STORY: Return to Bastok
Wendell stood on the deck of the airship and looked out over the railing. Despite the beauty of the landscape he was lost within his own thoughts, thinking of what led him here. Several weeks prior he had met a man who recognized the name Bardon and mentioned something of war records in the city of Bastok. However, before more could be said the Hume had to leave. Despite a promise to meet up again in the future several weeks passed with no sign of him, and Wendell decided he had put off his search long enough.
He decided to travel to the city of Bastok again, and see if he could uncover more info himself. These were the events that led him to the airship he was now riding, towards Bastok. Just thinking of the approaching city made Wendell sigh. His last experience had been brief and in many ways unpleasant. Besides the noxious smell, arrogant Humes and defeated Galka there was another thing that really bothered him about that city - the feelings it invoked within him.
With every Galka and Hume he spoke to, he could feel something welling up inside him. At first puzzled, he gradually began to recognize the feeling as it continued to grow. Anger. It was unmistakable. The more he was subjected to the attitudes of the people of Bastok the more he could feel the anger build within him. He did not understand why this feeling was growing, but it scared him into leaving after only a very short time there.
With a lurch the airship splashed down into the Port Bastok bay, nearly knocking Wendell off his feet. As the ship pulled up to the pier Wendell sighed again. He could already smell the unpleasant odor of the city. He hoped it would be a short stay here, but regardless he would stay until he found some answer. He wanted to know more about the mysterious Galka in his father’s letters.
Disembarking from the ship and walking into the city proper, Wendell quickly realized Bastok was no different from what he remembered. The Humes gave him the same attitudes as before, and the Galka looked just as tired and defeated as ever. He found that the feellings of hatred weren't welling up inside him near as fast as he feared they would, but they were there.
As he asked Humes and Galka alike about Bardon or some kind of war records he tended to get the same answer - no-one knew who or what he was talking about It wasn't long before Wendell found himself in the Bastok Mines, the slum district or Bastok.. There he finally received his break.
A young Galka, Gumbah, overheard Wendell asking about Bardon and the war of 20 years ago. He spoke to Wendell privately and confided that there might be someone from the war who might know this Bardon and maybe help him. A Galka named Zied. For the first time since arriving, Wendell felt his spirits lift up. Gumbah told Wendell where that he might be able to find Zied and Wendell left the slums district feeling hopeful. His loathing of Bastok and the anger that had been slowly building were almost completely forgotten.
Following young Gumbah’s hints Wendell made his way to the Palsborough Mines and proceeded cautiously through them. The place was crawling with the local beastmen, yet with his magics hiding him from plain view it was easy to move through there undetected. Gumbah’s information indicated that Zied liked to spend time here so Wendell was searching every passage of the mine he could find in hopes of running in to the legendary Galka.
That's what others referred to him as. A legend. Zied was appearantly one of the Bastokians who fought the Shadow Lord directly during the great war of 20 years ago. He also knew a great deal about the Bastok military and many of it's ex-Galka members. Wendell felt the power of his concealment spells fading. Ducking into a small alcove, he re-cast them and continued on his way.
Several hours passed with no luck. Wendell suspected that perhaps he had missed the Galka, or maybe he misunderstod the kid and went to the wrong mines. With a heavy sigh, he boarded an old boat left over from the mines more active days. It was a shortcut back to Bastok he had heard about from one of the older Galka miners.
As the small boat pulled close to shore, Wendell could see a figure standing near the shore, seemingly lost in thought. Based on the descriptions he had been given Wendell was sure this was the Dark Knight Zied. Wendell quickly went up to him and asked if he knew of a Galka named Bardon, but Zied merely replied with a disapproving glance.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zied finally broke the silence. He told Wendell he knew the Galka in question, but would not talk to a weakling such as himself. Zied pulled out a greatsword and handed it to Wendell, saying that only if he could prove himself by becoming master of this sword would he gain answers to his questions.
With that, Zied walked off, leaving Wendell standing there holding the large heavy weapon so similar to the one that haunted his dreams. At that realization he dropped it and took a step back away from it. Looking at it laying on the floor, it seemed like just an ordinary sword. Yet it was the images from his dream that the sword invoked that made him wary.
He carefully weighed his options in his mind. He could leave the sword there and never learn anything about Bardon, or take the sword with him and eventually gain some insight into his past. With a heavy sigh Wendell picked up the sword and slung it over his back. He wasn't sure yet if he would actually use the sword but he could at least hold on to it until a better solution presented itself.
He decided to travel to the city of Bastok again, and see if he could uncover more info himself. These were the events that led him to the airship he was now riding, towards Bastok. Just thinking of the approaching city made Wendell sigh. His last experience had been brief and in many ways unpleasant. Besides the noxious smell, arrogant Humes and defeated Galka there was another thing that really bothered him about that city - the feelings it invoked within him.
With every Galka and Hume he spoke to, he could feel something welling up inside him. At first puzzled, he gradually began to recognize the feeling as it continued to grow. Anger. It was unmistakable. The more he was subjected to the attitudes of the people of Bastok the more he could feel the anger build within him. He did not understand why this feeling was growing, but it scared him into leaving after only a very short time there.
With a lurch the airship splashed down into the Port Bastok bay, nearly knocking Wendell off his feet. As the ship pulled up to the pier Wendell sighed again. He could already smell the unpleasant odor of the city. He hoped it would be a short stay here, but regardless he would stay until he found some answer. He wanted to know more about the mysterious Galka in his father’s letters.
Disembarking from the ship and walking into the city proper, Wendell quickly realized Bastok was no different from what he remembered. The Humes gave him the same attitudes as before, and the Galka looked just as tired and defeated as ever. He found that the feellings of hatred weren't welling up inside him near as fast as he feared they would, but they were there.
As he asked Humes and Galka alike about Bardon or some kind of war records he tended to get the same answer - no-one knew who or what he was talking about It wasn't long before Wendell found himself in the Bastok Mines, the slum district or Bastok.. There he finally received his break.
A young Galka, Gumbah, overheard Wendell asking about Bardon and the war of 20 years ago. He spoke to Wendell privately and confided that there might be someone from the war who might know this Bardon and maybe help him. A Galka named Zied. For the first time since arriving, Wendell felt his spirits lift up. Gumbah told Wendell where that he might be able to find Zied and Wendell left the slums district feeling hopeful. His loathing of Bastok and the anger that had been slowly building were almost completely forgotten.
Following young Gumbah’s hints Wendell made his way to the Palsborough Mines and proceeded cautiously through them. The place was crawling with the local beastmen, yet with his magics hiding him from plain view it was easy to move through there undetected. Gumbah’s information indicated that Zied liked to spend time here so Wendell was searching every passage of the mine he could find in hopes of running in to the legendary Galka.
That's what others referred to him as. A legend. Zied was appearantly one of the Bastokians who fought the Shadow Lord directly during the great war of 20 years ago. He also knew a great deal about the Bastok military and many of it's ex-Galka members. Wendell felt the power of his concealment spells fading. Ducking into a small alcove, he re-cast them and continued on his way.
Several hours passed with no luck. Wendell suspected that perhaps he had missed the Galka, or maybe he misunderstod the kid and went to the wrong mines. With a heavy sigh, he boarded an old boat left over from the mines more active days. It was a shortcut back to Bastok he had heard about from one of the older Galka miners.
As the small boat pulled close to shore, Wendell could see a figure standing near the shore, seemingly lost in thought. Based on the descriptions he had been given Wendell was sure this was the Dark Knight Zied. Wendell quickly went up to him and asked if he knew of a Galka named Bardon, but Zied merely replied with a disapproving glance.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zied finally broke the silence. He told Wendell he knew the Galka in question, but would not talk to a weakling such as himself. Zied pulled out a greatsword and handed it to Wendell, saying that only if he could prove himself by becoming master of this sword would he gain answers to his questions.
With that, Zied walked off, leaving Wendell standing there holding the large heavy weapon so similar to the one that haunted his dreams. At that realization he dropped it and took a step back away from it. Looking at it laying on the floor, it seemed like just an ordinary sword. Yet it was the images from his dream that the sword invoked that made him wary.
He carefully weighed his options in his mind. He could leave the sword there and never learn anything about Bardon, or take the sword with him and eventually gain some insight into his past. With a heavy sigh Wendell picked up the sword and slung it over his back. He wasn't sure yet if he would actually use the sword but he could at least hold on to it until a better solution presented itself.
posted by Unknown at 09:22
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