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Edrick the Strong

Posted by Vacithius

Edrick was born in Kalkland, were he grew up with his noble father, Romin Landslow of Martry Clan, who was honored throughout his life with the duty of representing his clan and state at the nation's capital building in Volkan. Edrick grew up trained in the fine art of warfare and was good with a sword and shield, so good in fact, that he outwitted and overpowered many of his tutors, so that new and better ones had to be called in. His strength was said to be phenomenal and he gave his father great pride. Edrick seemed ungrateful when he left home one night, his father was in Volkan as always, and wasn't heard from for many weeks. Worry brought his father home, but word soon spread of the fantastic feats of a great swordsman fighting in the great contests of honor, bravery, and military prowess that abide the men of Kalkland between times of war. Traveling to one of these, Romin was heartened to see his son winning easily in the d ngerous gladitorial style combats of the time. Afterwards, when asked why he had ran from home, Edrick said that he hadn't, he had simply come to fight but couldn't tell of his adventures for fear that his father might restrain him. A letter of explanation was found misplaced upon his return home with his father, explaining all. Romin, see his sons destiny, encouraged Edrick to join the ranks of the national army, but as a leader, for he did not enjoy the thought of his son dying young on an unkown battlefield. Edrick was grateful to join the army, but not as a leader. However, he thanked his father and left for military school the next morning with blessings from his father.
Knowing of his father, he gained easy access into the school, but his training was difficult, for he preferred to fight and not hide behind the lines like a coward, or so he wrote to his devorced mother. He got into trouble many times with his commanders and never adapted fully to the commanding lifestyle, but three years later he graduated and attained the rank of Kormanner. His first assignment was as a leader of a contingent of men serving as a border guard against Arowa, which today, as now, has shown many a tyrranical streak in its relationship with Kalkland, but times then were worse and war was never far away. Not two years into his service, war did come, but not with Arowa. An invading fleet from Mordregga landed off the coast of Kalkland and was striking towards Volkan with the intent to destroy it and everything in-beween. There numbers were said to be great and more landed by the day. Known as the Bloody War of Volkan, it was one of the worst in Kalkland history.
Having landed near the Kalkland border with Arowa, Edrick was forced to remain as a guard, for fear of Arowa's involvement and emminent attack. Edrick was could hardly contain himself and threatened to leave the border to join the fray, but his leaders told him to stay or be hanged for dereliction of duty. The war raged on though and many lives were lost. Finally, under threat of the capture of Volkan, Edrick and his command were ordered to reinforce defending forces there.
Battle followed soon upon his arrival and nearly his entire command was lost in one battle. Given a new command, the next battle proved just as horrible and his men came near to retreat. Yelling a battle cry, Edrick ran through the lines and carved a whole in the enemy advance, which his men filled behind him. His brave lead proved to be fortuitous, for reinforcements arrived soon after and the enemy was flung back. Standing on the steps of Volkan, Edrick turned into an inspiration for his men as he repelled enemy after enemy, killing many in one well aimed blow. His men and the men left without a commander around him cheered his name as the enemy began to retreat and finally turned and ran. Edrick didn't hesitate, but was said to follow on their heels all the way back to the enemy landing sight. The regular army advanced one step behind him and his men, but Edrick held the front all the way and was present as the enemy was slai on the shore, turning the sand to red pumice beneath his feet. The enemy loses were almost total and Kalkland saw its advantage. Despite its bloody wounds, Kalkland decided to invade Mordregga and teach it a lesson, for it was discovered that Arowa intended to stay neutral in the war. Edrick returned home to rest, but found his home burned and was feeled with hatred for the enemy like never before. His father was busy at the capital, but found time to write him while his son recovered from his wounds, which, although serious, were not life threatening. He didn't wait long though, for a cleric of Talthazar arrived to heal him of all injury along with a command to help lead a contingent of men through the mountain, around Arowa, and into Mordregga. His orders were to exact retrobution, and he accepted without pause. After being healed, he wasted no time in finding his command and gained permission to begin without further delay. Before he left, or so the story goes, he was visited in the night by a powerful cleric of Talthazar, who gave to him a sword blessed by the god himself to slay the ruler of Mordregga. All that's known is when he lead his men into the mountains that next morning, with all those who could be spared in what seemed a suicide mission, his men, some who had been with him at Volkan, were heartened by the sight of their second in command waving them forward with a gleaming sword raised high overhead, which was said to glow like a silver sun, stiking a heroic tone in all their hearts. Unchallenged in the mountains, the kalkland warriors were given leave to pass through the valley of Rordin Falls by their strange dwarven neighbors, proclaiming themselves allies to any enemy of Mordregga, for they too had suffered under recent attacks from the black nation and were fearful what might befall them in their desperate hour. Racing down Rordin Pass under the cloak of night, the Kalkland men crashed in fury into the unwary troops of Mordregga stationed in the pass crushing their resistance with undeniable force. Those few who returned to warn their nation's capital of the invading forces must have barely had time to catch their breath, for the fury of a Kalkland storm caught many soldiers unaware in the early morning of the second day, truning them on their heel until they reached the gates of their seat of power, ordered by dark clerics to die fighting or suffer a worse fate at their hands. Die they did, but the gates of the capital remained closed. Clerics of Talthazar were called forward to spend there magic in hopes of breaching those high dark walls, among their number some of the most powerful of all the clerics of Kalkland. Under their combined forces the gates fell, but behind them stood death. A great army, gathered while the walls still held, charged from those gate and hit the Kalkland warriors hard. Holding their ground, both sides traded blows and many died over little ground. Finally, the Kalkland force began to weaken and was pushed back, leaving them trapped against the spring flow of a powerful river, surrounded on all sides. Help though, arrived in the form of several hundred yelling dwarves, freeing them from certain death by cutting through the enemy flank and opening up a path of escape. Still, arrayed in a strong line once again, this time of dwarves and humans fighting side by side, the battle raged on for hours more. Eventually the commander of the army was slain in a surprise enemy offensive strike which was only repelled at great cost. Mordregga began to fear for its fate, but found strength by sending the city guard to join the battle until more forces could be gathered from other fronts. The city guard left the city defenseless, but their strength, combined with what rema ned of the sorry Mordreggan army at hand, was enough to force a battered Kalkland army into retreat. Knowing men would have to be sacrificed to cover the retreat, Edrick stayed behind, fighting till the last of the rear guard fell and then diving into the freezing waters of the river, letting it carry him back to the city gates and past enemy lines who were blind to his passing. Wrapped in a cloak stolen from the corpse of a dead enemy, Edrick snuck through the broken gates of his enemies home, running through the streets unnoticed in a city left unguarded. Slaying what few royal guards challenged him, Edrick ran down the long halls of the palace of the nations capital, finally finding the royal chambers themselves. Crashing through those final doors, he fought the personal guards of the then king, who watched in fear from the thrown at the rooms end, finally left to his own devices before one lone mad soldier who'd cut through his guards like a knife through butter. Running up those steps, he was hit by a magical flame thrown from the Malladorian blessed fingers of his rival. It's said his sword divided those flames in twain, leaving its possesor unharmed. Belowing, "For the sons and daughters of Kalkland," he plunged that sword though his enemies black heart, slaying him instantly. It is said that Edrick laughed in triumph as the remaining guards closed in upon him, and that the smile never died from his lips as they hacked him down at last. The sword of Edrick is said to still rest soemwhere in the dark treasuries of the new priest-king of Mordregga, its steal undestructable even to the magic fires of the high priests of Malladorian, just like the heart of Edrick himself. To this day Edrick is hailed as one of the greatest heros of Kalkland, the man who taught Mordregga about the might of Kalkland revenge.