Eptian LXXIV

Once Eptih returned to the Great Chasm Fortress with Reyam he had already made up his mind to have Ebrel executed. Ebrel was too knowledgeable about Eptih’s lineage and too involved with the Velidian Empire, he was culpable for many horrors forced on the Mortal population and if Eptih was to spare him, especially since he was familiar with Eptih’s family, it would look as though Eptih was protecting him. Additionally, Eptih did not want it known that he was the Son of Velid and the brother of Rhosrc.

Once Ebrel knew Eptih was back in the camp he requested he be allowed to speak with him again. Eptih met with him again and in a bid to assuage Eptih’s anger and hopefully have his life spared Ebrel told Eptih where he could find the head of Thmascuid. He also revealed the mysterious general who had come on the scene as a powerful force and disappeared just as quickly was Queid Thmascuid. This information sparked a rage within Eptih, having the head of Thmascuid offered to him like it was some kind of paltry peace offering, and he soon after ordered Ebrel to be executed. The deed was done and Ebrel’s body and spiritform where locked up in a rather common sarcoph, a sarcoph that was not associated with a family much like an unknown orphan would be. This act by Eptih, pleased the Mortals who wanted revenge above all else. It was however disturbing in its lack of respect especially since Eptih knew Ebrel was the son of Orendun. 

Soon after the execution of Ebrel a large group of Mortal leaders came to the encampment. They wished to speak with Eptih about dispersing the army. Each leader wanted the men he had sent to join the army back so that they could rebuild their own towns and kill off as many Narcirogen as possible. By this point Eptih wanted nothing more then to be released as general and so he was in agreement with the Mortal leaders.

The question was put forth what should be done about Mortal sects that had cooperated with the Velidians, the Siradyt in particular. Eptih put forth the proposition that in the new order that was developing they would be shunned and that this would be punishment enough, he made it clear that he did not think it wise to attack them, that enough blood had been spilled. Many others however wanted retribution and when consensus was reached it was clear that a part of the army would be assembled and used to punish all those traitor Mortal Sects. Out of respect, the generalship of this force was offered to Eptih but he quickly refused stating that he wished now only to find some land, start a farm and live with his wife and future children. Eptih also advised that the course the Mortal leaders where setting upon could lead to civil war among the Mortal race and that this would be a disaster.

Consequently, Eptih was relieved of duty, the army was disbanded and a new small army composed of volunteers, typically younger unmarried men, was formed and command of it was given to ____. The various Mortal leaders now asserted themselves and amidst debate and argument begin making plans to re-organize all of existence. Eptih wanted no part of all of this, he could see that the squabbling was just beginning and was only a precursor of things to come. Eptih therefore addressed his army one last time and when he was done many of the original Hetharcyp wanted to follow him but he made it clear to them that he wanted no part of the what was coming and offered them advice to go home and find their own peace. When Eptih had finished he took his spoils which included treasure and slaves that he had claimed in the war and with his wife rode away.

Eptih went to where Ebrel had said the head of Thmascuid was and there he found it. Eptih next came back to the town of his youth and dug up the body of Thmascuid which he had burried before and reintroduced head to body. Eptih left with his caravan which now included the body of Thmascuid to find a new land in which to settle.

Eptian LXXIII

As the Sonimian Overlords returned to the Great Chasm Fortress they where confronted with a large entrenched Pan Mortal force that was waiting for them. Upon returning these Sonimian forces smashed against these battlements and broke apart like sparks fly off the anvil with each successive hammer blow. The Overlords, once defeated, would flee into the surrounding landscape with what remained of their forces, now powerless to turn the tide. The Sonimi themselves could not be captured but a majority of their forces were. It was assumed that the Sonimi wandered around looking for Velid but none of the Mortals knew for sure.

Ebrel was eventually brought before Eptih and he would not reveal much, he did however have a story to tell Eptih. He explained how Eptih was the son of Velid, the twin brother of Rhosrc and that his mother had been the wife of Velid and mother of the two boys. He told Eptih how his father had tried to kill both him and his brother and how his mother had gone into the Great Chasm, where he had been tossed, in order to retrieve him and that there she had perished or at least that was what was believed by everyone else. Eptih was astonished by the tale and yet it all fit all together that is except for one glaring thing which he asked Ebrel about. If he knew all of this why did it seem no one else did, why did he not direct Velid to capture him when he was a youth and thus avoid conflict altogether? And to this Ebrel replied that being the only one of  two who knew the truth he felt that holding the knowledge of the true events could save him from some future miserable fate, meaning he could persuade Velid with the info should he ever come into opposition with him. Eptih did not believe Ebrel’s reason for concealing the information and wondered if he knew his mother was in fact still alive. This caused Eptih to fear the repercussions of Ebrel continuing to live for he seemed to hold Derram’s fate in his hands. Discussing the intricacies of being of the Norstilam race which both Ebrel and Eptih where, Eptih realized that Ebrel was in fact the son of Orendun. Eptih though did not reveal this to Ebrel.

After listening to Ebrel, Eptih wanted to know if the story was true and so he decided to visit his mother and ask her. Eptih left the army in the hands of “____” and by himself went off to visit his mother who was quite far from the Great Chasm Fortress. When Eptih arrived Derram was happy to see her son but she could see that he was distressed and when she asked what was the matter he told her the story Ebrel had told him. Derram was disappointed and told Eptih that the story was true and with that Eptih questioned her as to why she had withheld so much important information from him. She explained how they where in danger of being found by Velid and that she did what she did to save him. Eptih asked her how she could leave Rhosrc behind with Velid and she told him she had though he was dead having seen him so mangled. Eptih was in a sense relived knowing the truth because for so long he had questioned his ancestry and had never been able to coalesce all of his thoughts about himself, his mother, Thiaraceph and Thmascuid into one logical account. Now all was revealed and all of his questions where answered. Although Eptih knew Derram had done what she had for his and her welfare he still had some animosity toward her for deceiving him and thus left without accepting her apology, leaving the situation with her unresolved.

Before departing back to the army Eptih went to Reyam, who was in the same town as his mother, and took her with him on his way. From there Eptih made his way back to the army at the Great Chasm Fortress slowly taking time to consider all that he had learned and spending time with Reyam. Although Eptih’s mind was at first occupied with all the new revelations he quickly became unburdened by the truth and was able to focus his attention on the celebration of his recent victory and his beautiful wife. Nevertheless after many days of travel as Eptih came closer to the Great Chasm Fortress he began to debate with himself what to do with Ebrel and what path to take now that his purpose of freeing the race of Mortals was fulfilled.

[ Eptian LXVIII ]

Velid was outraged that his army had been checked by the rebels, he was expected to be receiving word of his armies victory and the slaughter of the enemy not that they had been bested in their confrontation and where on the verge of destruction. Velid as a result of the news directed his secret weapon the Queid general, the same one Eptih had briefly seen before, and his son Rhosrc as an auxiliary force to bring their forces to bear on the Pan Mortal Army. He further instructed them to destroy every last vestige of the Mortal rebellion and to not leave a single living being behind alive.

Rhosrc, for his part, was not happy that the Queid general has been chosen to lead this assault on the Mortal rebellion after all he has done to prove himself as the most capable second to Velid. Rhosrc at this instance was done trying to prove his validity and now decided to take power with his own hand, he just needed the opportunity to neutralize his opposition. Rhosrc’s hunger for power was a good harbinger for the Pan Mortal Army, although they did not know it Rhosrc was more concerned with establishing himself in power then defeating the mortal rebellion.

The Queid general that Velid directed to attack Eptih and his army and who Eptih had seen before was in fact Thmascuid, his head having been placed upon the body of another in the Velidian’s belief that the war knowledge Thmascuid had in life might be retained in death. This shadow of the living Thmascuid was not the same man who was the greatest of the Mortal heroes but he was a cunning leader still, even as a lowly Queid. Having been not far from the action Queid Thmascuid and his army arrived in time to reinforce the Velidian army before the Pan Mortal Army could attack and destroy it in its weakened state.

Eptih was disappointed that his army had not been able to neutralize the Velidians before they could be reinforced. He knew that now the Velidians would be enlivened and as a result the fighing would be much harder and especially violent as the Pan Mortal Army had recently been reinforced and was invigorated as well. Both sides confident of their victory.

The Velidians, now under command of Queid Thmascuid, commenced the attack and the fighting was viscous. Soon after the main attack began Rhosrc arrived with his army and he was upset to see that the battle had begun, he expected Queid Thmascuid would wait for his arrival if at all possible before commencing. With his army still out of view of the Mortals Rhosrc sent a messenger to Queid Thmascuid and the messenger returned with orders for Rhosrc to direct his force to the rear of the Mortals and attack. Rhosrc did not like this idea and hesitated to consider his options but eventually saw no clear move other then to follow the orders and therefore he proceeded to march his army toward the rear of the Mortals and once there began the attack.

Eptih now being attacked from two sides called in the 3rd Division he had placed in reserve and the 3rd moved quick and managed to sandwich in Rhosrcs forces. This enraged Rhosrc all the more as he felt he and his army had been used as a distraction. But what angered him most of all was that he expected that the Queid Thmascuid would have let him know if there was a Mortal reserve force and so he wondered if Queid Thmascuid was trying to get him killed. In his rage Rhosrc left his army in their tenuous position and made his way around the entire battlefield and reached the Queid general and his forces in secret. Upon confronting the Queid Thmascuid, who was surprised to see him, Rhosrc removed his sword from its sheath and cut the Queid general down. The Queid general’s troops tried to restrain Rhosrc but where unable to do so. With the Queid general dead and his spiritform released Rhosrc rejoined his army and began a withdrawal as best he could. He lost many of his soldiers but eventually managed to pull his forces out with a large remaining contingent.

[ Eptian LIX ]

After the reassurance of their fidelity, Eptih and his commanders moved their forces into position to ambush the coming Velidian army. They waited for some time and eventually scouts were sent out to see if they could find the Velidian army and they returned with news that the Velidians were proceeding directly into the trap. Only a short while later the Velidians indeed walked directly into the trap and when Eptih called out the order the ambushed commenced catching the Velidians off guard. The Queid put up a fight but were routed. Eptih himself wanted to get to the Sonimian Overlord but the fray between them blocked his path. The Sonimian Overlord who found himself without his guard began a slaughter of his own killing all the Hetharcyp who were unlucky enough to come within his sphere. Eptih saw this and for the first time realized the power the Sonimi wielded.  

During the battle Eptih, who was commanding his army and scanning every possible view, saw a Velidian force that had come up after the battle began. This force was made up of Mortals, most likely Siradyt, and commanded by a General that Eptih thought seemed like Thmascuid even though he had been dismembered. Having seen this situation develop quickly Eptih had no time to study the face of the General for confirmation of identity but had to reposition a detachment of his own forces in order to counter this oncoming force. Whenever opportunity permitted he would try to make out the face more clearly to prove to himself that it was not Thmascuid but he was never able to see him clearly. 

As Eptih realigned his forces the Sonimian Overlord called for a retreat and the mysterious general turned his troops around and left the field immediately followed by the his forces and then the remnants of the Velidian army. The Hetharcyp did not pursue as their injuries were great and they were in need of rest. Although the ambush had been successful the Hetharcyp had been severely wounded. Eptih realized that had the mysterious general been able to attack things might have turned out quite differently. It was a stroke of luck. 

The Hetharcyp proceeded back to the town on Eptih’s orders and there they nursed their injured. Once Eptih had secured his camp he took a small force and began searching for Thmascuid. Eptih wanted to settle the score with Thmascuid once and for all. Eventually Thmascuid was found and immediately Eptih engaged him and without the least bit of compassion and no words, Eptih quickly killed Thmascuid and decapitated him putting the head up on a tall pike to rot. Additionally Eptih had Thmascuid’s spiritform and body encased in a nondescript Sarcoph that was burried deep on the outskirts of the town among the trees by his men. Derram later saw the head of Thmascuid on the pike and pleaded with Eptih to take it down but he ignored her request and that was the end of that. 

Eptih realized that the Velidians would not suffer so great a defeat in silence. He knew they were reorganizing their forces, preparing an attack and with that in mind he took his mother and some of the few reaming Mortals with him and with his army broke camp and proceeded out of the town.

Once clear from the town by a large distance he put his army under command of Fayareg and sent them to a predetermined point. He would take his mother, the remaining townspeople and a small detachment of Hetharcyp on a side trip. Eptih and companions proceeded to the town where he had left Reyam before. This is where he planned to deposit his mother and the townspeople in what he considered to be relative safety. 

Upon arriving, Reyam was very happy to see Eptih and he was equally happy to see her. It was if the two had grown closer together while they had been apart and on the first night after he got his mother situated he asked Reyam if she would marry him and she agreed. A day later in a small ceremony with Derram present Eptih married Reyam and the bride and groom were happy. Eptih knew however that his time with Reyam would be short-lived as the situation demanded he be elsewhere and not burdened with paltry romantic feelings when such huge events were swirling around them.

[ Eptian LVI ]

By this time the Velidians had become well aware of the Hetharcyp and Velid himself had taken notice and called for their destruction. The Velidians were financing just about anyone who was willing to fight the Hetharcy and it was at this point that the Velidians decided to retake the town that Thiaiaceph was holding.

Thiaraceph  makes overtures to the Velidians and lets it be known he is willing to give up the Hetharcyp and Eptih for control of the town. This deal is taken by the Velidians and as such they sent a small band of Siradyt with Queid support to secretly enter the town, coordinate with Thiaraceph and assassinate Eptih. By sheer coincidence the very day this small force came to the town to do their work Eptih had gone out with the majority of the Hetharcyp to reconnoiter the approaches to the town. As a result only about twenty-five percent of the Hetharcyp were in the town. The Siradyt assassins believed Eptih was still in the town and they made their move against the Hetharcyp that were present planning on killing their way to Eptih. When the action began the Hetharcyp were surprised and thus caught off guard and many were killed. Some were able to flee the town and inform Eptih of what had happened although they had no idea that Thiaraceph was involved nor did they recognize it was specifically an attempt to assassinate Eptih.

Eptih fearing a large attack called for the withdrawl of the Hetharcyp from the town, at least the people would not be held responsible for quartering combatants and might not be held account for the damage the Hetharcyp had inflicted on the Velidians.

Eptih decided to take a small band and reenter the town and try to convince Thiaraceph to take the people back to the caves, but mainly he wanted to get his mother and Reyam and her family out of the town. Thiaraceph refused to move and as much as Eptih tried he remained obstinate leaving Eptih no choice but to go to the people directly. Eptih presented the situation to the people and told them he could take them back to the caves where the would be safe. Then Thiaraeph presented his case that they should stay and without the Hetharcyp would be free from rebuke and the majority of the people choose to follow Thiaraeph. Eptih could not believe the outcome and made preparations to take away those who wished to follow. To Eptih’s further surprise Derram told him she was staying with Thiaraceph. When Eptih questioned her she related her commitment to Thiaraceph and that Eptih was now his own man capable of fending for himself no longer in need of a mother’s protection. When Eptih questioned her further she cut him short and asked him to respect her decision, which he did with a disappointed demeanor. Reyam and her family were decided upon going with Eptih and the Hetharcyp.

When Eptih saw all those gathered to follow him back to the caves the number was so few that there was no way they would be able to survive and so Eptih told them that he would take them to friendly town throughout the area deposition families in the various towns. With this news still more fell off to stay with Thiaraceph.

With that Eptih, his small band, Reyam, her family and a small group of other Mortals headed out to rejoin the rest of the Hetharcyp.

As he promised, Eptih deposited the people in various friendly towns and he kept Reyam by his side until the last possible moment when she and her family were the last to be taken in. It had become obvious to all close to the situation that they favored each other. This was a shock to some of the people, their relationship being taboo, although less so in the company of his warriors. In their culture a warrior like Eptih was to win a bride or have her given to him by a father. Some felt Eptih was taking advantage of the situation, a fatherless girl whose entire adult male family was dead. It was not the way things were done but they were not married so it was overlooked.

[ Eptian LV ]

Thmascuid, after Eptih’s disappearance, had taken to secretly training the youth of the local area in the war arts similar to the way he had been training Eptih. At first he had a few students but eventually the project grew into an entire school with students of varying ages from all the surrounding areas. Thmascuid had turned these students into a force of highly trained warriors all without the Velidians becoming aware. His goal was to reestablish the heroes who had been nearly annihilated in the past conflicts.

These warriors being without a leader decided that they would follow Eptih away from the caves and ask him to lead them, they did this because they were committed to Thmascuid and Eptih had been his first student and a blood relative and thereby the second Hetharcyp, Thmascuid being number one. The warriors took their offer to Eptih and he accepted and thus became the head of an established order of didicated warriors trained to kill. In all at this point the Hetharcy numbered under one hunder warriors however their training made them as fierce as five hundred. Eptih accepted because he did not want what Thmascuid had been building to wither on the vine, he wanted Thmascuid’s legacy to be remembered.

This is where the major split between Thiaraceph and Eptih occured, Thiaraceph leading the people of the town and Eptih leading the Hetharcy. Although Reyam wanted to go with Eptih she could not leave what remained of her family and therefore stayed at the caves. Eptih had convinced her to do so knowing the path he was on was a danerous one and not proper for women.

Eptih left with his Hetharcyp and immediately they began using their skills to harm the Velidians as much as possible. This plan took many forms but initially the Hetharcyp terrorized the Narcirogen killing them whenever possible, killing Siradyt, attacking and dismembering Queid soldiers and evading capture as they roamed the countryside. The Hetharcyp took great pride in attacking the Narciogen at their old town and when they did no quarter was shown and as a result the cruelty of the Hetharcyp became known to all the Narciogen.

Although at first the work of the Hetharcyp went mostly unnoticed by the Velidian ruling class eventually and Velid himself, when enough had been killed and large swathes of land were left in ruin they started to take notice and with each new act of rebellion their discomfort and anger grew. With this notoriety came fame among the Mortals and thus a flock of men wishing to join in arose wherever they went. At this point the Hetharcyp were the only Mortals fighting against their Velidian overlords, the rest had long since been subjugated.

As the Hetharcyp grew so to did Eptih’s power and it became his focus to clear the town of his youth that had been lost. Therefore the Hetharcyp managed to retake the town and slaughter all the Narcirogen inhabitants, upon hearing of this news Thiaraceph decided to leave the caves and return with the people so as to reestablish the town.

One night when the Hetharcyp were camped out in the town they had retaken Thiaraceph and all the townspeople returned. Eptih could not believe the stupidity of Thiaraceph, bringing the people back to the town when the Velidians were sure to try and recapture it. Eptih let his feelings be known to Thiaraceph and the two nearly came to blows. Eptih was however happy to see his mother and Reyam and that night he spent talking with them as the Hetharcyp planned to take the people back to the caves in the morning. When morning came Thiaraceph refused to move the people again and demanded they stay in their town. This put an extreme burden on Eptih in that now his forces would be required to protect the town from the coming onslaught. Eptih tried to convince Thiaraceph to take the people back to the caves but to no avail and it became obvious to Eptih that Thiaraceph was trying to establish his authority over him.

Among the various other sects of mortals elsewhere in Existence the Hetharcyp were either loved or hated. Some felt the Hetharcyp were causing unnecessary trouble, a trouble that would only be turned around and used to cause them further harm. Others however praised the Hetharcy and wished them Success, sending supplies and men and making offers to the Hetharcyp to come and cause havoc against the Velidians in their area, some even offering additional goods for these services.

The support or lack of it for the Hetharcyp divided the Mortals and factions developed that were either pro or anti-Hetharcyp. Some groups that despised the Hetharcyp set up parties to hunt them down and so as the Hetharcyp grew so did their enemies. All of this did not deter Eptih, he was building a military force and could see that just maybe he would be able to throw the Velidian yoke from the necks of the Mortals. There were still many hurdles to cross though and at the moment the biggest one was Thiaraceph and the fate of the townspeople.

[ Eptian LIV ]

In his sadness and the anticipation of the knowing the fate of his mother, Eptih was at first paralyzed by the confusion of what had just happened, the scene of his town destroyed and the bodies laying about having had a enormous effect on him. But his rage kept him focused on what needed to be done and when night had arrived he went into action maneuvering back to the town stealthily so that he was unseen by the Velidians.

Once Eptih had made it back to what remained of the town he could see Thmascuids body up on the spike just as it had been before. The sight shocked Eptih and stoked his rage so much so that he sweat blood at that instant. Keeping himself from exploding in a rage was difficult but he managed knowing that silence now would result in a greater more brutal revenge later. Each droplet of blood that pushed forth from his skin would equal a thousand Velidian deaths and only this thought could quell his rage.

Eptih searched around for Thmascuids head but was unable to find it and so he removed Thmascuid’s impaled body from the (s)pike and carried it out of sight cursing the Velidians under his breath as he left the town unnoticed. He took the body [to a secret location] and there wrapped as much of it as he could with the little material he had with him. (Possibly a cloak or something or having grabbed some material when in the town.) and then dug a hole in the ground, placed the headless body inside and backfilled it. Once Eptih had finished these funerary tasks he set out to find his mother and Reyam. Revenge would have to wait.

Eptih found his mother and Thiaraceph who having fled the town escaped with their lives and little else. This reunion was the first between the two since his return from his travels that was not clandestine. Although Eptih was happy his mother was safe he felt an obligation to find Reyam and her family and so he agreed to meet his mother and Thiaraceph at a specific time and at a specific location then went out to find Reyam.

Eptih was not able to find Reyam as quickly as he had found his mother and every moment that passed he felt like she was descending deeper and deeper into a great danger. Eptih did not figured that Reyam would be much closer to the abandoned town then his mother had been but when he finally found her she was just on the outskirts of town mourning her father, older brothers and uncle who had been killed by the Velidians. It was horrible scene and Eptih had to carry the surviving women and children away as they did not want to leave their deceased family behind. The women and children survived only because they had been hidden by the men before the fight had begun. Reyam had lost her father, three older brothers and an uncle. Reyam, her mother, her little sister and brother, her aunt and two nieces were the only survivors.

Eptih took Reyam and her family to where he had planned to meet his mother and Thiaraceph. Reyam was in extreme anguish and Eptih comforted her and this is when Eptih’s desire for Reyam begin to grow [from a shallow lust to a strong affection] and when Reyam realized she wanted Eptih as a husband. Derram and Thiaraceph arrived sometime later and it was then that Thiaraceph recommended moving to a group of caves that he knew of nearby. Thus they all moved to the caves and there found relative safety.

By this time the Velidians had realized that Thmascuid’s body had been stolen and they desperately wanted it back and so they sent out a troop to torture any mortal they came into contact with for information and this netted them intelligence that directly implicated Eptih. Either someone had witnessed him in his clandestine raid or someone dropped his name to save themselves. This made Eptih a known and wanted figure by the Velidians, their primary target. Now this troop set out to find Eptih for the single purpose of retrieving the body of Thmascuid and the horror they inflicted on the populace was tremendous.

Eventually other exiles from the town began to hear of and gather at the makeshift community that Eptih and Thiaraceph had established. Many mortals in nearby towns shunned these people figuring that if they provided them sanctuary their town would meet a similar fate at the hands of the Velidians. As the days turned to weeks a communal system began to develop and a provisional town centered around the caves developed. Also during this time a love began to grow between Eptih and Reyam and as it became noticeable to others, talk began to proliferate about how it was wrong, it appeared that Eptih was taking advantage of a beautiful girl who was now fatherless. A wife was either a war prize or a gift of a father but never a mutual bond between two individuals. As the complaints of the people grew they were directed at Thiaraceph and it was he who brought them to Eptih. Needless to say this did not create a better relationship between the two as Eptih was offended at Thiaracephs insolence.

Thiaraceph seemed to relish his newfound status. He was now one of the few remaining heroes and was known as Thmascuids successor. Eptih having been gone on his journey was less known then Thiaraceph, he had achieved fame as a child but had not been heard of in years. Eptih was still quite young and so the people gravitated to Thiaraceph as leader. This frustrated Eptih who had never been fond of Thiaraceph. Now that Thiaraceph was trying to establish his authority over Eptih using Eptih’s new relationship with Reyam as a guise Eptih grew dissatisfied and challenged Thiaraceph whenever possible trying to establish his own authority without directly physically confronting him out of respect for his mother.

This plan came to a crashing halt when stories began to surface about the Queid troop that was searching for Eptih, roaming the countryside torturing and killing Mortals for information regarding his whereabouts. All the circumstances were now against him, not only was he flouting convention by taking Reyam and competing with the man everyone looked to as their leader he was now hunted and therefore a great liability. Some, under their breadth, blamed him for the destruction of their town and so Eptih could see the situation for what it was and decided to leave.

[ Eptian LII ]

It was assumed that if Eptih could not be found by the Velidians, violence would be avoided. And so Eptih stayed with (Reyam’s family) far on the outskirts of the town.

Thmascuid later returned to the town and directly went to see Derram to let her know that Eptih was alive. When Derram heard this news she was shocked, although she had kept faith that Eptih would return, her mind and the reality of the situation weighed heavy on her. Eptih had been gone for many years and Derram wondered if her own faith had become delusional.

Needless to say Derram wanted to see Eptih as soon as she heard the news, however Thmascuid told her the situation and that Eptih was still in great danger even though he had mad it home.

Eptih wanted to see his mother as much as she wanted to see him and in the darkest part of the night made his way covertly back into the town and went to see her. Eptih woke his mother and at first she thought she was dreaming but when she regained full consciousness she rejoiced at his homecoming and they embraced. They spoke for some time but as the light of day began to show over the horizon Eptih left to return to Reyam’s family farm, and he did so having never been noticed.

Thiaraceph was the least happy about the return of Eptih and once Eptih had left told Derram that the boy would only bring dread to the town, to which Derram was dismissive. Thiaraceph who had always felt Derram and her son where a burden to him had never been close to Eptih.

The Queid had been preparing for a major assault on the town and where now ready to move on the town with force. The size of the force they had assembled was enormous, it was obvious that they had a specific plan and that it was larger then finding Eptih. This force was not just Queid, but Siradyt as well.

Eptih having been out till dawn seeing his mother arrived back at the farm and could sense something strange out in the forest and so went to reconnoiter the woods. Quickly Eptih realized what was coming and he returned to the farm to wake the family there and send them away. Eptih was still under the impression that what was coming was focused on one thing, his capture and he did not plan on being taken without a fight.

When told to flee Reyam’s male relatives wanted to stay and protect their farm but Eptih told them the sheer size of the force coming would be unstoppable and thereby convinced them that any resistance would be a trivial burden to such a great force. To this Reayam asked Eptih what he planned to do and when he told her he would stay she demanded to stay with him. Eptih, running out of time, had Reayms father and brothers take her away with them by force.

Once Reyam and her family had gone Eptih hid himself in a high area where he could see nearly everything and there waited for the inevitable. In this confined spot Eptih had time to think and it occurred to him that the force that had been sent to capture him was larger then necessary and wondered if the Velidians did not have some other purpose in mind. Why would such effort be put to capturing him, most likely the Velidians new very little about him.

Eventually a Velidian vanguard came through the area followed by the main force a short time later. To Eptih’s surprise this force quickly made its way past the farm toward the town proper. It was at that moment Eptih realized that something much larger then what he had imagined was taking place.

[ Eptian LI ]

Eptih managed to evade the pursuing search party staying just ahead of them, but as he got closer to his town he began to realize that he was leading this band of henchmen to his very doorstep and thereby bringing with him a great danger.

As he approached his town he made the decision to lead the Queid following him into less inhabited parts nearby and there lose them. What Eptih did not know is that the band following him also contained Siradyt and so was more capable then Eptih had expected, not just the typical Queid drones. As Eptih doubled back and forth trying to confuse and disorient the Queid they surrounded him and unexpectedly attacked him, forcing him to fight. Eptih easily killed all those that challenged him but a few, realizing they were defeated retreated back to the Velidian stronghold near the coast.

This was a disaster for Eptih, he knew he had doomed his town and that the Velidians would be back in force. Eptih returned to the edge of his town not sure whether or not it would be wise to enter, he figured there might be spies within that would offer information to the Velidians, and he was right in this line of thinking as a large element of Narcirogen had been planted in the city, as it was with most cities, by the Velidians. When Eptih approached the outskirts of the town he recognized a young woman as a childhood acquaintance named Reyam and he figured he could trust her or at least he hoped he could. Eptih approached the farm with caution trying to avoid the rest of the family but get Reyams attention. Eventually Reyam noticed Eptih off in the distance and Eptih waved for her to come to him. She was reluctant and Eptih could tell she was about to announce his presence to her family so Eptih began walking toward her. Reyam recognized Eptih as he came closer and her apprehension subsided. Reyam was stunned to see Eptih alive as it had been assumed he was dead and so she was happy to see him alive. Eptih told Reyam he did not yet want to be recognized so to meet him out in the Forest secretly and with that he withdrew back into hiding. Later when it was convenient Reaym went out to meet Eptih.

Eptih was shocked at how beautiful Reyam had become in the years he had been gone but he had little time for those considerations now and instead enlisted her to bring Thmascuid to see him. He was putting much faith in the girl not knowing whether or not he could trust her but it was a gamble he was willing to make.

That night Reyam snuck away and went to Thmascuid’s house and related the message Eptih had given her. Thmascuid was dismayed to learn Eptih was alive and had suspicions as to Reyams intention figuring she might be a tool of the Velidians, but he had to know if Eptih was alive or not so went to where Eptih was supposed to be.

Upon arriving he did not find Eptih and feared he might be in the midst of a trap, just them he saw figures approaching him. It was a small group of Narcirogen and Thmascuid attempted to flee but they had already seen him and a fight ensued. As the fight played out Eptih came and joined in and the Narcirogen were slaughtered.

At first Thmascuid did not recognize Eptih as he was no longer a child but upon further inspection he realized it was in fact Eptih and as such he embraced him, welcoming him home. After they had reestablished their familiarity Eptih told Thmascuid what the situation was and how he was sure a large band of Velidians were sure to be coming. The two planned what they would do agreeing that limiting the destruction of the town would be the best action.

It was decided that for the time being Eptih should remain outside the city hidden away and so Thmascuid went to (Reyam’s family) to seek asylum for Eptih which (Reyams’ family) granted.

[ Eptian XXXVIII ]

Eptih awaited the coming of the Heroes in concealment for a long time in a precarious and uncomfortable position. The forests surrounding the Great Chasm had since become active with Spiritforms and Eptih feared that somehow they had been alerted to his presence and were searching him out. The goings-on surrounding him forced him to revise his plan and it now became obvious that he needed to get out of the place as soon as possible. Eptih decided to move only by night and therefore waited until the night was at its darkest. Until the last moment Eptih held out hope that Thmascuid and his Heroes would arrive and that he would be able to join them in the fight against Velid.

Since Eptih first concealed himself in the forest near the great Chasm Fortress it had become a more and more active place. Large batallions of Queid soldiers began returning to the Fortress and as more and more arrived Eptih surmised that the war was over, and knowing the Heroes had not made good on their plans to attack the Great Chasm Fortress he was fairly certain that the Mortals had lost.

As night approached and Eptih came forth from his hiding place he was spotted and swarmed by Spiritforms and immediately Queid soldiers were alerted to the presence of a stranger. With that Eptih fled but upon reaching the head of the road that led back from where he came, found it blocked by Queid. He quickly turned and headed into the forests, running as fast as his legs could carry him and his endurance would hold out. When Eptih would feel tired and begin to slow he would hear the sounds of his pursuers and even though his muscles burned and neared total exhaustion he ran on and on, farther from the lands he knew deeper and deeper into the periphery where the forests grew thicker and the eyes of Mortal man had never witnessed.

Eptih ran further into the unknown, navigating his way through the trees and over the rocks and when his muscles could no longer carry him and the though of instant death seemed a pleasant escape he collapsed, alive but dead to the world.

Thmascuid, Thiaraceph and a small band went searching for Eptih following the path they expected he would have taken. Along the way they did find a few signs that Eptih had been there but eventually, as that got closer to the Great Chasm Fortress, they came into contact with the amassing Queid battalions returning from the war. Seeing this they knew there was no possible way for Eptih to have escaped. Either he was captured or he was dead, there were no other possibilities in their minds. And so with this sad knowledge they returned home and passed the information on to Othamar (Derram), she however was not so sure that Eptih was dead and remained hopeful.