Tale:War Journal of Kazimierz

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The River of Heaven Flows Ever Onward...

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I. Valediction

To my dearest,

My journey has been long and difficult, and the end draws near. Soon I will be called home to the embrace of our demiurge. His light shines upon all of us, but I am growing weak and my vision is clouded. I cannot see our path ahead, nor can I dwell on what I leave behind. For there is much duty to be done, in the name of the Emperor.

I must set sail to Sothera, and cleanse it of those who have turned their back on our gods and plague the land with their oblivion. With each almighty step he takes our empire prospers, but there will be no peace for me until all have been cleansed and all have embraced the light.

It pains me to leave you, my love, and yet our duty is clear. I will fight for the glory of our gods and the safety of our empire. It is my hope that we may yet be reunited, but if fate shall not allow it, I go in peace. Know that I am with you always, and that my heart is yours.

Forever faithful,

-Kazimierz

II. Walled City

Four moons have passed since my departure. I have encountered many, great hardships along the way and now I find myself upon the shores that once formed the line of my army between our peoples. It is here that we will fight to protect our home and hold back the oblivion.

Time is running short and we must move quickly. Dawn approaches, though I can feel its light in my soul. All will soon be made clear. I have a noose tied around my neck, and yet I am at peace as I await the coming storm.

The walls of the city loom before me, and I ready myself for the long night ahead.

III. Sothera

The city of Sothera. It has been months since we arrived, and our forces surround it like hungry wolves eager to devour their prey. We wear our finest armor and brandish our most deadly weapons as we wait for our foes.

More than just the city itself must die. The stars below are tainted, and the bones of our ancestors have been violated. Vileness has seeped into the very grain of the land, and it must be cleansed.

In the distance I heard a shrill scream, a signal that battle calls us once more. A cackling laugh filled the air, almost audible to the naked ear. We have prepared for this day since our arrival, and so we will stand our ground and fight the things of darkness with righteousness at our side.

As I stare at the bleak horizon, I know that the time has come. May our Emperor guide us through the dark, and may His light shine upon us all.

IV. Cessation

To my dearest,

I write to you from the fallen city of Sothera, from which our light was finally extinguished. I have fulfilled my duty, as I had vowed to do, but my victory came at a high cost. Our forces were stronger than any before them and the enemy was broken with ease. Yet they were relentless, their ranks countless, and the cost of each victory only led us to further challenges.

Our campaign began five years ago, with the promise of peace and salvation. My dreams had come true, for our gods had sent us a sign. A long-lost relic was found in the dark corners of our world, leading us to a land that called out to our hearts. We knew then that this was where we had been meant to be, that Sothera was where we must direct our faith and our might.

The longer we lingered there, however, the more I began to question the will of our emperor. He is the divine right of our people, our savior, yet he seemed to want nothing to do with Sothera. Why was his mind set against destroying what may have been the source of all our problems? The answer was unclear, until his wishes were made clear.

-Kazimierz

V. Premonitions

The stars are so beautiful in this place. I've never seen such a sight before. The colors and contrive they paint across the sky, they remind me that our world is not so bleak. We only need to open our eyes to see the beauty around us. Sothera has been a great teacher to me, if one can call death a teacher. It's brought great sadness, but also great joy. I hope to share that with you when all of this is over.

My mind is full of doubts about what I have been commanded to do. The emperor has given me no reason for why I should act as he has said, or why others would not be in similar positions. Why have I been chosen? What makes me so special that I should be stripped of my honor, of my worth, for a goal I do not understand? I cannot continue on this path, not like this. I am not ready for such a sacrifice.

As I was writing this I noticed something strange in the sky. I looked closer and saw a lightning bolt streak across the clouds. I did not hear it, which has led me to wonder how I missed it.

VI. Plague

The vast majority of the troops fell to infection, but the mental disease that struck our ranks began to cause more problems than the physical. We were still gathering resources and expanding in hopes that we would be able to overcome these issues on our own, without the support of our emperor. The men and women that were toiling day in and out began to show no regard for their comrades or our mission, only seeking to enrich themselves with any means possible. Many of my closest friends and comrades had suffered this fate and were stricken with their greed. With a heavy heart, I had no choice but to put them down.

It seemed that his sanctity, blessed him thy name, Krom was not pleased with our efforts. Still, he managed to summon the will to grant us a benediction that would aid us against the enemies we now faced. While we had thought to give glory to his name during our conquest of Soteris, it was instead he that gave us his due. The blessing of his favor eased the pain of each day and made our enemies think twice about attacking our encampments. Though this was not enough to stop their advance, we still felt that we could rise against them again. Little did I know, the effects were only temporary and soon began to fade almost instantaneously.

Our numbers might ebb and wane, but those of the enemy seemed to rise in the face of all this. The men and women needed something, or someone, to give them strength and hope again. I knew that, despite what our men and women had turned into, we were not all lost to darkness. There were still many who were willing to lay down their lives ultimately for the beauty of our sacred divinity, Sajah. It was only with her grace that we could achieve victory in this land, she who we called upon for strength. Many of us died for her wishes and her desires on the war path, and she led us to a golden city that would house the hundreds of thousands of worshipers who now sought to claim it as their own.

VII. Embers

My general, Talion, had accompanied me as we marched through the vile lands of Soteris. It was his influence that led me to this cursed place, and I still do not know the extent of his involvement in all this. As was my first order, he was to perform the acts of purification and cleansing in the name of our gods and the empire. Yet there was never an end to his wicked acts.

Cities were burned to the ground and the inhabitants, who did not forsake the Empire, were put to the sword. This was not enough, as the militiamen were always there to ambush, strike down, and ultimately cause more chaos within our ranks. Krom, though pleased with our work at first, seemed to grow weary of it.

Knowing that only another blot of disobedience could come from such actions, I set about to correct him for his crime. But, we were struck by the enemy and his men attacked on the orders of Talion. I was suddenly beset by those who I have taken oath to, and who had forsaken the Empire.

We both faced countless volleys of arrows, which only composed the first wave of the attack. Once their task had been completed, the Blackmaw cavalry came upon us and we were forced to defend against their attacks. Their numbers were far greater than I had anticipated, and our efforts to outlast them were in vain. They struck down at our leadership and reinforcements were quickly put to death.

By the time I had made my way back to our encampment and regrouped with the last remnants of our forces, My eastern flank had were all but wiped out. Do not think that I am not aware of Talion's deceit and disloyalty, for I know that he sought to usurp my place within our ranks as war leader. The treachery that he and his compatriots have bestowed upon our people will not stand. The power I have is not my own, and the Emperor's fleet will not rest until it has found and destroyed him.

From the ashes of Soteris, I will to do more for the glory of our faraway emperor. I will lead the charge and shield our people against this blight of betrayal and treachery. I will find a way to honor our gods and our empire.

VIII. A Great Fleet Below The Soil

We have endured much in the past few weeks, further pushed to the brink as we have lost all semblance of normalcy. Less than half of my men and women have survived this trek. By the time our time comes to an end, I will be the sole survivor and an ancient artifact will be in my hands.

Some say that it will help propel our efforts back to the imperial keep, or even see an end to the carnage that has befallen us. I cannot say the truthfulness of these claims. It has been years since I have seen another person or had the blessing of our kind, but I know that the same problems remain. I have promised to me and mine that I will seek to mend these, if not end them, when I return home.

The artifact that Talion had stolen as our people abandoned all hope is indeed powerful. The more that I learn of it, the more I feel that we may yet be able to triumph even with our diminished numbers. There is not much time for it to sear through my veins, for I fear the military of Soteris will soon find us and the artifact may be lost to us. It is my hope that I have time to transgress the artifacts power, and we might yet be able to prove our worth to our gods once more.

IX. Silamia

I have received word from the emperor. He wishes only to see the total destruction of Soteris, and that if we are to rule this one, there will soon be another. This has come with great reluctance. We traveled far and challenge the enemy that laid waste to the first never seemed to find an end. It is my desire to honor the emperor and guide my people to the most glorious hereafter possible. Yet if we are to suffer this fate, there will be no hatred. This has been a hopeless fight from the beginning.

General Silamia of the Eastern Army has learned of the treacherous acts of Talion, and he has made his way with his forces to aid us in ending this blight upon our great empire. The men and women of the empire are able to hold the front lines against an enemy that far outnumbers us, but the true enemy is within ourselves.

The men of Silamia have been impressed by our quest, and are assisting in the cleansing and purification of these hostile lands. No longer do we need to consciously try to do this. It is difficult to describe the change in our people, but it has in some way restored the unity and honor that were once unmatched in all of Selkirk. We are, after all, servants of the emperor, and that we shall ever remain.

Talion and his compatriots have fled and we have seen no sign of them for a long time. It is believed that the eastern forces have learned of their attempts to usurp the power of Soteris, and of the council. The generals of the great cities that were under their subjection fear that he may have begun to turn these cities against us. Although there has been no sign of this, I still fear that Talion may be attempting to muster his strength and see yet another attempt to over throw the throne.

In keeping with our end goal, we will rest here and let Soteris become a grave for our fallen. It is upon the jaws of defeat that we will secure our future. I do not know if there will ever be forgiveness for being here at all, but I know now more than ever.

X. In Honor

The easterners are strong-willed and are willing to fight tooth and nail in the name of empire. Though the numbers were far fewer than that of the enemy, they were more than capable of weathering the onslaught. Worst of all, we have no way of knowing how many years have passed until we have returned to the imperial keep.

It is my hope that we can offer the emperor the item that is sought after and live to see a new dawn. If not, then I shall honor our faraway lord as I have always done, and my actions today will further our goals.

Our men and women fought valiantly, even against the most vile of enemies. The easterners laid with us in our efforts to root out the corruption that has dealt with Soteris to this day, and the imperials never faltered. It was with the greatest sacrifice that we were able to collect the artifact that has eluded us for so long, despite the corruption of our ranks. It is now with great trepidation that I must sit again with the imperials to discuss our next move.

XI. Amalgamation

The Western forces have come to our aid as well. Through sheer strength of will, we were able to carry off that which the enemy thought would be lost to them forever. Regardless of this gain, I do not feel that the emperor shall be pleased. His men and women are loyal to their duty, and are prepared to send themselves to certain doom in service of the empire.

The more that I learned from the Soterisians, the more I feel that they were never motivated by the same greed that has forced us to make unwise decisions on a daily basis. But rather, they embody what it truly means to be loyal to our gods and our people. The emblem of the sun within their colors represents the drive they feel they must bring us to. Many times they were the first to enter the fray, their ranks were the first to be eliminated, and at times, they were the only ones who rose against the enemy.

We shall hear news from our emperor once we have returned. I fear the loss of kin and kin, for such has happened many a time today alone. The enemy is tireless and our numbers are greatly consolidated. Only time will tell if the artifact is of benefit any longer, but I feel that I must attempt to end the enemy this day alone if they will not be annihilated with their allies. I ask that you remain hopeful, no matter the outcome.

XII. War Council

I have been summoned to the War Council. The emperor's will is clear, and yet I find myself questioning his actions as of late. Soteris has brought us much pain, and yet he commands us to stay our hand. He wishes for a negotiated peace, but I do not think that this is possible, for the enemy stands resolute and does not show any signs of faltering. I fear for my people, and in the end, I shall say the truth.

General Silamia of the Eastern army has called to say that we may be able to renew the faith of our kinsmen. The Emperor has commended us in our battles, and the easterners know that they are following a capable commander.

There is still much to be resolved, but I have every confidence that if we do not receive a favorable outcome that the lands will be purged with our kindness. I have intimated for a long time that this may come to this, and now it is near. Eternal blood has been spilled, yet I know that those who return will be beloved by those who have served in our name.