A Brief History of The Wardens of Wraithwood

[Raiyoku]

      As the history of The Wardens is so closely linked with the history of its founder, Raiyoku, any account of the history of the nation must begin with a history of Raiyoku. Raiyoku’s journey began when he was trapped during a battle between his people, the Álfir, and their deadly enemies, the Jötunar. He and a group of other Álfir were backed into a canyon with no exit, and a much larger force of Jötunar before them. Faced with destruction, Raiyoku and the other mages of the group cast an unstable spell, that allowed them to imitate the power of the Bifrost, the great rainbow bridge of the All-Father. As they left the realm of Álfheim, they saw the entirety of the world tree stretched majestically before them, and beyond something more, something, indistinct. But the Jötunar would not let their prey escape so easily. They entered into the bridge behind them with such speed that they would have caught the fleeing Álfir, had not Raiyoku turned back. Knowing that he would not have time to leave the bridge before it closed if he did so, Raiyoku turned to hold off the oncoming giants, battling them in the tentative path between dimensions. But even as his foes turned back, Raiyoku felt the bridge weaken and shudder, the cosmic energy sustaining was flowing away. Before the Jötunar or the Dökkálf could leave the bridge, they found themselves suspended in the midst of the space between dimensions, and in that space a storm unlike anything in the Nine Realms was brewing. Raiyoku and his enemies were torn away from each other, flying through an event no mortal eyes had ever before witnessed. The storm stripped Raiyoku of his equipment and power, and shot him through dimensions of existence never before seen. Little memory of this terrifying journey was left to Raiyoku, otherwise he very well might have gone insane. As it so happened, he was instead rescued by a strange and enigmatic artifact called the Obelisk.

      Dragged by this hex-tech machine to a cave he had never before seen, yet seemed oddly familiar. Before him stood a magically projected image of an old man. The man introduced himself as Ajaxan, and said he was a prophet, and a leader of a nation called Nauru. Before they could finish this conversation, they were interrupted by strange noises, which the man Ajaxan seemed to recognize. Urging the Dökkálf to hurry, he said that he could teleport Raiyoku to safety if he could find his way out of the cave. Stripped of his power but not of his skill, Raiyoku quickly escaped his mysterious pursuers and found an exit to the cave. As soon as he had stepped into the light, Ajaxan teleported him to a ship waiting to carry refugees to the island city of Nauru. Once in Nauru, Raiyoku went to meet Ajaxan in person, were the prophet explained to him the mysterious events that pulled him from the void. After expressing his gratitude, Raiyoku left to try to regain his power, and to perhaps find a way to return to Álfheim.

      As it so happened, rather than finding a way to return to his home, Raiyoku met another álf, a man he had met long ago, named ElritchRaven. Raiyoku and ElritchRaven, both being álfir alone in this new land, joined forces, creating a nation in the cold north. At the discovery of an álf in Atlas, Raiyoku was incredibly excited, especially since ElritchRaven was of royal blood. At Raiyoku’s request, ElritchRaven agreed to declare himself High Lord of all the álfir in Athera. With Raiyoku as his Archmage, it was Raiyoku’s hope and ambition unite all the álfir of Atlas under one banner. But this was not to be, for it was then that Raiyoku met the man named Merfrid. He was a man ElritchRaven had met while in Athera. Merfrid had been on the brink of insanity for years, after losing a war for the fate of a nation he had created. Now he seemed to have pulled himself back from the edge, and his most desperate wish was to recreate the nation he had lost. He spoke quite frankly to the two álfir about his former mental state, encouraging them that no remnants of his madness remained in his head. He convinced them to join themselves to him in a triumvirate, creating a new larger nation ruled by the three of them, with each holding equal power. The new nation grew in numbers and power, but Raiyoku realized his hopes of creating a nation of álfir were ended. Despite their growth and prosperity, all was not well with the three. ElritchRaven and Merfrid had constant arguments over policy, and despite Raiyoku’s desperate attempts to restore peace between them, the league dissolved, and Raiyoku, devastated, retired. He returned to the island of Nauru, and devoted himself to his arcane studies, enriching himself much as a mage for hire.

      It was there Merfrid found him, in the library of Nauru, and told Raiyoku that he too had left the nation upon the collapse of the government. He told Raiyoku that he was sorry for the conflict that had destroyed their union, and swore to him that if ever Raiyoku were to start a nation, Merfrid would follow him as his vassal, and second in command. Shaken from his apathy, Raiyoku considered the words of Merfrid. The more he turned the proposal over in his mind, the more it appealed to him. Therefore he agreed. He and Merfrid settled in the Wraithwood, and named their new company, “The Wardens of Wraithwood”. Merfrid, a very charismatic and outspoken man, quickly recruited new members to their band. They grew in strength, just as before. But just as before, disaster followed. Merfrid again lost his mind. He tried to use his position in The Wardens to declare war on all Athera, just at a time that Raiyoku had left on a long trip. Chaos erupted, and the world leaders of Athera quickly sent messengers after the Grand Warden, trying to find the explanation for this terrible declaration. As the couriers searched far and wide for the missing leader, The Wardens were in chaos. With their only leader unfit for his position, the members had no one to turn to. Then a man stepped forward to repair the damage. Deeroni had been recruited by Merfrid, but he was a bold man. He seized initiative, and despite the lack of official leaders, he published a document revoking the fraudulent war. At this time a messenger sent by Ata, the leader of Rosenrot and an old friend of Raiyoku, finally found the Grand Warden and informed him of the situation. Hurrying back, he affirmed the document published by Deeroni, and wrote an apology fully explaining the situation to the public. Merfrid had already fled the land, and declared himself in self-imposed banishment. Deeroni, as a reward for his service, was promoted to Lord Warden. Raiyoku restored order to The Wardens, and continued to lead them, with hopes of recovery from the disaster and prosperity for the future.