“That’s over Rock Ridge. I know it is.” Ser Armex said
“The cultists must no longer need the
village and plan to destroy it, rather than allow it to return to us.” Hellen said with concern. “Go, Anneleigh! Go to Granitedust Gulch and see what the
Sanctuary Guard can tell you. They have
a station over looking Rock Ridge. They
will know better than anyone.”
Anneleigh hurried down the paths of Scarlet
Gorge until she came so close to the Fire Rift she almost could not stand
it. Along the ridge that lined the small
town she found the outpost of Granitedust Gulch and sought out answers.
“It just appeared.” Said a member of the
Sanctuary Guard. “We were looking over
the ridge there, trying to decide the best way to head off the exponential
growth of fire demons when the Rift burst through the ward. “There’s only one way to free Rock Ridge from
the grip of the fire rift, and that’s to close it. That means the master demon holding it open
must be allowed to enter this world so he can be destroyed. “
Anneleigh shuttered. “Allow him in?” She asked. “Isn’t that the exact opposite of what we
want to happen?”
“It’s the only way. You cannot kill him while he is in the plane
of fire, and while he lives the rift will remain open, allowing more of his fowl
spawn to enter and corrupt the town. You
have to lure him out and then kill him.”
Anneleigh turned away from the bright light
of the Rift. “I’m not sure it can be
done.”
“Have faith, Mistress, the Vigil is on our
side.” He said. “You will know Uthyradge, Lord of Suffering,
when you see him. When the rift is
closed it will be safe to return here.”
Anneleigh descended further into the valley
and approached the fire rift. The heat
was almost more than she could stand. Her memory brought her back to the only other
rift she had defeated since her return to Telara – coincidently, also
fire. The heat of the Silverwood rift
had not been nearly as intense, and, as she found as she entered the rift, the
creatures not nearly as menacing.
She skirted the edge of the rift, picking
off the smaller demons before forcing herself further into the rift to take on
the large ones. Even as an elf, one of
the tallest species in Telara, the fire demons towered over her. Wave after wave poured through the rift until
they started to enter more slowly.
Finally, after what felt like hours, their flow stopped and one, final,
fire demon entered the rift – Uthyradge, Lord of Suffering.
He was easily taller than the surrounding
buildings of Rock Ridge; Anneleigh hardly came to his knee. She took careful aim and shot at his head,
his eyes, the only area of his figure that was not covered in thick scale
armor. He saw her aim and dodged her
easily before being to peruse her. Her
smaller size made her more agile as she swerved and covered behind rocks and
tree stumps. Still he followed her,
taunting her, but never quite reaching her.
As she ran, Anneleigh worked out a plan.
She took cover behind the largest rock and waited. As Uthyradge approached she moved to the
opposite side of the rock and circled back, waiting until he passed to climb up
onto the rock and leap from that position onto his back.
Uthyradge tried to shake her off, tried to
hit her with his short arms, but Anneleigh had seen his weakness. She climbed up his back and sat on his
shoulders behind his head. She held
tightly with one hand and plunged her dagger into his eye with the other. Hot fire erupted from the wound, while along
his armor plating more cracks began to allow fire to push through. Anneleigh jumped down from his shoulders to
escape the heat, but the distance was too far, and even with all her practice in
trees, she landed with a crunch and felt her leg snap in two. Through the pain she watched the fire rift
seal itself and knew she had completed her mission. She had one final thought about her success
before she blacked out.
She awoke in a bright room that seemed to
emit its light, not from any one light source, but from the walls itself. Around her stood many dressed in the uniform
of the sanctuary guard. When they saw
her stirring they backed away.
“Fayne, she’s awake!” One of the guards
called.
“Fayne?” Anneleigh said, her voice course
and dry. “How? Where am I?”
The guards looked around to her. “You’re in Sanctum, Anneleigh. Rest now.
Fayne will explain everything.”
Anneleigh watched as Fayne Doren approached
her. She knew the priestess could not
see her, but smiled brightly at the woman in spite of herself.
“I didn’t know you survived the shade.”
Anneleigh said to her. “How did you come
to be here?”
Fayne smiled. “That is a story for another time. Perhaps there will be a moment when the
planer threat is gone. For now though, I
have been tasked with telling you what has happened.”
In the shock of waking up in Sanctum and
seeing her old acquaintance she had forgotten the circumstances in Rock Ridge
that had led her here.
“The citizens of Rock Ridge were released
from their servitude when you closed that rift, Anneleigh. The sanctuary guard at Granitedust Gulch
watched the rift close and waited for you to return. However, when you did not, Peter Narren sent
word to Sanctum for assistance and then entered Rock Ridge to find you. He arrived at the site of the rift to find
the freed standing watch around you, though not too close. They had never seen an Ascended and did not
know if you were able to hurt them.”
“I can’t blame them,” Anneleigh interrupted. “They had just gone through something
horrible at the hands of a cult they had no reason to suspect.”
Fayne nodded. “The sanctuary guard arrived soon after and
began the slow process of returning you to the Porticulum in Crimson Wash. “
“Slow process?” Anneleigh asked. “How long have I been asleep?”
“You’ve been unconscious for nearly a
week. The healers have attributed it to
both the shock and pain of your injury, but also the final explosion of Uthyradge.”
Anneleigh nodded. “What happened to Rock Ridge?”
“You brought Rock Ridge back from the brink
when the rift closed. We can help the
people rebuild and start anew.”
Anneleigh sighed and lay back down on her
pillow, but Fayne frowned.
“Your work as been instrumental in saving
Scarlet Gorge, Anneleigh, but there is still the matter of Alsbeth and her
plot.”
Anneleigh sat up quickly in bed. “Did Hellen and Sir Armex tell you what I saw
and heard?”
Fayne nodded. “We do not know what ritual she was speaking
of, a piece of information we need in order to prevent her from completing the
magic. When you are ready, Anneleigh,
when you are whole and strong again, would you consent to helping in this mystery?”
Anneleigh smiled. “I believe it is what I was returned to do.”
Scarlet Gorge, from the Guardian's point of view, is one of the shortest zones in the game. Creating story and excitement in this zone was particularly challenging as there is very little story to work with, particularly when I do not want to involve Anneleigh in any type of Defiant feud.
Although Alsbeth is introduced in Gloamwood, I chose to make her a mysterious figure until her meeting here in Scarlet Gorge, in an effort to extent the mystery. Once Anneleigh learned of the ritual Alsbeth planned to attempt, the further story had a backbone to follow.
The next zone, Scarwood Reach, is one of my favourites because of its over arching story, and, as there was little more to tell about Scarlet Gorge, I had always planned to cut short Anneleigh's time in the zone and hurry her onward to discover the mystery.
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