Arkados, the Warrior of Nightshade

I had walked these roads a thousand times now, and every time I walked them again it felt fresh. You may not know who I am and it’s understandable. Before dying, I had never even heard the word, Einherjar. Now it’s part of my daily life.

Not even I knew who I was, and I still don’t. Memories come in small unclear packages but after a year of being dead and slowly regaining my memories and thoughts, it’s piecing together the story of my life.

I was Arkados of the Pale. A warrior bound to the King of Caernum. I haven’t recovered my childhood memories or who my parents were, so I’ll skip over that. When I was just a teen I worked as a stable hand in the capital of Caemum. One of the Nobles saw untapped skill within me so they had me trained as a spearman.  I dominated the battlefield with spear in hand and vigor in my soul. In this way I quickly became one of the great warriors of Caernum, and was named to the elite Order of the Pale.

The day came when I was ordered to command a siege on an enemy fortress. I made the unfortunate mistake of underestimating their manpower. Though by the end of it, we were getting the job done.

The commander of the fortress, Regulus of Baltraig, had joined the fray and he made quick work of my soldiers. In the midst of battle, he had slaughtered my friends and with a struggle he finally put me to rest.

My goddess, Lyor’ra, the Lady of Nightshade, prevented me from entering her halls and told me I was destined for something greater and the next thing I knew was nothing as my memories vanished.

When I ended up here, I had no idea who or where I was. I wandered until I met up with two men named Faolin and Gadaren. Faolin is the Jarl of Hammer’s Hold. They recognized my situation and kindly took me with them. Though I was in a new realm my warrior senses were as strong as ever. I knew I sensed danger here, but I didn’t know exactly why. Then the Blighted came as did the Four Devils, and it became clear to me the threat was serious.

In my battles against the Blighted and the Four Devils I started to make a name for myself.  Soon I had my new life together… then the memories started returning and I was confused. People, places, all these things I couldn’t put a name to. After a long while the memories started making sense but at this point, I really didn’t care because I am a different person altogether.

That was who I was, a warrior of the king, a dog of the military. I believe after entering the Myth Wood, I am a different person. Now, I am a man of the wet work and paid duties, I am a stalker of the shadows, the agent of the night. A warrior of my goddess, Lyor’ra.

I was Arkados of the Pale… Now, I am…

Arkados, the Warrior of Nightshade.

        Her first memories of the Myth Wood
were of waking up in the Graveyard of the Fallen as a succubus. Waking to an overwhelming need to feed on
the souls of Einherjar to survive. She thought of this as her birth, because she had no memories before that
day, and chose the name Mara. Then Sam’El, the Daemon Lord, called to her from his prison within the
Black Sword. Mara and the other succubi answered his call, and in this way discovered they were not alone.
All the succubi of the Wood served him in all his many incarnations. They aided in all his many battles to
spread chaos and destruction.

        This continued until Mara was given
the opportunity to restore a soul to her form and become an Einherjar herself. She was reborn, again, as
Marta the Mage. She joined with Balin on his quest to become king, to begin to right the wrongs she had
committed as a succubus. With the crown on Balin’s head he made her a Thane, and put the Mage Tower
into her care. It was the greatest day of her life in the Myth Wood.

        This was followed by the worst time
of her remembered life. When Lady Myth took control of her body, and left her as a powerless observer of the
violence her hands inflicted. The war of the Skulls raged through the Myth Wood. Lady Myth in Marta’s
body commanded her forces to lay waste to her brothers and those they controlled.

        The war ended with Rokai’s
rebellion against the skulls. He freed Jarl Elric from their hold, and then Jarl Elric freed Marta from the
Lady’s control over her. When the war of the skulls was ended, King Balin once again entrusted Marta
with the Mage tower and now the conclave of magic users as well. It was at this point that she became a
Sage, and began the long road to mastering those magical arts. She was also given charge of her nephew, and
the joys of raising him to be a man. She enjoyed this time of her life immensely. The 11 years went by far
to quickly.

        Then King Balin went missing. The
Plague arrived in the form of a meteorite. Einherjar of the Myth Wood began changing into Trolls, and
Werewolves. Marta helped the Jarls as much as she could, but as soon as one problem was dealt with another
emerged. Then the Blighted arrived, with their Lich leader. The Four Devils manifested and spread terror.

        As the Lich’s power grew,
others realized that the only cure for the problems that could be found was to Seal away the Mage Tower, her
home.  Marta was not given a choice. Jarl Faolin and the Blacksmiths did the deed. She eventually came
to learn that the Green Skull, that was the prison of Lady Myth, had been placed in the Tower before it was
sealed. The ramifications of this act was not clear to her, but shortly after the Tower was sealed away the
Lich disappeared. Then the Blighted entered into a agreement with Hela of Helheim, thus becoming the
Helions.

        It seemed losing her home and title
had served the greater good of the Myth Wood. It was for this reason that the once powerful and revered
Thane Marta of the Mage Tower, now found herself homeless and sleeping in the graveyard of the fallen once
again.

        In past years the arrival of the snow
and short days would not have worried her. She could have made a fire easy enough with her magic. This too
had been taken away from her. The Helions had joined up with the Jarls and vanquished the Four Devils. As
she understood it, Jarl Faolin devised a way to cover the cube of the four and in doing so severed the magic
that made the four devils. Unfortunately, that magic was also the source of all Arcane spells in the Myth
Wood. Jarl Elric had taken the cube and set sail for Folkvangr. In this way magic had been changed forever
in the Wood. For Marta, at the moment, it meant she could not create fire to keep her warm throughout the
winter.

        It was on a cold night in the middle
of the month Yuwn-Ko, after the days had begun to lengthen that Marta received a vision in the form of a
dream. The vision was sent to her from the Higher Plane of the Myth Wood, while she was sleeping in the
Graveyard of the Fallen.

        At first she thought she was in
King’s Rest, standing before the tree in the center of town. The buildings however were misty and
transparent. The wooden platform at the base of the tree was bigger as well. Six thrones were on the
platform. Three of them were filled.

        One Throne in the middle of the six
had a majestic looking man with a crown on his head. He spoke to Marta. “Hello Marta. I am the
Monarch, the Higher Powers have need of your services. We need you to spread information to the rest of the
Wood.” He paused and looked at the other two.

        The one she knew was Agamemnon, but
now he looked like a old wizard with a beat up pointed hat. The amber crystal around his neck was what gave
him away, she knew Agamemnon wore that crystal. The other was a mystery to her. He had long flowing hair and
a goatee, and was dressed in green. Both sat in thrones equal to the one the Monarch sat in.

        “My apologies Marta. This is
the Mystic and the Recarnit. The three of us make up half of the Six Higher Power that govern the Myth Wood.
As long as I sit on a Throne in the Higher Plane, there is governed Order in the Wood. As long as the Mystic
sits on a Throne in the Higher Plane, governed Magic may exist in the Myth Wood. As long as the Recarnit
sits on a Throne in the Higher Plane, governed rebirth of all living things in the Myth Wood can
happen.” He stopped again, looking to see if the other two had anything to add. They did not.

        “As you can see we are missing
three of our number. That however is not the most distressing part. We find ourselves in a weakened
condition. We need to sit on the Thrones to connect with our province of power in the Myth Wood.” The
Monarch then looked over Marta’s shoulder and to the right. She followed his line of sight. She saw
what in King’s Rest would have been Waylander’s Smithy. It was not translucent, and the sounds
of hammering metal could be heard from within. “We needed the skill of a great smith, and use of a
hammer of Unmaking. So we invited Vandergrah to the Higher Plane to work the EverMist Forge. He made the
Thrones. He has also made these.” The Monarch held out to Marta a strange little device. It looked
like a counter of some sort. Numbers could be moved on one of its surfaces.

        “This is an Honor counter.
Those who chose to wear one will have their names recorded in the Honor Scroll, this will link their deeds
to the thrones. Their actions, honorable or otherwise, will strengthen the Myth Wood. We hope it will also
aid us in finding those worthy of a seat on one of the vacant Thrones.” He pulled his hand away.
“We cannot directly interfere with the Lower Plane, so we ask you to spread this knowledge to the
people of the Myth Wood. We would also ask that when it comes to you, you will accept the burden of managing
the Honor Scroll.”

        “Do not answer now. This is a
dream and promises made in dreams are meaningless. When you wake, your memory of this discussion will be
vague. However, when the Honor Scroll is placed in your hands all will be made clear to you.”

        “Good by Marta, and good
luck.”

        Marta awoke in the Graveyard of the
Fallen. Her head fuzzy, and her body cold. The dream she had quickly fading as physical reality set in. She
made her way to King’s Rest, to warm herself at the forge. When she arrived in King’s Rest the
forge was silent. She asked Mike, the proprietor of the Brotherhood tavern, where Vandergrah was.

        His reply was that several weeks ago
the sound of forging could be heard coming from Waylander’s Smithy both day and night. It had gone on
for six days and then on the seventh day the forge had gone silent. When people stopped in to check on
Vandergrah, he and everything he had been working on was gone. Not wanting an empty forge, the people of
King’s Rest had contacted Hammer’s Hold and asked Arthur Anymoredonuts if he would move his
operation to King’s Rest. He had agreed, and should be arriving soon.

        Marta was not sure how she felt about
it. Something was changing in the Myth Wood, she could feel it. She purchased a drink and meal from Mike,
and then headed back to the Graveyard.