#Lore24 – Entry #228 – Helica Month #16 – Raiders from the Untamed Lands
Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah
Our return to San Granalle was a somber one. Though the city had begun to heal, the devastation was still as an open wound. There was but a single dock that had been rebuilt, much of the remaining populace was living in tents and poorly constructed hovels, and the sense of loss was overwhelming. Even with the aid of the Church and its Beasts, recovery was slow. Worse, there was a new threat to the town, one that perhaps sickened me more than that of the Transgressor and its spawn: bandit raiders from the Untamed Lands, who had smelled blood, and were now emboldened to sweep across the vulnerable lands once held quite secure and guarded by San Granalle.
We did not tarry long in San Granalle, for the sight of the suffering people spurred us forward on our Crusade against the Transgressor. As we headed north into the Kinarrora Highlands, our group would be a formidable one, as, at the behest of Esekia, we had joined forces with Tephysea and her retinue, and would remain thusly tied through the next long leg of our journey. We would make a detour before we would reach the next Amaranth’s temple, though, for a fire was burning in Esekia’s heart, and we would see these bandits dealt with quite harshly in the name of Phyresis. Tephysea seemed more amused by this than sympathetic to the plight of the weakened survivors but decided that she and her people would assist our endeavor.
We joined with the forces mustered by the Church of Phyresis on the far western edge of the Highlands, arriving to the sounds of battle as mounted forces clashed, the shear numbers of the raiders, bolstered by the might of many monstrous tribes, orcs, kobolds, goblins, and gnolls, threatening to overwhelm the defenders rapidly. Neither side expected the coming of two Amaranths upon the field of battle, the combined might of Cinza and Makani tearing through the horde’s ranks without mercy. With the aid of Zubayr, myself, and the Sylvanae warriors and mages of Tephysea’s retinue, our summoners were quite safe. The horde was forced to retreat from the front, giving us time to recover and aid our allies.
Seeing our intervention as a sign from the One True God, the bloodied forces of Phyresis had their morale bolstered, and so, after a few days to recover and refortify the borderland, we drove into the Untamed Lands like a dagger into the heart of the raiders. Though our journey was filled with dangers: from the sheer numbers of monstrous foes to powerful tribal shamans and even former members of the Order of the Tamers, and not the least of which were several attempts to assassinate our summoners, requiring us guardians to be ever vigilant, we would prove victorious in the end.
Along the way, we would see signs of the devastation of the Transgressor, either from past battles, or more recently destroyed settlements. I believe I may have been the only one amongst the Phyresian forces that held any sympathy for our enemies, for they were driven by desperation, the need to flee the devastation of the Wicked One just as much as any other peoples. Did that give them the right to invade a broken land and ravage its people? No, certainly not, for they could have attempted to ally with us. Perhaps they had tried; I am not privy to the details of prior negotiations, if there were any, but Phyresis has long held that the monstrous races were inferior to humanity and Sylvanae.
Once we finally claimed the head of the leader who had spurned the raiders ever forward, our task was mostly done. Our ranks had continued to be bolstered by the Church as we drove deeper into the Untamed Lands, and though occupation was not on the table, the Church would take much in its wake. All monstrous races who were found were killed outright, and the humans who were captured or surrendered would be reeducated as Beasts to serve the One True God. Many treasures would be taken, and though I took little for myself beyond books and scrolls that I had found intact, I did claim a runic blade from one of the commanders we had faced.
It had been a long and bloody affair, taking several months, but with it done, we could at last return to the Crusade we had originally set out upon, to attain the remaining Amaranths and ultimately to face the Transgressor. It will be some time before I can come to terms with the horrors of this campaign, and what its long-term implications may be. I will have many sleepless nights to come, I am certain.