Sir Tao Ya Kang, Lord of Clontarf,
Thank you for your letter Sir Tao. I managed to find a new employer who was, and still is, in need of mercenaries to supplement her efforts to become the Nyame des Nordens. This enables me to earn enough pay for general expenses such as armor repair, new weaponry and travel cost. Every little bit of coin I get from Blackwood assists a great deal.
Despite the steadily full purse, the work I am doing here is considerably dangerous. I am in the employ of Liandra zu Wolfenau from House Qu’ellar Xarann of the Protectorate of Gales Morgan in the Northern Seal region of Mythodia. She wishes to replace the current Nyame des Nordens, Kasha´lee Zress. The position is similar to that of an Empress given the position by the grace of the Elements which are like gods here. Through this work, I am fighting their wars in armies the size of which I have never seen.
Rise of the Ratio and the Realm of Roses
When I started my work within Mythodia three years ago the war against the armies of the counter elements, Schwarzes Eis, Öligen Pestilenz, die Leere, and der Untote Fleisch, had just turned in a new direction. The final seal to Kelriothar, the mirror world, had been broken the previous year allowing for the rise of a new threat, the Army of Doubt and the Ratio under the Primordial Skeptics. I participated at first in the war against the Schwarzes Eis or Black Ice in the border regions of the Realm of Roses. Later, my first employer the Archon Karl Weber took his gathered Lion’s Guard and mercenaries and attempted to assault an enemy position in the North but our Air Portal was corrupted by Vin´Shar of the Leere which landed us in lands of Southern Seal under the control of the Untote Fleisch. The effort to pull ourselves out of the trap was substantial and our small force of just under six hundred paid heavily for it. Yet we managed to free ourselves and return to our respective Seal Regions or places of work. That is when I met Liandra zu Wolfenau, my current employer.
Work with Liandra and the War against the Ratio
With the war between the Reich der Rosen, or Realm of Roses, and the Schwarzes Eis dying down some, work dried up. With some luck, however, a new employer came along with a lot to gain. Liandra zu Wolfenau was in the capital of the Realm of Roses to get her children that had been kept there for protection when she announced that she would be undergoing the tests to become the Nyame des Nordens a position that was already filled by Nyame Kasha’lee Zress.
Her House, Qu’ellar Xarann, was heavily comprised of drow but they mostly worked within the political environment of their world. If you know anything about my history, working with drow was a bit nostalgic for me. When I first arrived in Realms some twenty or more years ago, it was a drow house that had taken in my family. In any case, the house was first heading south, back to the lands I had been trapped in the previous year, but this time with a plan. The conflicts this year were decidedly more in our favor though for the first time in a long time I had to fall off the front lines due to physical exhaustion.
After the southern campaign, we traveled North once more where we prepared to meet up with the Great Host to march on Kelriothar the home of the Ratio and the Army of Doubt. As of this time my expenses were well paid and my gear well maintained. Working with someone like Liandra zu Wolfenau has great potential. If she is succeed in her mission, she would effectively be one of the two rulers of the entire Northern Seal. I must admit that the prospects are plentiful. My primary goal being that I could one day hold a protectorate in the name of Blackwood within the Northern Seal though the money feels as if it may dry up.
War against the Ratio within the Mirror World
When we met up with the Great Host army, the baggage trains stretched for miles. I had never seen so many soldiers and camp followers before. It was the largest army I had ever seen and it consisted of kingdoms, principalities, protectorates, baronies, tribes and more all from the seals, the Reich der Rosen and the Freienmark. The army was divided into several Banners. Ours was the Banner of Unity. The Great Host was led by the Banner Council which consisted of representatives from the within the banners. We were broken down to several quarters within our own banner and each quarter had its own camp and personal palisade. We were called Veribus Unitas.
As we entered the Mirror World we were beset by endless legions of Schwarzes Eis, Untote Fleisch and the Army of Doubt. According to House Xarann, we had expected a counter attack of great proportion form the Primordial Sceptics who now controlled the opposition. Due to uncovered prophesy and strange weather, it became known that the Primordial Skeptics were playing with Time. This plan was stopped during a large battle that I was not present for when the Lord of Negation, Firin Krähensang was killed by a Sword Bearer who died in the action. I was stuck on a different battlefield attempting to aid in maintaining a presence there as we lost the field after several hours of fighting.
Negatives and Conclusion
Death is a problem here. In most cases, it is permanent. This has been a problem for me here as I have no intention of dying but I have often come close. I have been poisoned, corrupted, and beaten within inches of death several times since my arrival. Cleaning out the blood is becoming a daily habit at least when on campaign. The money I earn from Liandra mostly covers living and repair expenses but does not cover any desires for potential Blackwood expansion. The allotments that I have been receiving from Blackwood have gone virtually unspent and are instead going into a chest to be used when my name has grown enough. I will need to be able to fund my own mercenaries should the day come when it is time to form an East Blackwood Protectorate within Mythodia.
Please send my regards to King K, Lord Nos and the people of Blackwood.
- Dagger Arkenstone of Blackwood, Mayor of CrestGrath, Awakened of the Void