaven came Volodar. Sent by those from above, he informed the three that they had earned their place in Heaven forever, and that their families were waiting for them. Filled with the desire to see his family again, Árvakr took up this offer, going with Volodar to the Kingdom of Heaven. He would never return to the world, although he would enjoy eternal life and happiness with his family forever more. Cuthwin and Emryn refused the offer however, preferring to stay in Esria for a little while longer. Although Cuthwin would later put down his status as a divine champion and set off into the wilderness, Emryn went on to establish the Empire of Ivryl.

So began the Blessed Era.

## Characters

### The Party

* Emryn Ashbury
* Cuthwin Tiller
* Árvakr Alfarrsson