Looking up after a hard day’s work Ertas noticed a small band of armored warriors approaching the village where he lived. One of the warrior approached and asked him about the area and the name of his village. During their discussion Ertas told the strange warrior that this was a remote village, it’s inhabitants wanted to escape the general bustle of the larger villages and cities and live a quiet life. They chose this area because it was near a trade rout, and once every 2-3 months trader caravans would pass through their village and trade with them, plus the area was fairly near the Thon-Thala Tower and the area was generally well protected by the towers guards and casters. Smiling the human left Ertas and went to report to his commanding officer, puzzled by the sudden good mood of the warrior, Ertas returned to tending his fields as the strange band of fighters made their way into the village, what also lingered in his thoughts was the fact that the strange man didn’t ask for directions to a tavern, or asked about a place to spend the night as travelers usually do.
A few minutes barely passed when he saw a fellow villager running from the village, Ertas started to move towards him, quickly freezing in place as he saw the man felled by a well placed arrow trough his skull, the shooter shouted at him to join the others in the village if he didn’t want to share that mans fait, the thought of running crossed his mind, but he was faced by a well trained soldier and his chances of dodging that mans arrows where slim, plus he saw in the distance other soldiers rounding up the villagers in the fields and bringing them in town. Approaching the soldier he learned that their leader has killed the mayor in cold blood and had taken over his village, this where no soldiers, this where defectors, trying to make a comfortable life for themselves by taking over an remote undefended village. Usually the local area was free of raiders, most of them being too afraid of the dragons in the tower or the casters inside; this was supposed to be a fairly safe and peaceful area. Why did these men did betray the tower, his question was soon answered, this men were cowards, as soon as they heard about the beginning of the war, and that the time dragon has be released, they turn tail and ran from the tower, seeking to make an easy life praying on the defenses villages near the tower. They had good knowledge of the area and the patrol routes, they had the man power and gear to easily take over any village. The villagers knew they were in a dire situation, if they didn’t send a message to the tower soon their fate was sealed, no one would come to their rescue, so Ertas and 5 other men volunteered to make a run for it and try to reach a patrol and let them know of what has transpired in their village. They waited for a few days, just enough to take advantage of first weakness in deserters offered them, as is the custom with people, after a while they started getting sloppy, they weren’t the finest the eternal blades had to offer, and one night while the soldiers were getting drunk and taking advantage of the village’s women, the brave souls made a run for it. Overpowering their guards using makeshift weapons they snuck during the periods of forced labor enforced upon them, unfortunately the small window of opportunity they had quickly ended and soon some of the more sober soldiers where after them. Armed with the knowledge of the terrain Ertas and the others managed to evade the pursuers for a while, but weakened from the days of forced labor they quickly tiered and their pursuers caught up with them. Fuelled by rage and adrenaline from the chase they slaughter the villagers quickly as they caught them, Ertas was the last one left alive, he could almost see the tower, he almost made it, he surged on with renew hope seeing he goal getting closer and closer, soon he would avenge his fallen friends, and take vengeance on the wrenched sons of whores that destroyed the sanctity of his beloved village and raped his wife and the other women, but his hope was quickly shattered, along with this leg bone by a well placed arrow. He still carried on, despite the pain of his shattered leg and, fuelled by the rage when he thought of those still suffering and will continue to suffer if he would fail in this goal, he was crawling rather than running towards the tower, then another arrow hit him, well placed shot after well placed shot struck him, as the marksman fired carefully placed shots, as not to kill his mark right away and end his misery fast. The soldiers wanted to make him pay for making them chase him so far and making them risk being found by the towers patrols, still being late at night, there was still a risk that a late patrol would still be out. Ertas was barely holding on to life, his sheer determination kept him alive, as he rested on the ground waiting his inevitable fate at the hands of the rage and alcohol filled soldiers, his only comfort being the gentle summer wind, caressing his face and easing some of his pain. What happened next he couldn’t believe his eyes, he saw a shadowy figure emerging from the woods, then in a quick blur dispatched the first two soldiers that charged towards him, the marksman desperately tried to bring this new threat down, but none of his arrows found their mark, the figure was too fast for them, and before he could realize what was going on the marksman was obliterated in a lightning fast series of sword strikes. The mysterious man kneed beside Ertas, laying his odd looking blood soaked blade near him, he quickly asked from where did those men came from, Ertas mustering his last few ounces of strength explained to him what was happened to his village and how to reach it, and asked him his name. The man simply replied, that “This man has no name, only a goal that must now be fulfilled’’, he promised that he would avenge his village and what happened to it is unforgivable and will not go unpunished, he will personally take care of that so he could rest easy knowing his and his fellow villagers sacrifice wasn’t in vain. Hearing that, Ertas thanked the mysterious stranger and dew his last breath, after making a make shift grave for him the man studied the killed soldiers and headed towards the location of the village.
Dawn broke over the village, the soldiers starting to wake up after their debauchery last night, their captain worried that his men didn’t return yet, fearing that they might have been discovered by a stray tower patrol last night he ordered his men to start packing their gear, take that they needed from this village and move on the next, they would slaughter every last villager making it look like a bandit raid. Before they even started packing their gear one soldier from the patrol returned, badly wounded, he explained that the villagers got lucky and managed to take down one of their men, but in the end were no match for their superior training, unfortunately they ran into a small patrol on the way back losing the other soldier with him and ending himself severally wounded, but have managed to kill the patrol in the process. The leaded congratulated him for his victory against the patrol and the dispatch of the escaped villagers, and told him to help himself to any woman in the village and some food and wine, while the other soldiers took care of the villagers, they should move on, so that they won’t be discovered by an patrol sent to investigate the disappearance of the missing tower soldiers. Before anyone could react the wounded soldier quickly eviscerated the soldiers near him, and charged towards another group, making short work of them also, before he could realize what was going on the renegade commander was left alone with the wounded soldier. Trying to hide his fear, he demanded an explanation for what has just happened, the wounded man simply replied that a traitor doesn’t deserve an explanation, and that justice was finally served, for the way he had dishonored the order there was only one verdict, death. Before the commander could react, the wounded soldiers blade sliced open his stomach, feeling his life slip out of his body, the commander told the man that he only tired to look out for his men, why should he fight in a war in which he didn’t understand the stakes. The man explained to him that is was hi duty as an eternal blade to serve and protect the towers and the people of this land, not to question the reasons for doing so, as and final courtesy he would reveal his true identity so that he can go to the afterlife knowing who was that ended his and his fellow soldiers lives. The dyeing man and the villagers watched in shock as the wounded soldiers features faded away in a puff of smoke, revealing the form of a very strange looking elf, his stature was larger than the elf’s they seen before, his skin and hair were completely white, and seem to have some draconic features, his face had some very subtle silver scales on it and his eyes although completely white resembled that of a dragon. His armor was a very well polished and had an silvery look to it, and the blade he wielded was a odd looking falchion, although at first glance it seemed made of metal on closer inspection you could see that the blade was actually made from an very well shaped crystal.
After witnessing the quick dispatch of the soldiers who for a couple of days made their lives a living hell, the villagers approached the odd looking elf and thanked him for their rescue and wanted to know who their mysterious savior was. The elf said that they should thank Ertas, because he manage to get close to the road leading to the tower and, with his dyeing breath, managed to guide him to the village, he was very lucky that he encounter him, the only reason he was traveling at night was because he was supposed to have drop at the tower for a surprise inspection for eternal blades guarding the tower and deliver some urgent news to the arch mage, but he couldn’t have let such an horrific act go unpunished, he was disgusted by the thought of how far such noble warriors as the eternal blades can fall. He would make sure that the village would be taken care of and receive some compensation for their ordeal and for bringing to light such treachery. Before he started making his way back towards the tower, the villagers asked him if it was possible to give them his name, so that they could know who to be thankful to, the elf introduced himself simply as Praenumbra, of the eternal blades.