In the southeast lies the great Rune Wood. A forest that covers a great region of Nelbring. Its vast trees create a great carpet of green extending out of eye sight. This area is extremely potent in magic. The very air is filled with power and mysticism. Which brings me to my next personal anecdote on Sentry Angelica Kareem. Her province is home of a race called the Mystics. These are beings that are embodied with the magical forces of the forest itself. The Mystics are all females and embody the beauty of the forest itself, but their looks can be deceiving because they are some of the deadliest warriors.
Angelica’s home lies in the great forest and is called Allura. The towers of their castle are built within the great trees of Rune Wood. Majestic in all its glory, Allura is constantly growing as the forest grows. It is a living castle that the Mystics treasure and nurture helping it grow. Using their vast skill in the magical arts they create the structures that make up the castle itself. The Castle lies deep in the forest allowing it to be hard to access. The forest itself has the magic ability to sense evil and will make it hard to navigate, and using the magical properties of the forest the Mystics are able to see all who enter the forest. They guard the great forest from evil very passionately.
It is told that the Mystics were derived from old magic of ancient times, and this is how their race flourishes. Through the magical properties of the forest itself they are able to give life to more Mystics. Their limit is based only on the power of the forest, and what it can sustain, as like the crop in a field, only so much can be planted in the ground. Endowed with a green aura and wearing evergreen armor with gold rune markings of magical properties, Mystics encompass all that is Rune Wood. They can scale the tree tops fast as any cat, and run as swift as any deer. Their archery abilities are legendary among Nelbring. They attack swiftly and without warning before disappearing back into the great forest. They don’t particularly like visitors in their province, and take convincing even from allies that wish to pass through the Rune Wood.
Angelica Kareem is the oldest Mystic of her people allowing her to be the Sentry of their province. Mystics live much longer than most other beings and the knowledge gained from all is passed to all. Angelica has seen to it that her province the Rune Wood grows and allows for her people to gather more magic. When The Dark One ruled the lands the Rune Wood was greatly diminished and sickly. The Mystics were on the brink of destruction when Angelica found a way to bring her people together and restore the Rune Wood’s magic.
The magic of the Rune Wood was being twisted by The Dark One for his own dark desires, and in doing so it was causing the Rune Wood to die. The Dark One wanted to see to it that he killed off the Mystics so that the powers of the forest were left to his will. The war with The Dark One had not yet begun, and his will and influence was ever present. This was indeed a dark time and the Mystics were on the brink of destruction.
The Dark One knew if he wanted to defeat the Mystics and destroy them, he would need to create a great rift between them and the magic of the forest. He therefore created a great scare upon Nelbring in the Rune Wood. The Gorge of Sorrow as it became known to all that resided in the world. The Dark One called upon all his dark powers and then the ground shook all over and soon split creating a gaping gorge running through Rune Wood. The gorge stretched for miles and cut right through the forest. The Dark One’s black magic filled the gorge and tainted the very ground in which it cut into. Rune Wood started to die and a sickness started to fall upon the Mystics.
Angelica gathered her forces and sought to attack the gorge and destroy the evil magic. When Angelica’s forces arrived they called upon the forest and used their magic to start to close the gorge, but this was the moment that The Dark One was waiting for. He was wanting to draw the Mystics out and then destroy them. When Angelica and her forces had gathered and their energy focused on the gorge that is when The Dark One unleashed his trap. Fire spewed forth and fell upon the ground everywhere. The Mystics scattered trying to flee, but the fire had set the trees and ground ablaze making escape near impossible. There was but one option and that was to continue to try and close the gorge.
Fire was only the beginning of this battle as The Dark One had called upon an ancient evil to come forth from the gorge. Soon demons adorned with fire and having the face of the dead crawled forth from the gorge and a great battle ensued. Angelica’s forces fought bravely, but the demon horde was vast and endless. Angelica found her forces failing all around her, but as a Mystic fell she saw that the demons were caring them to the gorge and throwing them in. Since the Mystics were derived from the forest itself their bodies held magic and The Dark One wanted it.
The battle was over and Angelica found herself alone trying to escape, but hesitating to leave her fallen behind. She could still hear the screams of some of the Mystics that were alive as they were flung into the gorge. Angelica escaped burned, beaten, and bloodied. She arrived back at Allura calling the rest of the Mystics to prepare for an attack. This was going to be there last stand. Out of desperation she sent emissaries out to both Thral and Melainda LaSheen and Asprion Colchat hoping that at least one would come to assist. Smoke now filled the forest and ash fell from the sky. Angelica knew that they did not have the forces capable of repealing this coming attack, and that she needed to do something if she didn’t want her people to be destroyed.
The magic of the forest was deeming and Angelica knew what she needed to do, but would it be enough to help. Allura is built around the heart of the Rune Wood where all of its magic is created. Angelica would try to channel this magic through her and repeal the demon horde, but there was a chance that it would be too much and consume her. Angelica knew there was no other option and went before the heart. Inside a hollowed out tree lies a single flower perfectly bloomed and giving off a radiant glow. Angelica approached and knelled before the flower. She placed each hand above the flower in the radiance it gave off. Speaking an enchantment the gold runes on her armor started to glow and soon light shown forth from her eyes and mouth as the magical energy entered her body. She began to float in the air adsorbing all of it, but the forest did not take Angelica instead it endowed her with incredibly power.
The demon horde had arrived at their gates, and as they were about to signal for the attack, the gates of Allura opened. Angelica was there radiant in all the magic of the heart. Her eyes glowing with pure energy and anger walked out to meet the demons descending upon them. As she walked she raised both hands holding them spread out in front of her. With a grimace look and tears forming in her eyes, Angelica spoke an incantation in an echoing voice that shook the ground. When she reached the end a blinding beam of light burst forth from her, and she turned the demon horde into ash before her.
The attack on Allura was over and Angelica had vanquished the horde. Only ash was left, but this battle was not over yet. The gorge was still open and another Demon horde would be spewing forth to attack again. Angelica now fell to the ground completely exhausted from transformation. She could barely stand but knew she must somehow gather enough forces to attack the gorge, but she didn’t know if this would be enough as she saw what happened last time. Her fellow Mystics came to her aid and helped ready her for the next battle, but she and the other Mystics continued to think that this was the end and that there was no hope.
However hope was not lost, soon the sounds of warring trumpets could be heard from both the north and west. Andromeda and Asprion had come bringing their armies to aid the Mystics. Angelica rallied her troops and together with her allies marched forth to the gorge. Angelica informed them of what they were about to face and what had transpired at Allura. Asprion, a great keeper of past history, was familiar with the dark magic used to call upon the ancient evil spewing forth from the gorge, and so he formulated a plan of attack that they would use destroy the evil now upon them.
They reached the burnt and ash riddled ground of what use to be forest, and readied for the attack. Asprion went and scouted from afar the gorge first, then he posted his troops in the front of the assault with his archers up front. Thral and Melainda split their forces on horseback to the left and right behind the frontal assault force. Angelica and her forces that were in smaller numbers due to the last attacks were reinforcing Asprion’s archers in the front. Angelica and her people wanted to be in the front to lead the attack, and as the Mystics’ archers are second to none Asprion was counting on them to be up front for their skill.
Angelica again had strong emotions flowing through her as she was once again staring at the battle ground wear she lost so many Mystics before. With tears in her eyes she raised her hand and gave out the call for the attack. They started to march forward slowly at first then picking up speed. Asprion following the frontal assault on horse started to cast a spell that enchanted the arrows of all the archers. They would counter act the dark magic and destroy them.
Their presence had not gone unknown as the gorge once again started to billow fire and soon the demon horde was crawling out. From what Asprion had scouted previously he had determined where the heart of the gorge was, and that would be the focus of their attack. Their forces numbered close to five thousand, but the demon horde’s numbers were uncountable as they were spawned by black magic. The gorge was miles long and if the attack was to be successful they had to be fast. The demons would surely encircle them from the other ends of the gorge, and soon be overrun if the attack was slowed by any means.
The arrows hit hard and the demons fell immediately. Asprion and Angelica’s forces made it to the edge of the gorge and stared into fiery chasm below. Thral and Melaind’s forces split and blocked the forces coming from the sides. This bought Angelica and Asprion’s forces time to conjure a spell that would destroy the gorge. Angelica was the conduit of the spell and would be the deliverer, but it took time for Asprion to conduct the spell. Soon however their forces had been pushed back, and even Thral and Melainda were being pushed back. Time was running out, and something was coming that could affect the outcome greatly.
Just before the spell was done the sky grew dark and the ground shook. Something was coming and it was not being caused by the spell Asprion was forming. The Dark One had seen that the Sentries had come together, and saw a chance for their destruction. He saw this as an opportunity to end them all and was about to arrive. The Sentries began to figure out what was about to happen, but the spell wasn’t ready. Angelica looked upon the others and her fellow people, and knew of only one thing that would end this. She once again called upon the heart of the forest to aid her, knowing it would undoubtedly take her this time.
The Clouds started to fling down black lighting and the moment was now or never for The Dark One had come. Angelica waved her arm pushing all her allies back with a magical blast, and then turned and ran for the edge of the gorge. When at the edge she jumped. Completing the spell as she fell, she then wrapped her arms around herself and a light that was brighter than the sun burst forth from her. Soon the entry gorge was enveloped in the light and the clouds were broken up with sun shinny through.
The spell worked and destroyed the fire in the gorge. The Dark One was beat back to the Dark Castle and the Sentries had won, but at what they thought was a great loss. Cheers could be heard all around through the army except for the Sentries left standing on the edge of the gorge. They gathered around the edge looking into the abyss all saddened by the loss of Angelica, but as they stood there soon a small light started to appear. It first appeared as what looked like a star then it grew bigger. Soon the Sentries could tell that it was moving towards them, and soon it flown out of the gorge floating high above them. Silence had befallen the armies. The light started to float down and fade. It revealed that Angelica was laying there before them.
The Sentries knelt before her and saw that she was alive. They created a cot and carried her back to Allura. She awoke back home in a bed with all the Sentries standing around her. Even Baylore of the Dwarfs and Katon of the Draksins had come. They brought reinforcements to help secure the Rune Wood and fortify the gorge. Angelica was very pleased and grateful for all that they had done. She then told them of her journey and of how the heart of Rune Wood saved her and sent her back to see to it that the Rune Wood was restored.
The forest itself was already starting to grow back. The ash from the dead demon horde Angelica created from her attack to protect Allura, was enchanted. The magic in it restored the ground that had been scorched and the trees were already growing. The forest was fixing itself and the Mystics’ power were starting to return. Angelica’s healing was progressing faster as the forest grew.
Days after the battle of the gorge the Sentries gathered and decided then and now that it was time to vanquish The Dark One. This was their first meeting all together, and it was the beginning of the Great War. They saw in the battle that they could indeed beat The Dark One. The hope was there and from that point they allied themselves. From then on they started to call themselves the armies of light to fight The Dark One till he was destroyed. Soon great battles would ensue covering Nelbring in war and death, but there was a light at the end.