Side Story: Red Thorns

*2 minute read - Glossary at the bottom* - *Special thanks to **Zhidao and Mokijn***

*[This page covers in-game progress up to and including Ergenstadt and the Red Thorn Side Quest]*

**The article "Side Story: Red Thorns" contains spoilers from the Raws!**
This article contains spoilers from the Raws and could reveal untranslated details. Do **not** continue reading if this is a problem for you.

## Backstory

In Wessia, located in the western region of Brachen, are a group of bandits called the Red Thorns that had formed over the passing years. The Great Purge had brought an end the Van Thorne family’s rule in Brachen, having Baron Ostrem of Dunweld reassigned as its ruler as well as of the province of Wessia. Over the next 20 years, Baron Ostrem began conscripting and taxing heavily which had a significant impact on the local populace. As the costs of living rose and standards of living dropped as the years went by, there was a surge of civilians beginning to resort to banditry to compensate. These bandits and thugs eventually clustered into groups, one of the most notable being the Red Thorns.

The Prince’s death in Verazza having ignited civil unrest across the Empire, Dukes and Barons across the land began moving their armies in a bid to both secure their borders and expand their territory. All soldier in Wessia being pre-occupied with this effort, law and order fell to the wayside which allowed the bandits to become more emboldened, scaling up from simple extortion and robbery to exerting control over the roads and routes that lead across the province.

Strings of rebellions and uprisings began to form and take up arms against the current ruling parties. Markan Van Thorne, a man who claimed to be the heir of the Van Thorne Family, had formed the biggest group of bandits which he named The Red Thorns. Using the group's power, he began to exert control over the villages and local population across the province. Although the Markan might have had a rightful claim to the land, the Red Thorns as a whole were not well received by the general public as their criminal actions were bringing violence to the locals and destruction to their villages. With the roads across the provinces being compromised with rebels and bandits, caravans and local traffic were being targeted and looted by the rebels and Red Thorns.

Ezekiel the Red Mage, a cultist, had been manipulating some things behinds the scenes and had a bunch of Red Thorns to do his bidding; cruel and dirty deeds to find an artifact located somewhere in Wessia. The Red Mage had no regards for human life which added to the turbulence the land, leaving behind razed villages and death. It ultimately resulted in the Red Thorns, who claimed to be just and civil liberators from a poor ruler, to be recognized for the harm they brought to the population as they wrestled against the Wessian army in a bid for power.

## The Grand Grimaldi and Sons Caravan

Moving along a path in Brachen, the heroes meet a group of Red Thorns that had murdered a group of Wessian Patrol units. Dispatching the Red Thorns, the companions were surrounded by the reinforcements of Wessian soldiers who brought them to their commander, Captain Dietmaar. After the meeting with the Captain, the companions head towards the Red Thorns’ hideout, where they find Erwan the Glib being chased by Red Thorns. Erwan was part of the The Grand Grimaldi and Sons Caravan, who had not heed warnings of unsafe roads and valued profit over the risk, resulting in them being captured and ransacked by the Red Thorns. Heading west with Erwan, the party found what remains of the trade caravan within the forest, already being swarmed by stray Ghuls, thus putting an end to a once profitable company who were too greedy.

### The Granddaughter, Mirra

Previously on Brachen Hills, the companions moved along where they entered into a territory which had had been the Keep of the Van Thorn, but burnt down years ago during the Great Purge.

They happen upon a group of Red Thorns which were being questioned by a couple villagers. The villagers took the risk and just wants to learn of the fate of their granddaughter, Mirra, but the Red Thorn told them to back off and forget about their granddaughter. After the companions dispatched the Red Thorns, they asked the villagers about why they are at such a discrepant place. The villagers told the companions that their village were burned down by the Wessia troops due to the belief that the council had assisted in the rebels, their son and his wife had been trying to defend their home but was mowed down by the troops.Their granddaughter which had been doing labour in Grenfield in order to support them had gone missing a week ago she never returned. The companions with this information at mind continue onward into the territory of Wessia.

A while later, the companion skirmish another group of Red Thorns as they head west towards the Red Thorns Hide-out, the companions happened upon a corpse of a red haired lady, covered in blood, with her eyes blinded and burned, with chafing marks of being bounded by ropes to her ankles. With the description of the red haired matching the description the granddaughter, it was concluded that the corpse was the granddaughter of the elder villagers, Mirra. Following along the path of which Mirra escaped from, they come across a lodge which Ezekiel, the Red Mage had been residing in.

### Ezekiel Patakos, The Red Mage

Ezekiel, the Lieutenant of the Red Thorns, titled Red Mage, is a mage who is searching for a lost artifact from a distant past. The companions came into the lodge and found of what remains of a bloody ritual and a corpse bound to the ground. From the notes on the Enochian Vault, they see the fact that Ezekiel was searching for the lost artifact within a place that sealed this artifact, The Reliquary. Searching the Ruins, Ezekiel summoned some demonic servants to scour the depths but unable to locate the Reliquary.

Looking upon a letter on the table, the companions found a connection between Ezekiel and the Blinds Saints of the Church, and it was with this group which Ezekiel had acquire the Vile Arts to summon the servants through the sacrifice of the special beings such as the corpse on the floor and the granddaughter Mirra. The ritual on the ground, explained by Armas, burned the eyes these of two as whatever appeared, they must have looked at it and gazing into such different realities would ruin their mortal eyes.

Ezekiel, unable to locate the Reliquary, grew impatient, and convinced there was a connection between The Order Convent, who had ties with those who had sealed the artifact in the past, so he head towards Ergenstadt where the Church is located...

#### Red Thorn Camp, Markan Van Thorne

Upon arriving at the hide-out, the companions had been discovered by the patrols of the Red Thorns. Dispatching the patrols had alerted their leader, Markan Van Thorne to take matters into his own hands. Battling the companions, Markan was unable to win and was defeated, thus his fate determined by the heroes.

 **Erwan the Glib** |  | Was part of the Grand Grimwaldi and Sons Caravan who insisted on traveling through the harsh un-protect roads of Wessia during the civil unrest. Unfortunately, their caravan met an ill fate as they were ransacked by Red Thorn bandits.