Season Three: A Brother’s Hate/The Last Keeper

**Astari Saga Volume 3: Chapter 2**

**A Brother’s Hate/The Last Keeper**

Life in Astoria went on much as it had before the invasion. Freefollk were no longer under threat and the Astari had little to occupy their time. Astoria it seems does not abide peace however and it was with great upheaval and tidal forces that the land was reshaped. Hundreds migrated to new lands opened by the great change, the island that had been the Astari home for so long was isolated no more and a new continent lay there for the exploring. Quickly the Astari settled, found new roles, and made this place their own. However, they were not alone. This new continent was already populated by Astari and the new met the old with open arms.

This new land held great mysteries for the new arriving Astari. Filled with relics and ruins from the First Creation they quickly set about exploring its wonders. It was not long then that they came upon the lair of the Demoness Bashamel, one of the ancient Astari that had aided in the destruction of the First Well and was warped forever by the act. In that place the Astari had found a cache of bound souls separated from the Well, a relic left over from the First Creation, a piece of a bomb used by Iltox to destroy the Well. Argument broke out quickly amongst the Astari and it was only with the arrival of the Lord of Strife were the souls freed.

Not long after the nights of the Astari became restless, dreams of a dark voice speaking from far away. A great horned figure speaking through flame.

“Join me Astari, seek out the Soul Well and The Keeper, and I will give you a high place in my new kingdom.”

Confusion spread like wildfire among the Astari as it was quickly confirmed that nearly all had experienced the dream in some way or another. Most were able to resist the pull of the figure, but several did not. They soon found out this was the voice of Iltox brother of Adramelch and he had orchestrated the destruction of the first Soul Well.

Those still unaware and unaffected by Iltox’s influence gathered quickly, summoned by the Captain of the Freefolk guard a man named Silas Black. There they were presented with an artifact taken for the demon Bashamel, a hammer belonging to none other that Iltox himself. The captain proposed a ritual to perhaps determine the source of the hammer’s power but once again the Astari descended into conflict.

Perhaps influenced more deeply than they realized by Iltox, this moment of weakness was all the followers of the Fallen One needed to steal back the hammer.

Frustrated Silas took a small band of committed Astari to the Soul Well itself, there he revealed himself to be the Keeper of the Well. The position once held the Solstice, and then Faust himself. He showed the Astari how to cleanse themselves of Iltox’s corruption by dipping their hands into the burning waters.

The Astari went out newly freed of corruption and brought more to the Well to be cleansed. It was then that Huron the Well’s Jailer gave the Astari a plan.

He said that if the Astari were able to gather enough pieces of the original Soul Well, a bomb could be constructed. Much like Iltox’s bomb this weapon would be able to severe Iltox’s connection to the soul of Astoria and remove him from this plane. With newfound focus and determination, the Astari quickly gathered the required pieces. However, the servants of Iltox had not been idle, spies among the corrupted and loose lips among the Astari gave Iltox all the information he required.

When the time came for the bomb to be delivered to the Crucible of Souls deep within Astoria’s heart, the place where the souls of the Celestials themselves reside, it was already too late. The Astari found the Keeper’s domain in flames, and Silas himself injured onto death. Before he passed, he gave his scythe and thus the title of Keeper to the Lady Beithe to aid the Astari in this coming battle.

Once inside with their bomb the Astari confronted Iltox and his Imps, there power was more than enough but their speed was lacking. The Celestials Andamere and Valgerd held off Iltox’s imps from attacking the souls of the Celestials themselves but even they could not prevent Andamere’s soul orb from being destroyed. In a brutal rage at the death of her friend Valgerd joined the fight and slew the last of Iltox’s imps with one great plunge of her sword the Red Shadow before lending it briefly to the Astari for this fight. With their bomb in hand and a further boon from the Creator himself the Astari confronted the Fallen One. By their foes side was an old familiar face, none other than Faust. Unwilling to destroy their fellow Astari and a man many had known personally they beseeched him for his aid instead. With all his will Faust betrayed his master and gave the Astari the information the needed to destroy Iltox. They fought valiantly but in the end, it was the Astari known as simply as Bear that carried the only weapon that could finish the job. With a titanic throw he hurled the bomb at the tether keeping Iltox bound to Astoria… and missed. Despite this the bomb had been well made and Iltox’s tether was damaged enough to remove his influence from Astoria.

Astoria was free of the Fallen One, Iltox the being that had plagued it for so long and had been responsible for its destruction once before. The Astari celebrated, and with them did the Celestials. A new era of peace and tranquility would descend upon Astoria making the title of Keeper irrelevant and setting free all those that had been tasked with it.

In the years to come Astoria became a land of peace. The celestials grew closer to the Astari and in power, new orders and even cults were established in their honor and the Freefolk once again consolidated into a single free city that they called “Ha’Din Al’Shadah”.