View source for The Legend of Erol

'''Title: The Legend of Erol '''

'''Author: Lucas Eventide '''


We knew little of 
our fates for that dim 
night. The town cryer 
spoke to us about a 
Hermit in need of 
escorts to guide him to 
Trinsic.
About thirty of us 
choose to lead this 
old man to his friend.
Our reward and 
thanks would be given 
in gold... and a secret 
none had heard, kept 
quiet through the ages.

So onward we moved, 
Erol lead the way 
with a strange aura 
about him. We knew 
he was afraid of 
something deep 
within those forests 
and we were becoming 
restless with his slow 
pace. Still we passed 
fish around and sang 
trail songs in the 
dimming light of 
midday.   Nightfall 
began upon us near 
the Britain-Trinsic 
bridge. A surge of 
magical energy was 
heard, it hummed its 
song as the rest of us 
became backed up on 
the blocked bridge. 

As soon as the 
magical wall had 
faded we crossed and 
found our companion, 
Erol, had 
dissapeared. Riddled 
with dispair we began 
a search for the 
missing man. 
With nightime 
approaching ever 
faster he came out 
from his hiding. 
He told us of his 
dreadfull fear of the 
arcane, the magical. 
I would like to note 
that I didn't blame the 
man. To me magic flowed from the most 
unnatural source of 
power in Brittania. I 
certainly wouldn't 
hide myself from a 
magic wall, but I 
would prefer a long 
walk over a recall any 
day. So this man had a 
point.
 
He continued 
to a small tent and 
campfire, telling us 
his plans to continue 
during the daylight 
hours when the 
theives and 
murderers were less 
likely to attack a 
humble old hermit. 
It was by the fire 
that we all huddled. I 
and my guildmate sat 
on a rock and listened 
to the uneasy laughter 
and rigid speach of 
the rusted warriors 
that had come along. 
Their stories were as 
vast as the sea. Still I 
hope I will remember 
some of them for a 
warriors tale.


Erol stood with his 
brown shag beard and 
untamed hair, draped 
in his dusty brown 
cloak.

"Well, perhaps we 
can get part of the 
compensation out of 
the way now by 
telling you the secret I 
had promised."

We all silenced in 
anticipation. I started 
scrawling in my 
notebook in hopes to etch a picture and the 
secret in lasting 
memory. He 
continued, the flames 
of the fire lighting 
him from behind.

"How about a legend 
of this very forest." 
He paused to scan the 
weathered faces of 
the party. "My friend 
first told me of this 
story and it did put 
fear into my very 
soul."
And thus began the story.

"There was a 
hermit who 
experemented
with herbs, weeds, 
anything he could 
discover in the forest 
and he discovered a 
great deal. He found that he 
required one thing that 
he could not get 
especially since he 
had been a hermit for 
the majority of his 
adult life"

An elbow nudged my side and a young 
warrior mouthed 
'Laid'. A few muffled 
snickers escaped the 
crowd and let a little 
tension out. Erol didn't 
notice and continued 
his speech.

"... learning to fend 
for himself against 
nature and monsters. 
The one component he 
required, one day, 
wandered into his 
small area. Twas a young lass by the name of 
Madelyn. She was 
very lovely, legend 
has it. But, he was not 
concerned with her 
looks, nor her mind. 
He was concerned 
with the soul and how 
it functioned with her 
body and used her for 
his vile experiments.
My friend told me 
that the hermit had 
never been found and 
the only way the 
story was told this far was because of a 
few adventurers, 
alive and well years 
after the incident. They say he 
succeeded in his 
experiments even, but 
required the flow of 
one steady component 
which grew in 
number over and over 
again." Now he looked 
to each of us as a chill 
was sent down our 
spines. 

"Have you heard this legend before? Or 
have you heard of the 
hermit's small area 
within the woods?" 
There were a few 
quiet nays.

"Perhaps not, but I 
can tell you it looked a 
great deal like this 
one." The clank of 
swords could be heard 
as the warriors began 
to stand and slide their 
hands to their 
sheaths. "Madelyn 
did not live to tell the tale. Only the hermit 
could live on and show 
others his vile 
creations.
 

"The hermit named 
Erol!" He burst into 
blood curdling 
laughter. His skin began to shift to a 
thick red leather. He 
grew to the size of a 
giant and sprouted 
wings. The skeletal and lich 
minions swarmed the 
small crew. You could hear screams as the 
souls lifted from the 
body. This was the 
exact sound Erol 
loved. The undead left a 
stench of war 
lingering in the air. I 
forced myself to raise 
a kryss to the 
skeletals, knowing 
that if I was attacked 
by more that I was 
sure to join their 
ranks.
 
Erol cheered his 
mob on, swating the 
few warriors and 
mages that 
surrounded him back. 
Many arrows and 
swords slid across the 
tough skin unharmed. 
As more and more 
fell, the battle seemed 
without hope. Our 
valiant were hoarded 
against the thin walls 
of the tent. Our 
healers were busy 
themselves healing 
those most in need or 
those most valuable.

It was by the 
brightening light of 
the new day that 
hours of raging battle 
came to a hault. We 
stood staring at the 
giant bodies of the 
daemons, the 
withering flesh of 
zombies, white- 
washed bones of 
skeletons, and glowing 
bodies of liches. 
Sighing in releif we 
started to heal our 
wounds. 

Then a youth 
emerged, a young 
maiden as beautifull 
as her tale had told. 
Madelyn smiled to us, 
and gave us her 
thanks for killing her 
tormentor. For now 
she was finally free.
She gave us each a 
bit of gold to pay for 
our expense, much 
less than the jewls 
and treasure he had 
promised us for the 
escort. However, we 
had our lives. Which 
was not something 
that everyone who 
traveled along could 
say.
The rest of his 
treasure would go to 
the Healers of Trinsic 
we were told.


As the sun shone 
high and ended a long 
day of adventuring, 
we all parted to the 
promise of a new 
adventure and a forest 
that was just a little 
bit safer from the 
hermit named Erol.


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