Red Soul

Mini tales of Grand Adventure.

It is said that in ancient days, when the Draken Empire was still mighty, and the sun was still shaded in it's 100 year slumber, Demons and Devils walked the earth without fear. Indeed, as far as ancient memory goes, many a wizened sage can recall the War of Light. And though few men can truly contemplate how it began, (many theories are abound) the definitive end to the war was had by one famous paladin.

His name was Solanzo de Vinezo. A famous Holy warrior before the outbreak of the war, known primarily for his accomplishments in the defense of the Great Merchant Cities of the Southlands. When the Mermen rose from their Ocean Kingdoms, and the great Scourge of the Sealords was under way, it was this foreigner that risked limb and life to personally defeat Gillamon the Sea Tyrant, a terrible and cruel Merman leading the Scourge of the Merchant cities. It is recorded that once the Sea Tyrant was slain, his mighty host soon turn upon itself, more akin to sharks in a blood frenzy, than the noble warriors of the sea.

Other adventures did the noble Paladin Solanzo have, defending the Southern realms against devils, spirits, and other evils. It was said that through his swordarm, did the God's above grant him victory. He made many allies, and indeed many a good King and Prince recognized his authority when it came to religious matters. His virtue was known across the Southlands, and in many respects, he was the pinnacle of Faith.

Yet despite such traits, he was a man in all aspects. Whether spread by jealous or deviant nobility, rumors of the great Vinezo would say he was a rogue stealing hearts and liquor like a devil. Those who knew him best, would fervently vouch for his virtue, yet still, among the peasentry, the idea of someone so sanctimonious holding a darker side was too attractive to ignore. Perhaps it has some merit, for Vinezo was not known to shy away from drink and sport. And his reputation for going on long sermons on the nature of piety and proper living did not endear him to those few nobles who enjoyed the more hedonistic aspect of life.

Never the less, none may doubt his accomplishments in ending the War of Light. All learned scholars know of this terrible war, and how it ended. What is known for sure, concerning it's beginning, was the Fall of King Golantos of the Ruby Kingdom. The King was known for his virtue, for his honesty and great piety for the Gods, yet a warmonger he was without question. He expanded his kingdom from it's humble origin as the Duchy of Watersrest, to the Crimson stained Kingdom that grew under his leadership. Openly, King Golantos was a devout worshipper of the Grey God.  A deity local to the region, who's domain was that of Spirits, Fate, and Chance.

This fact would cause much speculation later on after the Fall. Anyway, when King Golantos was finishing his campaign against the Merchant City of Palos, he had just successfully bested the Merchant Princes' Mercenary host, at the battle of Long Spears. The battle was rough, almost pyrrhic in nature. Indeed Golantos had bested the defenders, and gave the Merchant Princes' army chase, yet he himself had lost half of his men. Concerns over how there would be enough men to properly siege Palos was already spreading in the Officers' tents. If Golantos could capture the Merchant Prince (Alfanz de Medici) the war could be forced to end quite early. If the Prince however escaped, (as speculated by military historians) his host would have enough time to rejoin with the late army of the neighboring city of Kolo. A new army, which would be twice as strong as Golantos' own half defeated force.

From the look of it, it would seem the Ruby King had bit off more than he could handle in this latest campaign. With the combined forces of Kolo and Palos, (an alliance forged by marriage) it would seem apparent that they could easily match King Golantos on the field of battle, and defeat him once and for all. It doesn't stretch the imagination in this hypothetical scenario, that if they won the war, not only would the Ruby Kingdom lose it's claim over the Merchant cities, but forced to face multiple rival states still sore from Golantos' warmongering.

Now, we must enter the realm of theory however, and that is the Fall of Golantos. Was it mutually decided? Was it perpetrated by his own will? Ignorance? Or was he tricked by some Dark Magi from the land of Vesuvus? Each scholar who recounts this bit of history tends to opt for one of the most accepted reasons for this happening. I shall list them in order of plausibility (according to my research).

1. Golantos, after determining with his commanders that the war against Palos would not end favorably, decided the best course of action would be to perform a diabolical ritual, with the aid of a Dark Magi. Keep in mind, that this ritual is supposedly, the same ritual that caused the Great Fire of The Green Hills.

2. Golantos, was the ignorant pawn of the Draken Empire, and once he failed them in his purpose,(Whatever that may have been) he was to be used as an ingredient for some greater evil. Thus explaining the hesitation and resistance of some of his commanders.

3. Golantos, was never a mortal man. He was a warmongering devil clothed in human form that grew tired of the Game of Kings, and decided to end the charade and become a real tyrant of men and beasts. This is perhaps the most wild of the explanations, as it requires people to believe that the long line of Nobility of Golantos was under nonhuman control for centuries.

To the point, after the battle of Long Spears, there was a great bonfire in the center of the battlefield. Thousands of corpses, friend and foe, was piled up and set ablaze in Black Flame, surrounded by a ring of Dark Magi from the cursed land of Vesuvus. It was rumored, that in the center of that flame was hanged Golantos himself, spewing demonic and brazen slurs against the Gods. No one alive save for those damned Magi knew what the words or language spoken by Golantos was. It is at best assumed that it was an Infernal tongue (an already loose and vague definition)

Never the less, the horror that would come from this event would be known as the "Black Fire of Palos". For emerging from the black flames of this infernal blackfire was the Greater Demon known as Lantorax the Butcher. Named so for his birthday "feast", in which he emerged from the raging bonfire a literal Devil from hell, chopping and eating the flesh of Magi, Soldier, and officer without restraint. It took about a hundred of the damned Magi to calm Lantorax, but soon enough, it regained it's calm enough to regain control. The majority of Golantos remaining army, was soon put under his control, via what is assumed to be the aid of black magic, and intimidation.

From here, the War of Light had officially began. Lantorax was a powerful Greater Demon for sure, but his loyalty and faith (if they can call it that) was in his Infernal Lord. This is the main reason many scholars and historians are hesitant to claim that the Fall of Golantos was perpetrated by the Draken Empire. For Lantorax was a terrible and ruthless monster that slaughtered hundreds of armies from the Wastes of Vesuvus, and was fiercely independent of The Archmagi, the ruling emperor of these evil wizards.

It is generally known that the Merchant Prince of Palos (Alfanz de Medici) escaped the battle of Long Spears, with his fleeing host. However, when he and the combined might of Kolo and Palos mercenary forces marched against the Ruby King, he was horribly shocked to find a field of burned corpses impaled upon a thousand spears, all half eaten and disfigured. It is reported among the commanding generals of the host, that Alfanz puked at the very stench of the scene, and grew ill at the sight of slaughter.

Among the field, they found tracks suggesting the Ruby King had set off with an early retreat, possibly to garner any remaining support at the home front. Seeing this act of evil as an attempt to break the morale of a battered host, Alfanz did not relent. He led his forces forward, believing that he will soon find Golantos with his tale between his legs and a broken army. What he found however was the Battle of Broken Steel.

Ambushed at the opening of a valley, one of the fastest paths towards the heart of the Ruby Kingdom, Alfanz mercenary host was soon assaulted by all sides by literal Devils from the pits of Hell. The first battle in the War of Light was being fought as we speak, and the side of Light was losing horribly. For every Lesser Demon, it'd take 50 men to slay just one. The route of the mercenary host was soon to be had. Alfanz, along with many high ranking mercenary captains was captured by Lantorax himself. It was quite the sight to see apparently. Like a pillar of stone standing in the sea, Lantorax endured a wave of foolish soldiers trying to cut his iron hide. And for every sword strike, and every lance, the Greater Demon with but a swing of his battleaxe, would cut through steel and iron like paper. Hence the name "Broken Steel".

The host was soon routed, and the great majority of the mercenaries were slaughtered without question. By hellish magic, Lantorax was able over the course of a few weeks, able to transform most of his human soldiers into literal demons, servants of his dark will.  His prisoners, the nobility and captains of his defeated enemies were not shown mercy. They would become some fiercer abomination. Hell Knights, great devils fused into the flesh of noble men. 

Such would be the fate of many of Lantorax' conquests. He was perhaps the ultimate perversion of what the Ruby King truly was. Where Golantos enjoyed sport and competition, Lantorax enjoyed violence and breeding chaos. Nothing was sacred to that monster, save the desire to please his Infernal Lord. It is with sadness that I recall the atrocities that this demon committed. His purge of the Ruby Kingdom, of any and all priests of the Gods' of Light and Good, is the stuff of nightmares, and an eternal black memory of the church.

Yet in this hour of darkness, when the War of Light began to pick up in intensity, we have the High Priest of the Grey God. Solanto de Litano, 3rd of his name, and "Father" of the Faithful. One of the most respected of his church, and de facto leader, he was the first to sense the birth of Lantorax, though he could not guess the importance of said event. On the night of the Black Fire of Palos, the High priest was said to have suffered a heart attack. It was by the power of his faith and iron will, did he survive. Yet the omen and it's meaning would soon come to meaning when the "Victory" parade of Golantos came to the capital.

Imagine dear reader, a host spanning miles; a circus of Hell's clowns and horrors, marching in mocking fashion of a well ordered Legion. Lantorax was soon on his way to becoming more than just a Greater Demon, it was rumored among the common grunts of his army (the few slaves of the Dark Magi) that he was willing to have his Infernal Lord be birthed onto this mortal plane. Such an event having never occurred in the history of the Earth. Yet, whatever the Demons' plans were, Solanto had guessed enough to know the true terror approaching the capital city of Redaxos. 

It was a fearsome sight to say the least, for such battles are the stuff of legend. In Solanto's fear, in his worrying over the omens of his near fatal attack, he was soon quick to send word for all the Devout priests and warriors of the land to come to Redaxos, the heart of the Ruby Kingdom. On the day of Lantorax's arrival upon the gates of his once free city, he roared and raged against the sight of a thousand priests of the Grey God, summoning a great and terrible whirlwind upon him.

The Long Siege of Redaxos has begun. For three days, and three nights, the forces of Lantorax's Demonic host laid siege against the stalwart defenders of the faithful. The first day alone of the siege, saw the great Demon host repelled five times. Yet during the first night, it was said that the numbers of the host only grew double in size, as Lantorax would have his Hell Knights scourge the land of the living, so his army may replenish. No one was safe during these nightmare raids. Man, woman, and child would be forced into great fire pits, constantly feeding what was thought to be the portals to Hell itself.

And on the second day, it was said that on the break of dawn, the mighty priests of the Grey God were burned on the spot by hellish magic, and crushed by arrows the size of trees. Lantorax, the Butcher was never patient when it came to battle, and would throw hundreds of his own lesser Demons over the battlements of the city. Chaos had erupted on the streets, as holy warriors defended against beasts never before seen in this world.

Yet Solanto never faltered in his defiance of the Greater Demon. Upon the battlements did he stood, closer than any sane man would draw near that host, and upon holy prayer and litany, did he smite the Demons where they stood. Hotter than any hellfire, the "Sermon of the Father" gave hope and morale for the weary defenders. To any man, seeing that ancient priest shouting holy verses upon literal monsters was a sight of fear and hope.

Until Lantorax rose to challenge the High Priest.

On the Third day of battle, did the Duel of Twilight occur. Solanto was an old man, quite wiry and thin, with some even daring to say he was near his prime. Yet on this day, the Grey God, and perhaps many that stood against evil, lent him his power. He stood taller than he ever did, full of the vigor that could outlast a bull's stampede. His eyes were bright with a sort of fire more divine then natural, and in his right hand was the Grey Mace, and in his left was the Book of Spirits.

A mighty figure indeed, and a sight to inspire the many priests and warriors on the battlements that day. Yet on the winds of Black fortune did Lantorax ride, crushing Hellish legionnaire under heavy hoof, the Greater Demon seemed to tower the landscape in his march. Swinging the Battleaxe of Terror, and the Whip of Red Dirges, he cut through his own warriors and devils, all in the name of his blackened rage. It was a sight that brought fear and trembling in the hearts of the less devout, and fearful militiamen.

Ignoring boiling oil, arrows and the swings of pikes and swords, Lantorax the Butcher climbed the very stonework of Redaxos, determined to scale it and slaughter every defender, man or woman. No spell or holy chant seemed to end his terrorizing ascent, and even the High Priest Solanto seemed to hesitate against this unholy assault.

But stood tall and ready did he. And when the unholy terror that was Lantorax reached the battlements at last, Solanto met him with fierce winds and chant! Winds, some say blessed and ridden by the Grey God himself! For so powerful were these strange winds, that the foolish Demon was knocked off the battlements. Battlements, I remind you, taller than 30 feet!

The Butcher knew his mistake as he fallen to the earth, with all his rage growing hotter by the second. Yet never let it be known that Butcher was quick to calm. So great was this blind rage, that Solanto knocked the foul creature off the battlements three times! Each time, the defenders grew to fear this monster less and less, given great hope that perhaps the day will end soon in victory!

Yet foolish were these dreams. The Butcher upon his third fall, gained enough sense to try a different approach. Upon his fourth ascent, before he ever climbed above the last stone, he used the Whip of Red Dirges to cause the very air to split and crack upon his swing. So great was this shock in the air, the defenders grew deaf on the spot.

Sadly, even the Great High Priest Solanto fell for this trick. Falling into a shock, the High Priest was horrified to hear the sound of silence. In but mere seconds, he could hear the loud, terrible orchestra of battle play out in his ears. Yet now at last he is full of great fear at the mere absence of his own voice.

Thus did the Butcher walk towards the fallen High Priest. Swatting aside foolish defenders of Solanto, chopping priest and warrior with nothing but a flick of his wrist. He spoke no words, gave no great speeches, for what point would he? His rage has morphed into that of a great roaring fire, ready to burst at any moment. Finally, was this terror from the pit able to savor his victory.

Until one brash young defender destroyed the very ground the demon stood on. Oh the fool he was, a young man barely at the cusp of adulthood. Tall and lanky he was, nearly doll like compared to the Butcher's bulky frame.

But do not be deceived by mere appearance. The voice of this young man, was as deep as any baritone, and with it he could call upon the greatest of smites, rumored to be destined to replace Solanto, (if his talents developed). 

But fell did the Butcher fall, the last and final time. But in the young man's eagerness to defend his master, he weakened the walls to the point of collapse! The Great Walls of Redaxos, bloodied and stained by wicked blood, battered as a smiths anvil, and scorched by unholy fire, could not stand this final blow by the young defender. And so forth, on the third and final day of the siege, the city was doomed.

The name of this defender, is lost to history. For in the great Flaying of Redaxos, Lantorax searched high and low, turning every pebble, and personally hunting down every priest and singer in the Grey God's church. But concerning the fate of Solanto, it is said he was carried into the very wind itself, as if the Grey God would not let his favored one die.

The details of city's fall will be spared. The Flaying of Redaxos is a lament of it's own accord, full of heroes and villains, caught in the ongoing slaughter of Hell Knights and Demons. In some songs, the memory of this event is said to ring true in any man of the Ruby Kingdom, bringing tears to women, and unbridled anger in men alike.

But with this tale known, there is indeed one hero that will be noted. Solanzo de Vinezo, the Paladin and champion of the Merchant cities. Though foreign and worshiping an unknown God, Solanzo knew enough by the smell of the wind, and the flight of beasts to understand evil was stalking the land. What he could not divine however, was the Great Demon Host of Lantorax sacking the Ruby Kingdom. Yet traveled he did to the rich and bountiful land.

What he found however, was a city in name. For upon the capital which Golantos built his rule, labored for decades to make prosperous, and gave praise to the Grey God, there existed nothing but rubble and ruins still smoldering that bright glow.

Author's Note

Work in progress.

Please critique.