User:Nae Lussia Taani/memories/factions

Spoiler alert: The following text contains spoilers relating to the story of Guild Wars.

Affliction spreading (prologue)

My brother Hyu Vestalion and his friend Lunei Cho went to Cantha to train in Shing Jea Monastery, a bit before the Searing. After this devastating event, they tried to quickly came back in Tyria but Charrs were still invading human regions. We were able to communicate and I advised them to get back to Cantha to finish their training first.

They completed it 2 years after in the end of 1072 BE, while bonding with Etueyo, a strange quiet girl able to slip in and out from the shadows. At this time, their Master Togo wanted to introduce them to Minister Cho as the most promising students this year. However, they discovered a strange disease (named later the Affliction) spreading to animals and humans in the minister's estate, and turning them to dangerous monsters. They finally found the minister, that turned to a demon, and they were forced to kill him. They searched for the source of this infection and found it in Zen Daijun where Master Togo recognized the guild symbol of Shiro Tagachi, the man whose death turned the forest to stone and the sea to jade around 200 yers ago in the event known as the Jade Wind. Fearing that the safety of the whole Cantha, Master Togo decided to head to Kaineng City to warn the Emperor Kisu (taht was also his half-brother) and sent a request for aid to his former Tyrian student, Brother Mhenlo.

As Mhenlo helped us in Prophecies events that just ended, I gathered my fantastic team once again and we shipped to Kaineng.

Factions

Shiro's return

Unfortunately, the plague was already spreading in the city, leaving the criminal gangs of Am Fah and Jade Brotherhood made their rules in the neighborhoods. We had to fight our way through these villains and the Afflicted to met Togo and my brother. We defeated the Afflicted leader, a powerful bound spirit, and thought it was over. However, Shiro re-appeared and killed us all before leaving! Other beings manifested soon after, explaining that they were Envoys as Shiro, in charge of leading recent dead souls to the Mists. But Shiro betrayed is duty and was able to bind them to the mortal world. The other Envoys proposed us a deal: they restored us to life and we agreed to put an end to Shiro's evil. To be able to see and fight the spirits, they advised us to become 'Weh no Su', Closer to the Stars.

We fight celestial spirits and were able to interact with spirits' realm. We decided to seek advise for old heroes of Cantha in Tahnnakai Temple. Sadly, Shiro was ahead and already captured several of the old heroes' spirits. We managed to free them and barely saved Vizu from Shiro's will. Vizu, who had an major role in Shiro's defeat, revealed that we could defeat him with the artifact of the Luxon and Kurzick heroes, the two men who struck the final blow 200 years ago.

The old heroes artifacts

It sounded that getting the help of the two rival factions that cannot stand each other would be something! According to the Emperor, the elders would not be willing to help us, so we spoke first with Danika, the daughter of one of the Kurzick's (the 'blue' faction) leaders Count zu Heltzer. We learnt that their artifact, the Urn of Saint Viktor, was kept in the Cathedral zu Heltzer but that its magical defenses has failed. As Danika was convinced that Kurzicks *had* to help, she guided us through to retrieve the Urn and we flee the Cathedral that started to collapse.

Soon after, Master Togo led us to Elder Rhea, an old Luxon (the 'red' faction) friend of him, to ask for the second artifact, the Spear of Archemorus. This one has to be earned each year by the strongest Luxon clan in the Convocation ceremony, held to defeat some returning powerful kraken. Hopefully, we arrived just in time, defeated 3 other clans to claim the Spear and struck down the sea monster with it. Moment after, we were reported that Shiro's forces were amassing in the undercity of Kaineng for a major offensive.

Shiro actually started to open spirit rifts, planning to summon a whole army of bound spirits! Thanks to both artifacts, we were able to close the rifts and defeat Shiro. Alas, the artifact were destroyed and the Envoys told us that Shiro is not totally gone! It appeared that we should prepare his return, trying to combine again Kurzick and Luxon mights like 200 years ago. My brother headed to the Jade Sea to speak with the Luxons, while I aimed to Echovald Forest for the Kurzicks.

Rallying Luxons

Hyu Vestalion, Yinia, Etueyo and Vale started by befriending with Luxons, learning a lot about their culture: a nomadic way of life (I guess from the time they were able to sail on actual sea), the way they recognized strengh above all (as for the Convocation ceremony), their mastery in jade mining since the sea solidified, and the importance of Siege Turtles for burden and war. Luxons had a lot of difficulties to hatch turtles and raise them, and they became quite rare. They were split into 3 major clans that reunites once a year to review rules to follow for the upcoming year.

My brother's team got rid of a neutral guild (hired by the Kurzick) for the Serpent Clan, defended a settlement against attacking Kurzick for the Turtle Clan and defeated a Naga's tribe for the Crab Clan. They encountered and defeated a lot of outcasts, previous jade miners that went mad. They also witnessed the numerous and regular ambushes from the Kurzicks against jade supply and turtle eggs.

They escorted young turtles from a massive Kurzick raid, but then Afflicted assault both factions. Master Togo convinced Luxons that Shiro was back, and they agreed to ally with Kurzicks. They headed to the Harvest Temple, where Shiro was defeated 200 yers ago, to obtain the aid of an ancient dragon trapped there.

Rallying Kurzicks

Meanwhile, Deanuwi Lunei Cho Sana and I were befriending with Kurzicks, learning a lot about their culture: a sedentary way of life, the way they respect creation above all, their mastery in amber mining from petrified trees, and the importance of the Forever Trees that a volunteer soul can be endlessly tied to to generate a powerful Juggernauts. Kurzick relied on these trees that cannot be revived, so they are really precious. They were mainly split into 5 great houses that often reunites for very long councils.

We helped a instrument crafter for House Lutgardis, protected the rituals from Luxons on rebuilding the cathedral for House zu Heltzer, and set up a relative peace with Dredges, that fleed from Sorrow's Furnace by digging a tunnel to the other side of the world! We encountered and defeated a lot of hostile Wardens, previous protectors of the forest that went mad. We also witnessed the numerous and regular ambushes from the Luxons against amber supply and Forever Trees.

We protected Forever Trees from a massive Luxon offense, but then Afflicted assault both factions. Brother Mhenlo convinced Kurzicks that Shiro was back, and they agreed to ally with Luxons. We headed to the Harvest Temple, where Shiro was defeated 200 yers ago, to obtain the aid of an ancient dragon trapped there.

Final confrontation

In the temple, we reunited both teams and discovered that the great dragon Kuunavang has been corrupted by Shiro. Thanks to the help of both factions, we fought our way through Afflicted and released Shiro's grasp on the dragon. With the counsel of Kuunavang and the Envoys, we realized Shiro's true intentions: a spell that would return him to the mortal realm. And for that, only one component were missing: the blood of the imperial bloodline!

We rushed back to Raisu Palace, that Shiro already breached, with Luxon and Kurzick forces. We made our way through the bound spirit army just before Shiro can struck down the Emperor. Master Togo dashed to protect him and took the fatal blow instead. Shiro quickly realized that Togo's blood will also fulfill the requirement and left to complete his spell and retrieve his mortal body.

We followed him deeper in the palace for a final confrontation. After an epic battle against this formidable and deadly adversary, we finally beat Shiro. As he was no longer a spirit by his mortal transformation, the Envoys were able to seal him in the Mists, finalizing the pact we made with them. We celebrated for a while and were recognized as heroes by saving Cantha. All was not totally bright though: the plague stopped spreading quickly but lot of Afflicted remained, while the Luxon/Kurzick peace did not last long as they soon resumed their skirmishes.

Demons from the Jade Wind (epilogue)

Hyu Vestalion made some research about mad Luxons and found that 200 years ago, the Jade Wind trapped a demon of nightmares deep below the sea. Some Luxons unearthed his resting place while mining jade, and his nightmares seeped into their minds, until they went insane and became the Outcasts. We went to the ancient mine called the Deep and destroyed the demon Kanaxai.

In the meantime, Lunei Cho investigated about mad Wardens and discovered that the Jade Wind also strucked and corrupted the great spirit Urgoz. Though presumed dead, Urgoz remained dormant and his fellow Wardens blamed all humans for this event that stripped the forest of life, exposing the failure of their purpose to protect it. As we learnt that Urgoz was awakening, we went to the ancient amber mine named Urgoz's Warren and slayed the old spirit that turned to a demon.

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