Travels of a post-wake Edelith

The Arvegum Plains

The Arvegum Plains, roughly defined as the region between the north-western River Flumen , the eastern Astora Mountains, and the Southern Lake Adamo, is known as the mouth of Edelith. Outside the city proper walls, the Arvegum Plains were known for their fertile soil that fed the mouths of Her city. The town of Arvegum, flowing out from the neck of Adamo’s cross outwards northernly, developed not too dissimilar to a melting pot. Residents originating from the capital melded with foreigners flowing in from the Coronal Highway and the coastal town of Cinis seeking work and refuge. Sources elude to a yearly harvest festival being a noteworthy part of their calendar, however most documentation seems to have destroyed or lost. The farming region already destabilized by Annuaterran cultists during the Great Solstitheian Schism, mobilization by the Ministry completely destabilized Arvegum during the Wake of Steel. As Ministry armies demanded greater rations, city dwellers experiencing an influx in migration were stricken with famine from overcrowding. Chaos would unfold as protests erupted throughout the countryside, vandalizing Ministry accommodations and clashing with conscript militias. But, as a defeat in the Battle of the Black Valley signaled an end, Arvegum fell into total disarray as lifelong denizens desperately scrambled for safety. Retreating Ministry forces were caught up upon by War’s Flamehearts in the town. To my estimates, the ensuing slaughter wiped out approximately 95% of the remaining population. What remained of the Ministry Knights were crushed and Arvegum was mutilated beyond recognition into burning rubble. (edited) A legend translated into a children’s song about Arvegum’s ruin circulates. It reads: Beast! Great Beast! Oh how did it roar? Ash! Hot ash! Ol’ Arvegum no more! Its fangs! (Its fangs!) As black as mud! It hungers! (It hungers!) For our kids’ blood! Oh? Oh? Whatever will we do? Oh? Oh? Whatever will we do? Saint! Sword Saint! Please save us now! Beast! Foul Beast! Spare Edelith’s bough! Enfernabloom! (Enfernabloom!) Drive the demons away! Kojin! (Kojin!) Tonight, this Beast you’ll slay! Author’s Note: New Arvegum still in revision. Warforged warriors? Sword Saint? (Reminder not to get hammered again) -The Travels of a Post-Wake Edelith by Damien Zerxes

Beasts of Arvegum

The demonology of Edelith, while taboo by the ministry to delve too deep within, is an intriguing topic of discussion nonetheless. At their core, demons are nothing but Corrosion made form. Each demon may have their distinctive features, but these can be attributed to a decoration on one's armor; it is purely asthetic on the shell. In fact, a demon's exterior is a flesh-like metal substance whilst the inside is the dark and goopy Corrosion. Corrosion can exist outside of demons as its own living being in concentrated masses, but in order to truly be effective and cunning, a demon form would be needed. Demons, while varying in size, shape, and behavior, can be roped into three categories. The first and likely most common in Solstitheo are the monstrosity demons. Demons, who for the most part, are no different from the average monsters roaming around the land. With very little intelligence and only primal instincts, demons of this caliber are usually commanded by another subset of demons. They hunger only for flesh and metal and take on more "ghastly" appearances, uncanny to the eye. The next category of demonhood are the "higher form" demons. These demons are more humanoid than their kin and, unlike the snarling and ravaging primal demons, these ones possess a more elevated intelligence. Their cunning decieve travelers and their tactics makes feasting much more of a surer possibility. Some instances I have encountered in my travels are the Oni stalking the Arvegum Plains and War's Flamehearts whom fight in unison as hardened demons of the battlefield, besting the Ministry forces long ago. The final main subset are the beasts. This type, not often seen, is inherently a contradiction. Ministry word dictates that beastial aspects such as the appearance of wolves, elk, or other natural creatures are connected with the divine and harness their power. So, it is almost paradoxical that even a demon from the depths could inherit such a form derived from the gods. Yet, they do exist in seemingly rare exception. I did some studying previously on Jerren's hell hounds he has lying about his store. These beasts seem to more emulate that of a regular dog than be linked closer to the infernal. (Perhaps it is an animal mimicking a demon instead of the other way around?) The other prime example I have found is the Arvegum Beast. This demon, said to resemble a large wolf or lion-like creature, was theorized by people in the university to be more ferocious than even the Flameheart forces besieging the countryside alongside it. While it can't be disproven, the legend of Kojin the Sword Saint highlights regardless that this Beast was fearsome. So far, my prevailing theory is that as a demon perfects itself towards a form of divinity, so too will these beastial aspects emerge. For all we know, the Arvegum Beast could have been a prime demon equivalent in power to the Horsemen. Relating to the topic of the Horsemen, the grey line surrounding demonology blurs across these four. Folklore points to these beings as angels corrupted and willingly tarnished by the Corrosion tainted metals of demons. But, considering how adverse Corroded metals are to life, I wonder how this coexistence is even possible. Are the Horsemen even still healthy and intelligible after all this time embracing demonhood? Why do demons follow their command? Are they even to be classified under the infernal, or are they more so a lower hierarchy of the Circlet's angels? To answer any of those questions, the fundamental ideas of how outside forces even comingle with the gods' powers must be unraveled. Author’s Note: I actually recall earlier into the Arvegum travels a handful of beast-like demons ambushing us at the Arvegum Ruins. The last notable sighting of such beast-like demons (to my knowledge at least) was in the Wake of Steel. So, where are they coming from...? -The Travels of a Post-Wake Edelith by Damien Zerxes

The Woodsworn

After an extensive study and round of questioning of the New Arvegum citizens, I am confident in publishing my findings about this new construct legion. I have dubbed them, “The Woodsworn.” Identifiable by their humanoid appearance, wooden plating, and mask-like face, this “race” of beings is almost exclusive to New Arvegum. Their origins are questionable at best, however it is safe to say that these constructs emigrated into Edelith sometime after the Wake of Steel. The next section is a written account of Woodsworn history retold by one of their own. For the sake of anonymity, the name of this individual has been censored. The individual will be referred to as "The Curator" in additional references to them. "To start, I suppose I should detail a wee bit about what we truly are. We are living automatons, blokes made of wood and given life by our goddess, the Shrouded Lady, Hiebrief. No idea if we just gon' poof out of thin air or some smartie guy tinkered us up. But, we were made to serve one purpose—performing in the Trickster's Troupe. A wicked travelling circus, we put on magnificent shows for the people of Solstitheo. Rich or poor. Regardless of race or religion. Then, at night, things changed. Targets who attended the shows were killed under spotlights or sliced in 'performances gone wrong.' We were assassins, plain and simple. Hiebrief was our ringmaster and during the Great Schism, we were killing machines. Smiles grinnin' with blood." "Then, she buggered off. Just like that, Hiebrief booted out and ended the carnage. With nothin' to do, we wandered. Days on end. Then, when the demons came up from down unda, we had to flee. We are built the same, so none of us are strong enough defend another. After she disappeared, we were lost. But things got worse."

"There was this larrakin named Rotcio. He was a jester for the show and for his credit, could draw out a laugh from any mate. He betrayed all of us. One day, in the woods while me and rest were campin' out, he met a Beast in the woods. That thing whispered some idea into 'is head, that he could live forever. They stuck a deal, the Corrosion could jump species and into the bark of trees. And in exchange, Rotcio, the bastard, would strip himself of his physical form. His crook head moved his own consciousness into the Corrosion, making him essentially immortal. And for the rest of us? Left for dead. Some of us had to be left in the decaying wood while we fled. Others nabbed scars never repairable. And Rotcio was never seen again. I'll never forgive 'im." "Wanderin' turned to runnin'. Fleeing forests scourged by the rot and demons trying to gorge on our 'hinds. And when we nodded off to rest, it turned worse. Each of us didn't leave unscathed from the deal. We each grew a black ring in our bark, 'The Ring of Rotcio' we call it. It marked us for life and gives us haunted nightmares. Sometimes it is of the circus days, killing those peoples with no question. Sometimes it's Rotcio, beckonin' us to join him. Or, it is that Beast, taunting us that one day, we will fall into its ranks and there's nothing we can do." "We met some man on the road. Not from around 'ere, I thought. He stayed the night with us bogans, warding off demons with his fancy blade. He offered us a smoke and, even though we have no lungs, we obliged. That night, no nightmares. He left without a word next mornin', but we were changed. And when we wound up in New Arvegum and found that same smoke, the rest of 'em signed up for an unlimited supply and service to the 'Son of Kojin' immediately. And, that how the story goes..."

During the interview, the Curator seemed to emotionally break down at parts. While his story may be true, a second opinion will confirm any theories. But, with the amount of Woodsworn dedicated to a "silent high" of Enfernabloom, sources are sparse. Most of the race (with a few striking exceptions such as the Curator and another individual) serve as New Arvegum's guard. They are dressed in traditional Arvegum garb, most closely resembling the sacred robes the mythic hero Kojin dawned. They slay demons from the surrounding plains and deter them from the main city, never being allowed within the walls themselves. They are also usually "out-of-mind," acting static as constantly absorb Enfernabloom fumes from an added-on mechanism in their chest. Their arrival seems to have been in recent years and the main factor into the city's prominence. However, they are also seen as a lower sect of citizens. like basic machines designed to protect the city. Author's Note: To conclude this study, sightings of "Rotcio" have been absent for now. With my conversation with the Curator, the Woodsworn seem entirely satisfied with their position and are not seeking any meaningful changes to the system. Finally, a running theory I have is that the nightmares these Woodsworn speak of may be impeded by memory, particularly memory loss. Though, more questioning at a later date will need to confirm this.

The Coronal Valley

I am first to report and debunk the running theory that the Coronal Valley is infertile and cannot support life. In fact, there is strong evidence to support the existence of living fauna and flora within the once though desolate wasteland, ravaged by war. From what I have observed, the Coronal Valley has made an almost complete and miraculous recovery of its ecological wildlife, completely transforming from a deadzone into a sustainable ecosystem. Forests and grasslands have grown over the battlefields of the Wake of Steel and civilization still is flourishing within the valley's heart. I, as a scholar, cannot believe it myself. For the past four days, my logging of the surrounding area has yielded promising results. This area shows all the main components of a thriving environment—biodiversity, abundance of nutrients, and stability. But, there are some major deviations from what I would consider "normal" in this valley. The trees and various other plants have grown to produce a magenta-purplish color of leaves. Same goes with the grass, adopting bluish tones as well. The streams glow pink and silver at night, yet the water seems almost fine. The livestock fed off this area seems extraordinarily healthy and very tame compared to the skittish herds in Edelith, like their primal instincts are being subdued. The demon populace is what really concerns me. While a rarity of "beast-like" demons trickled about the Arvegum Plains, they seem to be in abundance in the Coronal Valley. My personal hypothesis? They are slowly migrating from the Coronal Valley outwards through the Astoran Mountains. If so, the outcomes of this on the Edelithian ecosystem could be concerning...

The question that rings in the air is: how? Miraculous regrowth of a desolate area is rare, but not uncommon. There a plently of sources of divine intervention spurring revitalization—a prime example being the Edelith Pods of the southern wastes. However, regrowth to such a large scale is unprecedented. For such an abnormal event to even succeed, an amount of energy released by something such as an "Edelith Pod" would be massive. So massive in fact, that the regrowth initiative couldn't have gone unnoticed by even the people of New Arvegum across the mountain range. There are some theories I am cooking up, but nothing set in stone. It seems unordinary but nevertheless is true. The Coronal Valley lives again. Author's Note: It feels wrong. Off. Strange. I don't like it. There's something afoot here. Forests don't magically appear out of nowwhere. Villages don't suddenly arise from ash. Horsemen don't just randomly appear. What is going on? I though I could trust Gorta, our guide through the forest. I don't anymore. She's behind this.