Difference between revisions of "Athander"

Revision as of 16:55, 22 April 2023

Athander: Lawful Good Human, 1st level Squire of the Knights of the Crown

Various Surnames: "Long Ridge", "Duveran"

Background

Childhood at Duveran Keep: Athander was born in the northernmost coastal region of Abanasinia in an area called Long Ridge. A Solamnic-speaking area under the Solamnic city of Caergoth's cultural, economic and even partial political control, it was a largely idyllic childhood. He lived at his family's small castle and estate in Long Ridge called Duveran Keep, growing strong and free there in the family clan's sprawling farms and rural properties. At the castle he heard bards sing and his martial grandfather and uncle speak of Old Solamnia, and of the tales of knights and heroes, especially from before the Great Cataclysm centuries prior.

Early Teenage Years at Crossing: However, upon his teenage years, his long absent father returned and took he, mis mother and his younger sister to the nearby port town called Crossing. There his father, Norton, had become a successful merchant and dealer in precious gems and jewelry. Norton was his father's second son, and not standing to directly inherit, had left the family's more martial tradition to enter into mercantilism. Norton had come to think little of his own father's chivalric roots and career, and explained to Athander that in that way lay the past, and that people in the world loathed the Knights of Solamnia. Norton set Athander to work with his nimble little hands, having him taught how to set gems in jewelry, cast gold and silver, and cut jewels out of unshaped stones. As the years passed however, Athander chafed under his father's attitude towards life. He saw the unhappiness of his mother Athandra and the increasing haughtiness and urbanization of his sister Nolia, and longed to return to Long Ridge.

When Athander was 16, his father Norton suffered a major financial set-back due to a series of bad investments and loss of merchandise at sea. Near ruin, he turned to drink and beat Athander for his growing resistance to Norton's vision for his future, and for his continued bearing as a cavalier of the old family tradition. At last Athander ran away to his uncle and grandfather. For several happy months he stayed there, but at length his father appealed to the law and sent agents to bring Athander back to Crossing. Athander thought to resist his father's summons, but he had learned that in his absence his mother had died from disease. Crestfallen, he was taken back to the city.

Crossing to Haltigoth: Marrying his sister to a rich merchant in the city, Norton received new employment opportunities as that merchant's agent in the far-off Estwilde city of Haltigoth. A miserable voyage across the New Sea brought father and son to a large and decaying port city. Already under the influence of the forces of evil from nearby Neraka, Athander was appalled by the poverty, misery, callousness and cruelty the had poisoned much of the city. Norton grew fatter, angrier, drunker and richer in the city, benefitting from the traffic of illicit goods. Hearing rumors of freedom fighters and heroes in the Estwilde hinterlands, Athander sought to run away a second time, but he was once again captured by his father and then badly beaten. Threatening to run away again to his grandfather, Norton gleefully informed Athander that his beloved uncle Enthon and Enthon's son had been killed by bandits, and that at last Athander's grandfather Norwin had died of heartbreak. Being now the rightful owner, Norton declared his intent to expel the remaining female members of the family and to sell the Duveran estate so that he might use the proceeds to live in luxury in Haltigoth and grow his mercantile business. At last Athander could endure no more and struck his father until he fell, unconscious but not dead.

Flight, Capture, Escape: Knowing his father's agents and friends would find him if he tried to take ship, Athander fled by foot on the old coasting road. After several terrible nights he arrived at ruins of an old and abandoned city which he knew to be called Gwan. Having heard that a band of heroes made their outpost there among the ruins, he entered the dead city, looking both for what he might find there, and so as to escape the agents of his father who were already looking for him. However, instead of riches or heroes, Athander found a trap, the foul gulley dwarves who had made the trap, and a sinister black robed figure who threatened to use him for some terrible experiment. Hanging upon the wall in the gulley dwarve's dungeon, just as the malevolent figure threatened Athander, two armored figures appeared and fought off the dwarves, their monsters and their cowled master. Before more dwarves came, they freed Athander and led him to escape on their horses well outside the city.

Kharthen and Amdor: Leaving him with supplies and direction, Athander appealed to the mercy of his saviors, not having anywhere else to return to. Stoic and grim, the two men warned Athander he would be far safer somewhere else, saying that their road was harder than Athander's, and that he best make his peace with his father and live his life. Athander expressed his despair at reconciling with his evil father and his desire to be like them, heroes. They declined this description, saying that they were both marked men, and that the ways of knighthood and heroism were in the past, save for those who were willing to die for a principle and a dream. The leader said that even if Athander believed in such things, he obviously did not have the heart for it, or otherwise he would not have been so easily taken and defeated by petty forces of evil. They ordered him to go home once more, then rode off. In tearfelt defiance Athander ran after them through the plains for a time. When all his strength was gone he collapsed in the wilderness. Then, when his hope was lost, the two horsemen returned in the moonlit night. In harsh words, the leader asked if Athander believed in the old gods. He said he did. The leader responded, saying that if Athander wished a life of hardship, danger and likely death, and that if he was willing to obey implicitly all that his companion Amdor commanded, he might come with them. So Athander did, riding up the junior man's horse. When Athander asked his riding companion what was the name of the leader, he did not answer, saying only that his own name was Amdor, and that the other man's name was not for him.

The House of Amdor: Athander rode with his two new companions for several days until they reached a chain of low mountains, and there passed the township of what Athander would later learn was called Bleakstorm. After another day, hidden well and deep within the mountains, they came upon a forlorn and isolated stone-walled ranch with two houses upon it. Athander was settled with Amdor in the larger of the two stout houses, and introduced to Amdor's large and industrious family. Amdor quickly set Athander to task with ranching and farming duties, and he was treated harshly although justly. Every meal he sat at the end of the table with the martial looking Amdor saying nothing to him. Although seemingly a commoner, Athander noticed that Amdor's home demonstrated signs of nobility, with splendid ancient armor upon the dining hall wall, and swords held often and well by Amdor's three older sons. But the nameless leader stayed to himself mostly, living in a smaller house alone. Often he would see to his well-weathered equipment and to his horses, and spar with the elder boys of Amdor. He would also often disappear with Amdorian, the eldest of Amdor's boys, riding off alone out of the mountain valley, being gone for weeks and even months at a time. Amdor would occasionally test Athander with harsh tasks. But he was also fairly religious, and would speak of these things to Athander, and question him as to the nature of his faith, presenting him with various ethical dilemmas. At last, when Athander was emotionally exhausted after months of servitude to Amdor, he asked when he might ride with the mysterious and grim leader who Amdor still refused to name. Amdor said it was very bold and presumptuous of Athander to ask such a question, and asked him if it was not honorable enough for Athander to serve a man like Amdor's master, for in his laborious service to the ranch he made what he did possible. After this however Amdor took Athander to the nearby town of Bleakstorm to buy and to sell goods, and to hear news of the darkening tides coming from the east.

Amdorian: Amdorian and the yet still grimmer and thinner leader returned. Soon afterwards, Amdor announced he himself was leaving, and that he would be giving his son Amdorian command over the homestead. Athander was to obey what Amdorian said without question if he ever even hoped to be of service greater than his current position. Although Amdor's family had until then been kind if curt, when the two older men rode off, Amdorian became truly authoritarian over Athander. His way with the horses was never good enough, and his tasks with maintenance of the ranch were never proper. Amdorian, who was only some five or more years older than Athander, would rap him on the knuckles with a stick, and although kindly in a certain sense, his seeming discipline was so harsh so as to drive Athander to the end of his endurance. Several times Amdorian would say at the head of the dinner table that perhaps it would be best that Athander return to the city, and cross the sea to go south again to safer lands. He would explain to his mother and younger children that Athander was not the best with the horses and beasts, and that perhaps it would be best if he be set to other work. But Athander remained steadfast in his determination, saying he wished to ride with his father Amdor, and that his father would find him worthy one day. Amdorian would simply nod. Amdorian set up lancing games for his two younger brothers, which Athander would arrange but was not allowed to participate in. After months of this, with Amdorian pressing him ever further, at last Athander could endure no more, declaring he would no longer endure Amdorian's harsh tasks and criticisms, even if he were to strike him. Amdorian then threw to Athander a wooden sword, telling him at least he would give him a chance before he beat him out of his father's ranch. Twice Amdorian beat Athander to the ground, Athander refusing to yield. But although Amdorian fought all the harder the third time, as if he were going to kill Athander with the wooden sword, Athander fought with all his might. Athander fell to the earth again, but Amdorian smiled and let him rise. "By the gods, you have a stout heart Athander. Stout enough for my father."

House of uth Thalden - The Story of Amdor uth Thalden: Amdorian revealed to Athander that his father Amdor was by right Lord Amdor uth Thalden of Hartford, in Old Solamnia. He revealed that they had been in exile for many years now. His noble family, House Thalden, had a long tradition of knightly service in the Order of the Crown, but with the expulsion of the Knighthood from the nearby city of Solanthus, the peasantry of Amdor's lands had grown so suspicious of the Knights of Solamnia that although he had served as a squire and was worthy of his spurs, Amdor declined the knighthood in an attempt to preserve his ancestral holding. Thinking his estates safe for the time being, Lord Amdor answered the call of loyal members of the Knighthood who had retreated to more distant lands outside of Solamnia to work against the growing tide of evil. Out in the frontier of the growing tyranny in the broken lands of Taman Busuk, Lord Amdor fought with some of the most valiant Solamnic Knights, operating in remote Estwilde with little direct support from the weakening central leadership of the Knights. After some victories and being named a Defender of the Crown, Amdor returned home for a time only to find his family accosted by insolent peasants insistent on their rights to own his land. In a rage, Lord Amdor threw aside the peasants who were attempting to rule his lands in his stead, which caused a mob army to surround his castle. Amdor thus took his family and what retainers remained to him and abandoning his castle them to far away Gaarlus, near the eastern Solamnic frontier. A stalwart lord-in-exile, Amdor was approached by his future master and other veteran knights, requesting his remaining monies and retainers. While Amdor's family stayed in Gaarlus, Amdor and his new company fought in remote wars, often deep into the increasingly evil lands of Taman Busuk, striving to garner enough victories to rally the rest of the Knighthood against the growing power of Neraka and the monsters of the mountains of that region. Although they fought in many campaigns, they rallied principally around Marshal-General Laca Dragonsbane, Lord of Swords, a remote descendant of Huma himself, until he was slain by the fires of a dragon, and his great army scattered. From time to time he returned to Gaarlus, but with each visit Lord Amdor grew more suspicious of his family's defenders there. As the years passed and the Solamnic frontier collapsed into bickering, betrayal and defeat, Amdor joined the Company of the Defiant Crown, which was a small alliance of knights and their men-at-arms who were Solamnic extremists, refusing to retreat despite the threat of near certain strategic defeat. Basing their secret operations at Kwinter Ranch, they eschewed all other orders and counsel from the great circles of knighthood resting in relative safety in the Solamnic core lands. Their deeds were many and great, but at length the forces of Neraka discovered their secret outpost and defeated them. Amdor had been back with his family at the time of the defeat, but hearing from Solamnic scouts of what had happened, Amdor rode with all haste back to Kwinter Ranch, where he discovered that all the knights and heroes of the company had been slain, and the forces of evil masters of the ranch. However, Amdor decided to come in stealth at night to see what villains had done this so he could think on his revenge, and in the night in the shadows he discovered hidden behind rubble a critically wounded knight, burned and stabbed, who yet still wished to slay the dragon-master who had burned him and his companions. Amdor carried the knight away.

The Story of Amdor uth Thalden - Squire to the Grim Knight: Amdorian continued the story of his family to Athander. Amdor and the Grim Knight, as Amdorian called him, rested not far from Kwinter Ranch. Regaining himself enough, the knight matter-of-factly ordered Amdor to prepare for the counter-attack in the morning. Amdor, highly disturbed by this suicidal command, attempted to turn and otherwise argue against this order. The knight, being much superior to Amdor in rank and office within the order, would not bend, and stated that if Amdor would not obey then he would cut him down as a coward, a traitor, and a shirker of orders, and launch the counter-attack on his own come daybreak, despite his horrible wounds. Amdor pleaded, saying he would do so if not for the sake of his family in Gaarlus, and offered that he would obey any other honorable command if only the knight would countermand his current terrible order. Without hesitation the knight recognized that Amdor was not himself officially a knight, despite his great experience and lordship, and said that he would relent only if Amdor would serve him as a squire, dedicating all his remaining monies and energy to the knight's vengeance and crusade against evil. This Amdor swore. So the two traveled to the outskirts of Gaarlus, which had already become full of traitors and spies. There the knight recovered and Amdor collected his family. Amdor had already invested his money in a reserve ranch not far from Kwinter Ranch, and although the location was perilously close to the power of Taman Busuk, the knight commanded they take residence and base their operations there. So Amdor moved his family. It had been some four years there at Amdor's Ranch, hidden in the mountains. In that time, Amdor and his master had ridden many a times deep into the seats of evil, and done many a great quests. There was no end to the knight's vengeance, and to ensure no reprisals came he no longer wore badges of office or ensigns of heraldry. He hid his name, which the enemy still did not know, calling him only the Grim Knight if they were even sure it was he who did great hurt to them. The knight had by then become disgusted by the knightly order which so cowardly stayed back from the extreme front while evil grew, and although he still in his way loved the Knighthood, he thought all who remained were undeserving of their ranks, offices and very spurs. Only Amdor, his squire, who accompanied him on all but his most dangerous ventures, maintained his grudging respect. In those four years Amdorian had trained with the knight, and learned a great deal, and in the last two had even begun to ride out with him on his easier patrols, and for his missions in spying. Amdorian said the knight and his father still kept faith with the spirit of the slain Company of the Defiant Crown, and still hoped to grow it once more into a small band of iron knights who would fight on, although all others flee and submit.

Amdorian and the Initial Mentorship of Athander: Amdorian had been tasked to test Athander, and Athander had stood up for himself, despite his oath, which was the Grim Knight's purpose. From then on Amdorian treated Athander with increasing respect. Much was revealed about their secret armory, and Athander was introduced to the family as closer to an equal instead of as an abject servant. Yet still Amdorian held authority over Athander, and the elder youth, as acting master of the ranch, trained and tested Athander in weaponry and horse. Amdorian even showed Athander their hidden smithy, and the pile of enemy weapons they were methodically reforging as best they might into quality weapons and armor for a larger force the hoped would one day manifest. After yet more months of this, when Amdorian began to fear his father and the Grim Knight would not be returning, they did at last return. Amdorian was pleased to boast of Athander's progress. The two had been dueling with practice blades, and all the boys of the family said Athander was already a very promising swordsman. Amdorian said he was hopeful his father and the knight would train Athander further. But something of Amdorian's tone set the knight to wroth. Without a word the thin man threw to Athander his own blade and rushed him with his horseman's mace. The knight seemed merciless, holding nothing back. Within but a few strikes of his long hammer, Athander fell to the earth disarmed, the sword flying into the air. The knight kicked him brutally and then slammed down the mace as if to kill him. Instead the steel mace crushed a rock beside Athander's head, and Athander nearly swooned. The knight glared at Athander for a moment and then stormed off and handed the horseman's mace to Amdor, who had been watching nearby. That night, once again at the head of his table for his large family but with his eldest son absent, Amdor told much to Athander. This was why the knight had warned him to return to his father. This was why he himself had warned Athander. The Grim Knight would brook no weakness from would-be knights. Too many youths with fanciful tales of heroism and glory were among the ranks of the Knighthood, Amdor explained, and their weakness and lack of iron dedication now threatened to undo the Order as a whole and the rest of all the lands where evil and chaos did not yet openly rule. Amdor had sent his eldest son on a lone patrol to contemplate his over-enthusiasm. Athander was not yet worthy of the secrets of their tiny cell, and much unproven. The knight was on the verge, Amdor explained, of sending Athander on his way, back to his father or wherever he would go at last, thinking him unsuitable as a prospect. But Athander spoke up for himself. He declared his intention to learn and to meet the hard standards of the Grim Knight. Amidst Athander's response, uncharacteristically the Grim Knight appeared and told Athander that his father had lied, and that although his uncle and cousin were dead his grandfather was very much alive and well, and would love to have his grandson back. There at Long Ridge Athander could be happy and safe, well away from the troubles of the extreme Solamnic frontier, and even become a knight there, for did not Athander know that his grandfather served as vassal to a Solamnic Knight? Surely the training and knighting could be arranged. Athander could stand to inherit a valuable estate and become a shining knight, as was his dream, and enjoy the benefits of servants, good food, peaceful lands, and perhaps the love of a noble lady. The knight opened the door, declaring he had learned only recently of this truth. He bid Athander go. Athander stood and stated he would stay. Three times he said this in defiance of the knight. Then at last the knight relented, and said that Athander then must keep to his oath he gave to he and Amdor many months ago, and obey. The knight then commanded Amdor to train him.

The Early Training of Athander: Amdor was set to great labor. The training of horses and trouble of ranching cattle took much of his days, and what time remained was set to work at the forge. In his labors he was accompanied with Amdor's younger sons, and he was closest to the boy closest to Athander in age, Amdor the Younger. Amdor and Amdorian showed Athander the ways of weapon play, and Amdorian sometimes the smithy, but it was the Grim Knight himself who set to teaching Athander the skills of a weaponsmith. The knight had no flare for finery in steel armor or weapons, but instead worked with great efficiency and intensity. He was however keen on great quality in his weapons, and had become skilled in melting down and improving on the steel of their enemies. Athander could tell that the knight envisioned a strong force one day, should the opportunity arise. Lances, swords, spears and other weapons besides were their make. Amdor also took Athander into Bleakstorm to sell horses for finished goods. From time-to-time Amdor and the knight would leave, and sometimes Amdorian would venture out with the knight instead of his father, but during his second year with them, they were rarely gone for very long, only for a few weeks at most. Whatever their adventures were it was kept from Athander, and although he saw the three of them speaking at times among themselves, he never knew what was being said. Later that second year, Athander was taken by Amdor and the knight all the way back to Haltigoth, ostensibly to sell horses, but Athander knew it was also for other matters. Even in the some two years Athander had been gone the morally degraded port city had somehow grown even worse. There Athander was given a sword for the first time and wore studded leather under humbler clothes, watching the door as the Grim Knight spoke to men Athander was certain were a local cell of Solamnic Knights living in secret. During that visit Amdor spoke to Athander, telling him that the Grim Knight and he had their own informants in the city and in the region, and knew of his father if not his sister. Norton had indeed increased his wealth, but had done so by falling into the slave trade. By all accounts he had given up his search for his son, thinking him dead, and now chiefly served himself and his desires. Amdor advised that Athander would gain no peace in meeting or speaking with his father, for he had been corrupted as were so many in the city. Upon the closing of his second year with Amdor and his family, Athander grew closer to the eldest daughter of Amdor, and although the lord squire's eye and aura forbade any advance from Athander without a word needing to be said about it, their wordless attraction grew.

Athander Begins to Take the Field: After the third year, Amdorian, who was growing ever stronger, experienced and more confident, began to take Athander out on patrols. Riding on fine horses and being careful to remain largely unobtrusive and unseen as best they might, Amdorian led Athander and sometimes Amdor the Younger on hunts and patrols, some of which lasted for days. During these times the youths felt free and strong. Amdorian spoke about his valor and heroism, and although he did so humbly, it would excite the interest of Athander and the younger Amdor, for still Amdorian would offer no specifics about what they did. Amdorian tracked for spies who might be searching for their hidden ranch, or for monsters, and on several occasions there were monsters to be found, although Amdorian dealt with these personally, keeping the younger boys back until goblins were slain. One time Amdorian even slew on ogre and scared off another on the same occasion, and Athander began to fully realize the young man's great quality. At the ranch, lancing tournaments began to be held among the family, and even the knight himself would participate, lancing squashes and even tomato fruits at great speed and with great skill. Another boy also was brought to the ranch, a homeless youth yet younger than Athander named Tarsten. Athander learned the Grim Knight had saved the boy from slavery, and his quick mind and already stout body and heart proved themselves readily. At last, as the autumn came to the ranch of his third year there, the Grim Knight began training Athander personally and very harshly at weapons play. The knight was a mighty or tall man, and was almost slight of build, but his speed and intensity were impossible for Athander to defeat. Although struck with the flat of the blade many times, and struck with a boot or a fist on many occasions, Athander slowly gained genuine skill with the long sword. Winter settled in, and at last Amdor acknowledged Athander's love for his daughter. Only in valor and knighthood would the lord squire accept Athander as a groom for his daughter, and although he was satisfied so far, Athander had yet much to prove and achieve, but as she loved him too, Amdor would keep the girl from other less deserving suitors. Amdor trained Athander with the sword all that winter, and forced Athander, Tarsten and his sons into winter training in the snow, in which the Grim Knight would reveal the slightest clues of movement he could see in the passing of beasts, monsters and men. That Yuletide the Grim Knight joined the Amdor family for the festivities, and even smiled some. Athander knew their victories (whatever they were) had been many that year, and that the Grim Knight's hope and ambition were rising. Could the power of Neraka truly be undone? So it then seemed possible, for Athander increasingly suspected he served under the greatest knight that then lived, sequestered and unknown with a tiny band of followers at the very edge of Nerakan territory, even if all of Solamnia did not know or recognize it.

Athander Takes the Lance: Late that winter Athander was tasked to make his own lance and sword in their snowy mountain home, and the Grim Knight himself made him plate mail fitted to his person. When the snows at last parted, The Grim Knight oversaw a test of Athander's lancing skills to the young man's great consternation. Thinking he had done well, once again the knight without warning came at him with his sword. Athander fought with all his might and newfound skill, despite the death by steel that the Grim Knight promised. Three times Athander found himself with steel to his neck, but each time the knight threw him down into the mud and earth to fight again. Athander, though tears forming, refused to yield. At last the knight had had enough and retired. That night Amdor, his son and the knight spoke in private, and Athander wondered after his fate, and wondered why he even endured the cruelties from a man whose name he did not even know. But in the morning the knight unceremoniously told Athander to ready himself quickly for they were to go on a great ride. Thus four men left Amdor's Ranch: the knight, Amdor, Amdorian and Athander, leaving Amdor the younger master of the ranch. Taking two horses each, at last Athander felt he was on the track to the knight's true trust and respect. The road was stark, traveling the wilderness between the wild low mountains of the fallen Solamnic frontier. But Athander felt a great sense of accomplishment. The other three men gave him at least seemed to have truly embraced him as one of their own, even if he were the most junior. Athander was on his way to becoming a true Knight of Solamnia.

Stories and Lessons on the Road: While on the road and on their nightly camps, Amdor quietly educated Athander more clearly on the Oath and the Measure, and of the history and nature of the Knighthood. Amdor was very knowledgeable, and in a short time Athander learned much. Their master, the only true knight among them, had grown so callous and resentful of what had become of the Knighthood that he eschewed all outward signs of the Order, holding it now wholly in his heart. Amdor warned Athander that the knight had a terrible temper regarding such things, and to never call him "sir", or to speak of the Lord Officers of the Knighthood, for the knight hated them, although he fought to defend them and their honor and lands. Within him the knight keeps what he feels to be the truest essence of the Oath and the Measure, Amdor explained, and they were grimly privileged to serve at his side. Regarding his name and past, for at last Athander asked of this, Amdor said that he had not yet earned this level of trust. There was power even in a name, and should Athander be captured or betray them, it would be more difficult to betray a man who had no name, and whose quests Athander did not know. But Amdor said that Athander was well on the way to earning this trust, which he could only due by battle and shedding blood for their cause. When Athander protested that he would never betray his party, Amdor gave him a chilling look, and suggested to Athander that greater men than Athander had done just that in recent years. But for the rest of the journey, all three of Athander's companions taught him more about keeping the watch and tracking game for the hunt. The Grim Knight himself explained how one might survive in the harsh wilderness of those mountainous lands. They passed settlements on their journey, but stayed well away. Amdor explained that the knight wished his movements to now be almost unknowable, and that they must stay unseen as best they might, for the knight might kill any who saw them. They also actively slew goblins. With great speed and no hesitation Amdor and the knight would go off in the night to slay bands of goblins that they tracked. They would then call up Athander and Amdor, and the four of them would quickly and rudely bury the bodies as best they might, and took the best steel the victims had to offer.

The Tale of the Mouth of Truth: After a long journey, to Athander's surprise they rendezvoused with a small band of other Solamnic Knights and their retainers. Hardy veterans, they gave a certain respect to the Grim Knight, and for the first time Athander heard his true name: Kharthen. Although road-worn and battle tempered, Athander beheld more traditional Solamnic ensigns and badges of office, which Amdor explained. The were Knights of the Order of the Sword, and they pleaded with the Grim Knight to reconsider his course of action. He would do best, they argued, to ride to the Council of Palanthus and inform the high knights there of the extreme importance of what was happening on the collapsing frontier, and the danger it meant for Solamnia and the other neighboring lands. Kharthen refused their counsel, and demanded they they fulfill their oaths to aid them, threatening to label them as cowards if they had ridden this far only to turn back now. At last they subordinated themselves to him, and when one seemed too proud, boasting of his higher rank and experience, the Grim Knight seemed nearly to kill him, so fierce were his eyes. This knight too relented, and would do as they had promised to come and aid him in his bold mission. It was then that Athander learned that among his numerous quests, the Grim Knight had in but the last year traced the one most principally responsible for the destruction of the Company of the Defiant Crown. Kharthen had already slain the evil knight commander who had led the raid on Kwinter Ranch, as he had slain the red dragon that had overwhelmed their number, slaying the great beast in his very nest. But he had learned the evil knight was the Lord of Telvan, a town not far away. Amdor and he had burned Telvan's keep and slain its officers. Before they killed him, Kharthen learned from the castellan that the evil knight was but a servant of another, the Prophet of Truth, a powerful priest who lived in the nearby Madmen Mountains, and that the town's grandees had become worshipers of this god of truth. Kharthen threatened the castellan for the secret name of this god, which in his fear of fire was revealed to be Sargas, otherwise known as Sargonnas, the almost forgotten evil god and consort of Takhisis herself. In telling the story, Amdor produced the cinnabar amulet of the god, a red condor, which the castellan had been wearing. When Amdor had explained to Kharthen what it represented, Kharthen threw the castellan into the flames he so feared, then helped the fire spread to the rest of the town. Kharthen and Amdor then quested after this Prophet of Truth, who sometimes resided at a place call the Mouth of Truth high in the Madmen Mountains. The location they found was wreathed in powerful illusions, but awaiting pilgrims they followed them into the mountain, pretending to be postulants. A macabre temple had been built next to a volcanic vent from which poisoned gasses eternally arose, and it was this that was the "Mouth of Truth" from which the Prophet of Truth periodically emerged. Learning that the "Prophet of Truth" was then absent, they awaited a pilgrimage ceremony in which the high priest was going to sacrifice a virgin, but before they could do this Kharthen and Amdor revealed themselves, and slew the high priests, his subordinates, and all their temple guard. With the occult worshipers fleeing in panic before their bitter swords, Kharthen and Amdor entered the interior of the temple, where after defeated fiends of shadow and fire they were once again they were beset by illusions. Amdor became trapped in a prison of his own mind, and a magical terror was set upon Kharthen that was so terrible it might have slain him, but ultimately Kharthen prevailed and the Grim Knight hunted their invisible assailant. With a slice of his sword the wizard's hand was cut off and he teleported away screaming. Knowing that the small army of monsters and evil men that was there was mustering, Kharthen and Amdor quickly searched the temple. Seizing the most promising of the wizard's scrolls and books, they fled, but were met at the temple gate by a great red-robed minotaur of diabolical demeanor and his warriors. The minotaur called on spells of power from the Mouth of Truth, but Kharthen rushed the monster faster than his warriors could react, slicing his face, his belly and then cutting off one of his horns. Amdor then called on his longtime companion to make their escape, exclaiming that they had records and evidence of what was coming here. Amdor pulled Kharthen away from the fight before they were utterly overwhelmed, and with great reluctance the Grim Knight fled. They had since compelled wizards to interpret the magical codices they had taken, and learned that the Red Wizard whose books they were had been studying how to summon very powerful fiends from the Abyss, using hitherto unknown spells. Wishing to crush this cult once and for all and end this vile threat to the West, Kharthen had spent recent months calling on the last of the nearby Knights of Solamnia who might still be willing to aid him, some of whom had been former members of the Company of the Defiant Crown. And so they had come, even bringing a wizard of the White Robes and a fearsome dwarven henchman named Malkas. Kharthen intended no less than to slay the Prophet of Truth, whom he had learned was named Kulkas-Mog, and collapse the Temple of Sargonnas into the Mouth of Truth. For this he knew he needed more men, and valiant ones at that. Now he had them, and Amdor opined to Athander that it seemed that the Company of the Defiant Crown was forming once again.

Raid on the Mouth of Truth: Concerned about the illusions surrounding the mountains of the Mouth of Truth, they scouted the surrounding region for a time, even conducting raids on forlorn outposts, leaving none alive to tell the tale of what had happened to them. For the first time Athander watched the Grim Knight in action. Being left to the horses with the squires of the new knights, Athander saw men and monsters fall to Kharthen's sword as if it were hardly a threat. From these doomed men they learned more of the Prophet of Truth and of his cult. They learned that a son of Sargas, the Naug-Sargas or Naug, had come amongst them from far away lands, that he was a powerful magician, and that the Prophet of Truth foretold that the Naug would soon be imbued with his father's divine glory, and after leaving for a time would return a mighty god in his own right, and lay vengeance upon all the enemies of all those who worshiped and served him. Then, when they were ready, they executed their great and second raid upon the Mouth of Truth. A prayer was held by the more devout knights, which Kharthen avoided, praying or at least meditating alone. But when the prayer was done and the preparations had been made, Athander and the rest of the junior squires were left behind, commanded to watch the horses, with Amdorian being left in charge. Amdor left them with parting words of encouragement, and commanded his son to lead the family well if he did not survive. The raiding party of hardened knights and proven veterans then entered into a hidden fissure at the base of the mountain, thereby avoiding the illusions (or so they thought) that wreathed the approach to the Mouth of Truth. The youthful squires waited a long time. That evening, red and brown clouds appeared over the mountains, and red lightning with peeling thunder. They worried for their masters. Then at night, illuminated by the bright Red Moon and flashes of red lightning, the squires were beset by goblins. Taking command Amdorian led a charge on the goblin's forward position, and Athander thought he would enter combat. But the goblins flighted. Amdorian then gave Athander the command of the reserve horses, and with the eldest squires they rode after the goblins who meant to shoot at them with their bows and odd weapons. In the night Amdorian slew many goblins, and Athander wished he was not bound by his oath to obey the elder youth, so that he might fight along side him. Just as Amdorian consolidated the squires and they grasped victory, a great roar was heard from high up in the mountains unlike anything Athander had heard before. The horses startled in fear. Then from the mountain peaks a gigantic dragon appeared, black and terrible in the red moonlight. From a great and steep gorge running down the mountain men could be heard calling out in terror and panic. The dragon leaped down on lower cliffs, and with his enormous neck devoured one after the other of the very knights who had come to help the Grim Knight. Amdorian observed in terror that many of the knights seemed to be lost in the illusion that guarded the mountain, stopping to scream in and terror before screaming yet again as the enormous maw of the dragon reached down to devour them. As had been planned, Andorian tried to lead the horses up to meet the fleeing knights, but the fear of the dragon overwhelmed most of them, although Athander and Amdorian managed to lead a small team of them forward as the others scattered in terror. Lightning flashed, revealing blue scales on the enormous beast that was so large it could have swallowed a knight and his horse whole. For a moment, as lightning flashed, Athander locked eyes with the dragon, and Athander's fear nearly overwhelmed him, but he knew that the Grim Knight would not buckle, so he steeled himself and he did not flee. At last they beheld Amdor running towards them. The lord-squire weaved away from the dragon's maw though he was thrown down by it, slicing his sword on the dragon's invulnerable snout. Amdor rose and immediately mounted his personal horse, telling his son and Athander to move away and help any other survivors if they could. Amdor called to the dragon, challenging him, but the dragon spitefully ignored Amdor and devoured another screaming knight. Amdor then rushed his steed at the dragon up the steep incline, and with his lance plunged the steel tip at the dragon's feeding mouth. The roar of the dragon's pain was deafening as the dead and chewed knight fell from his maw, and with an angry claw he destroyed Amdor's horse with a single pass. Amdorian charged himself, his lance breaking against the dragon's scales, and his sword just as useless. Then Amdor took from Athander his own horse and charged once again, even as the dragon reach down to devour his son. This time the lance tip pierced the dragon's great yellow eye. The roar of pain was even more enormous than before, and yet despite the dragon's rage Amdor slashed at the dragon's scales uselessly with his sword, commanding his son to go. Amdor turned about to charge once again, but even as Athander and Amdorian fled, the dragon released an enormous bolt of lightning from his wounded maw, and Amdor was no more. Pained by his now missing eye and clawing at the wound amidst his roars, the dragon unfolded his tremendous wings and with a leap flew over Athander and the other survivors, and flew away.

Defeat, Loss and Recovery: In the aftermath, Amdorian's resilience and purpose of mind rallied despite his father's death. Seeing that the dragon had retired and no immediate foes, he ordered the other squires to gather the horses as best and as quickly as they could, and retrieve the survivors of the raiding party. Of the two dozen or so knights and retainers who had gone on the raid, only four were accounted: two knights, a sergeant and the dwarf Malkas. After they had ridden as far away as they could and found what concealment was available, Athander heard at least some of what had happened. After fighting through the illusions and daemons that guarded the narrow fissure, Kharthen split the raiding party in two upon seeing an opening that led elsewhere, leaving Amdor in charge of the other half. No one survived from Kharthen's half of the party, but for Amdor's half, they come up through the rear basement of the volcano temple, quietly slew the guards and priests there, and then waited for Kharthen's force to come from the other side before attacking the Prophet of Sargonnas' audience chamber. But Kharthen did not come, and fearing discovery, they began their surprise attack, only to find the court of the Prophet to be an illusion, which soon was followed by lethal illusions of monsters and fiends. Amdor led his party out of the temple, only to find the prophet waiting with an attack force of monsters and armored minotaurs. The prophet mocked them, saying that Sargas had foreseen their coming again, and this time they would be destroyed. Yet in this moment a wounded and afflicted Kharthen appeared from the rear of the prophet's troops, and threw his spear into the minotaur's throat. A general melee erupted, and an invisible wizard rained down magic upon them. Yet despite the prowess of the enemy Kharthen could not easily be stopped. He threw quick mercury upon the invisible wizard, exposing him to focused attacks, and soon his sword cut down the flower of the mighty minotaur guards. The white and red wizard dueled, and although the white wizard was destroyed, his enemy was burned and wounded. One of the surviving knights said and he Amdor chased after the wounded wizard who had fled into the temple once more, and after hearing his way through an illusion Amdor throttled the wizard, strangling him to death, after which the other knight beheaded him, causing his body to explode into frozen glass. But it was then that the great blue dragon appeared. Yet last they saw him, Kharthen remained fixed on the Prophet of Truth, who feared his sword, and was fighting him at the very lip of the Mouth of Truth. Kharthen refused to retreat despite the knights being eaten alive by or blasted apart by the dragon, but in uncharacteristic mercy, in a shout gave Amdor the angry order to retreat. Only upon the third such order did Amdor obey. After hearing this story, the grieving and broken party that remained traveled all the way to Haltigoth to find refuge with the secret cell of Solamnic knights there. While at Haltigoth Athander had grown to be friends with one of the squires, and accompanied him to a tavern. There Athander was spotted by one of his father's old agents, who quickly escalated his questions to commands that Athander come with him, expecting a large reward from his father for the return of his long-lost son. The old mercenary called for men to obey him to subdue the youth, offering considerable sums. Athander however would no longer submit to such pettiness, and with his own hands threw each man down with great ferocity. Athander then told off the agent, telling him that if indeed his father does still want to see his beloved son, he should dare to come to take him back to him himself. Not long afterwards, once the survivors were settled as best as they could, he and Amdorian returned to Amdor's Ranch. Desiring revenge for the death of his knight, the dwarf Malkas would not be left behind. Being now the master of his family and seeing as that Kharthen was presumably dead and he being in charge of the secret of Amdor's Ranch, Amdorian named Malkas his man-at-arms and they returned to the ranch.

The Return of Kharthen Starth: The death of the family patriarch was most bitter to House Thalden, and the sadness was very great. But Amdorian bore himself nobly, and considered his next actions. He offered the release of Athander and Tarsten from his service, but both refused, willing to follow Lord Thalden with whatever he chose. Amdorian however delayed in any great decision, thinking that time might reveal itself as he inquired after the possibility of leading the retreat of his family back into the Solamnic core lands. But then, after some three months, Kharthen appeared. It was as if all were seeing a ghost. He heard what tales could be told from Amdorian, Athander and the others and sat in dark silence. Seeing that he had been through a great deal, and seemed hardened now more than ever before, they asked after what had happened to Kharthen. The knight bruskly explained that they had been betrayed. Somehow, amidst his call for allies, the agents of evil had replaced one of the called for trusted knights with an evil illusion. How long had he been among them? But whatever the details, when Kharthen led his detachment apart from the others, and evil spell of death was cast upon the lot of them, and trapped within the poisonous cloud, it nearly killed Kharthen as well. A fireball followed the cloud of death, and in the end Kharthen only remained. He assailed the attacker, who had revealed himself to be a great and dark minotaur with dark red horns, with yet another spell on his fingertips. Kharthen wrestled with him in the narrow chasm, and broke his hand, and nearly his neck. But the great monster broke free from his grip and disappeared with a spell. This minotaur, Kharthen explained, he would later discover to be Naug-Sargas, the claimed son of Sargonnas. Kharthen explained how much he had wished he had killed him in that moment. Although his party was dead, Kharthen decided to then continue on his original plan and ambush to the rear of Amdor's enemy all by himself. As to what happened after the others had been ordered to retreat, Kharthen said he forced the Prophet of Sargonnas down the Mouth of Truth, and leaped after him. Kharthen found himself in a world of fire and burning, but burst from the flames following the now fearful prophet. Kharthen found himself in a great temple of burning magma and fire. He slew minotaur guards that challenged him there, but then hid as they came in numbers. Creeping about, Kharthen found the red robed wizard they had thought Amdor had slain, but Kharthen said he slew him, strangling him before throwing him into one of the fire pools. Escaping the temple, Kharthen found himself in Hell. Of this he does not wish to overly speak, save to say that it is perhaps worse than they can imagine, and that a truly malevolent evil pervades there like he has never before known. The experience truly struck him. Yet Kharthen now held a mighty sword, an evil looking blade that could burn with black fire upon his command. Kharthen took it from a fiend that thought it could trick him. Kharthen said he destroyed the fiend with his own blade. Kharthen learned much of evil, and the plans of evil, while in Hell, and learned lore about the dark god Sargonnas. The god's "Prophet of Truth" had fled in fear of Kharthen to his god's personal palace, but he learned of the supposed son of Sargonnas' plan to travel to the Seven Heavens to become a god. Eventually Kharthen snuck through the burning temple again and emerged out of the Mouth of Truth. The ancient blue wyrm had since become de facto master of that place, and Kharthen saw its one eye and knew his fellow knights had not died without wounding evil's face. Kharthen recovered for several days from his enormous ordeal, but then, having resolved on what to do, decided to travel to Palanthus is Solamnia to demand audience with the knightly counsel there. Amdorian said that his oath as a squire had been to his father, not Kharthen, but Kharthen obviated this by knighting Amdorian there on the spot, and on his own authority. When Amdorian asked after the Council of Knights to confirm him, Kharthen replied that there was no greater way to gain one's spurs than by a knighting in the battlefield. And so Amdorian received his knighthood by Blackfire, or so Kharthen called his sword. Immediately afterwards Athander was asked if he would serve as Kharthen's squire, which Athander accepted, taking the oath of the Knights of Solamnia for the first time.

Journey to the Core Lands: Leaving Amdor the Younger as master of Amdor Ranch, Kharthen led a small group all the way to Palanthus, including himself, Athander, Tarsten, Malkus the dwarf, and Amdorian. For once Kharthen rode at a deliberate pace, although he stayed off the main highways, greatly slowing their journey. Along the way Kharthen taught Athander and Tarsten more of fieldcraft, as well as swordcraft. He also told more of his experiences and stories of the Knighthood. Athander learned more about the man, and of how Kharthen had once served in a lord's castle in the core lands before becoming a knight. His own lord was pulled down by the mob when he was away on a quest, and Kharthen watched it happen when he was pulled apart. It was then when Kharthen first went to the eastern frontier and served the march knights there, and there where he received his spurs. It had been years since he had returned to the core lands, and he was certainly not eager to do so. At the urging of Amdorian they made a detour to Hartford so that the young Lord Thalden could see his abandoned family estate. This was much against Kharthen's will, but as it was a point of honor, he did not refuse. Finding his family castle effectively abandoned, housing only animals and vagrants, Amdorian appealed to the local mayor to press his rights for the land. The village mayor was cordial towards Amdorian, and as he did not press his lordship but merely his land rights, the mayor did not seem troubled, saying that he regretted their rough treatment of his father. The mayor invited Amdorian and his friends to the town council that evening to discuss the matter over dinner. Disinterested in such things and discouraging the matter, Kharthen stayed well outside the town at camp with Tarsten. But Athander and Malkus went to help ensure all went well. At first Amdorian was treated respectfully, and they even referred to him as Lord Thalden, and wanted to make amends for past wrongs. But then the council turned. In one swift series of actions, Amdorian was stabbed through the hand and then seized. Athander fought with his fists until he was overwhelmed by clubs. Malkus however was too strong to be so subdued. He nearly waded through the mob to reach Amdorian, but at last he was lifted up and thrown into the nearby Vingaard River. Next, they mocked Amdorian in his knightly garb, hacked off his spears, and paraded him as a mock lord tied to a chair for the village, so that they may see their lord upon a throne. Then they pulled Amdorian apart, limb by limb, and made Athander watch. It was then however that Kharthen at last came. He rode through the mob, and slew those immediately around Amdorian's stump of a body. Badgeless and without any symbols of the knighthood, even armor, they ran in terror from him. Kharthen took Amdorian's family plate mail and heirloom sword, and what remained of him, and with Athander rode off. Kharthen said little when they put Amdorian to rest in the distant fields of his familial lands, his face empty. Malkus swore vengeance and Tarsten insisted they bring the matter before the courts. Kharsten however said nothing, but gave the armor and sword for Athander to bear, after cleaning them. They then rode on.

Tower of the High Clerist: