Submitted By: Psia  

Excerpt of dialog from Captain R.K. Irontoes, heard during the Heritage Quest: In Honor and Service.

Were there any signifant dwarven battles in Greater Faydark?

What? Were there any signifant dwarven battles? ANY DWARVEN BATTLE IS A SIGNIFICANT ONE!

Please forgive my wording. I just wondered if there were any dwarven historical sites nearby?

Aye! The Battle at Burning Roots. This great battle saw the union of the Bloodforge Brigade and a detachment of the female warriors known as the Sisterhood of Erollisi. Together they fought, surrounded by flames and foes.

Who is the Sisterhood of Erollisi?

Long ago, the wood elf warrior known as the Emerald Warriors would not allow females in their ranks. So, a number of female warrioes left Kelethin to start their own secret training halls far from the forest.

Where was this place?

No one ever knew. An isle across the sea, I always heard. Over time, the female warriors began to worship the goddess of love, Erollisi Marr. It is said that the lady of love visited them often, sharing with them her secrets of war. Yes, even in love, combat must exist.

The elven maidens returned to aid the ones that once suppressed their right to fight?

The Sisterhood of Erollisi grew beyond their initial numbers. The bad feelings of the past were long cast away and soon the Emerald Warriors began to accept females into their ranks. The Sisterhood also accepted new members, any female from any race was now allowed to challenge for admittance, provided they could find the isle village of Tearfall.

How do you know all this?

My ancestor traveled alongside one of the sisters and his tales were passed down. I believe his friendship was with one of the ancestors of the Queen of Qeynos, Shaonia Bayle.

Let's get back to the Battle of Burning Roots?

Submitted By: Psia  

The Isle of Erollisi:

This is the largest of the islands and also contains the highest mountain peak compared to the other islands. Unlike other peaks, this one is too steep to climb and even has ice forming at the highest point. It truly towers over all in the region. A stream flows and falls from the frozen peak and runs into the sea. Hidden behind the trees and waterfall is the hidden entrance to the Sisterhood village called Tearfall. A dock is built along the Southwest corner of the island for frequent stops by sailing vessels. Goods from the village of Tearfall are sold by the Sisterhood in a tiny outpost. Dugout rentals are also available for long and difficult trips to other islands that the ships do not anchor near. All creatures on this island are docile and protected by the Sisterhood of Erollisi.

The fact that Shaonia, known publically as Antonia, was raised at Tearfall, and that she is still in her twenties, indicates that the Sister's isle survived the Rending and the Shattering, and remains within the Ocean of Tears waiting to be re-discovered.

Tearfall:

Tearfall is the private sanctum of the Sisterhood of Erollisi. It is accessed via a hidden pass located behind a waterfall. The pass opens up into a crater like valley. The village is where the sisters train and hold contests. At first, only Elvenkind were allowed in this sect formerly from the Greater Faydark Feir'Dal Empire. Now females from around the globe who have heard of this sect seek out this place and dare to challenge the sisters in combat for a chance to become one with them. Men are not welcome within this sanctum, other than those invited or the Dwarven forge masters sworn to the service of the sisters. The village is small but contains all facilities needed by the sisters including a shrine to the great goddess of passion, Erollisi. A beautiful and towering statue has been carved into the face one of the inner cliffs by the Dwarven forge masters.

Sentries of Erollisi, and the Knights of Passion:

The guardians of Lionheart Castle are an order that can be seen in North Freeport since the Age of Turmoil. These guardians are called the Sentries of Erollisi. They wear ornate silver armor with a shiny silver helm. The helm's visor is shaped in the guise of Erollisi Marr. These guards don vibrant blue capes with cowls. They are highly skilled with crossbows and always have one slung on their back. Their primary weapon is a blessed ornate war hammer of fine design. Sentries also have long hair regardless of gender. A Sentry is bound to protect the Priests of Marr and any sacred ground of the Order of Marr. These elite knights are very alluring, but pure of heart. The Paladins of Erollisi were know as the Knights of Passion.

The Hills of Shade and the Crusade of Tears:

The Elddar Elves fled Tunaria, the land now known as Antonica, to escape the destruction that Solusek Ro wrought upon their land. They found their way east, to Faydwer. Over time on the new continent, the Elddar branched off into two distinct tribes: the Koada 'Dal and the Fier 'Dal. A fraction of the Fier 'Dal population settled in the Hills of Shade, creating a small village they named Kirathas. The Elves of Kirathas cherished nature, and resided in simple wooden huts not unlike the structures of Kelethin.

Much later, an enterprising group of Humans led by their captain Han Jensen, "discovered" Faydwer while searching for profitable fishing routes. They erected a crude port on the northern coast, opposite from Kirathas in the southwest, and named it Blackwater. Under Jensen's orders, they made a point of keeping Blackwater's location a closely guarded secret. This protected the sanctity of their bountiful fishing port, but it also eliminated any possibility of a rescue should disaster strike.

It was only a matter of time before the Elves and the Humans met. The first introduction was between a young fisherman, Fendel, and the daughter of Kirathas' leader, an Elven girl named Amber. They stumbled upon one another at an elder oak tree. Their initial fear of each other melted away, replaced by curiosity. Curiosity turned to friendship, and friendship blossomed into love. This was a union that was blessed by the goddess of love, Erollisi Marr.

Unfortunately, the subsequent interactions between the citizens of Kirathas and Blackwater were anything but blessed. Territorial skirmishes and confrontations spiraled out of control, escalating into all-out war between the two villages. Not long after Amber gave birth to Norrath's first half-elf, she was slain by her own father. He felt the act of sacrifice would end the conflict, but Fendel's screams of anguish reached Erollisi's ears. She descended upon the squabbling tribes, furious that her gift of love would be twisted into such hatred and pain. She cursed the inhabitants of the hills to relive their mistakes, forever.

Today, the Hills of Shade are haunted by all manner of twisted and tortured creatures. The residents of Kirathas and Blackwater continue to battle each other even in death, seemingly unaware of their tragic fate. The Elves' ancient burial catacombs, the Crypt of Shade, are overrun with the undead. Feeding off of the decay are a vicious new breed of Sporali, darkly transformed by the remains they consume. The foliage of the grove, disfigured by the divine curse, stand guard near a statue to Erollisi. A flock of crow aviaks known as the borrowers has taken up residence in the northwest, decorating their home with scavenged baubles, brightly colored cloth, and bone.

Two camps of relative newcomers have arrived in the Hills: the benevolent members of Camp Valor, and the Gnomes that call themselves Bertoxxulous's Chosen. Both groups are recruiting passing adventurers for assistance with their wildly different goals. The Gnomes' attention is on scavenging dead bodies. For a necromancer, the concentration of death and decay are a valuable untapped resource, and profitable if one is willing to risk one's neck collecting it. The paladins of Camp Valor have come to the Hills for a more noble cause. They desire nothing less than to fend off the undead and destroy the curse. They are failing thus far, however, and their membership dwindles.

The Crusade of Tears was undertaken by the Priests of Marr and the Knights of Truth much later in an attempt to lift Erollisi's curse from the Hills of Shade. The majority of the Order embarked upon this endeavor, leaving only a skeletal force of Knights in Freeport to fend off the maurading Orcs and bandits. A promising young Paladin, (Lucan D'Lere), was left in charge. He organized the remaining garrison, and hired mercenaries to form the Freeport Militia, and really effectively defended the city. However, his taste for power apparently awakened some dark desires within him, and---well, you know the rest of that story.

Tearfall was originally established by the Sisterhood after the Crusade of Tears, and was originally for female Elvish converts to Erollisi Marr. It was later expanded to include any female worshiper of Erollisi.

Submitted By: Psia  

Erollisi day approached, at first, swiftly, and then fell straight into his life with a crash of flower petals and strong perfume. Rhinehart Nasin knew that in order to capture Finella's heart, drastic measures were necessary. He'd heard rumor of a musty apothecary shop in East Freeport that all spurned lovers regarded as their truest of friends, but he'd never considered visiting it - until today. He'd awoken to find the bundle of graveblooms he had sent her through a beggar boy crushed on his front step; their delicate petals ground to a paste beneath, no doubt, the fine heel of her boot.

He coughed on the acrid smoke that drifted in curled wisps up from a claw-footed brazier standing just within the store's entry. An old man stooped above a table full of vials and bottles, glancing up with his one good eye as Rhinehart stepped into the room. The other, Rhinehart noted with a cringe, was patterend with savage red welts and scarred over.

"Can I help you with something?" The apothecary's voice came out in a high screech.

Rhinehart swallowed his distaste and said, "Yes, actually, I hear that, well, you are able to help one with... matters of the heart."
"So it's a love potion you're after, then?" asked the apothecary, bluntly.

"Yes," said Rhinehart with a nod. "I've done all I can to win her... that is, Finella, her name is Finella... I've done all I can to win her heart, but she refuses to give."

"So you figure it's time to take it."

"Yes. In a manner of speaking." He fiddled with the ends of his leather gloves nervously, watching the old man.

The apothecary tongued a blackened tooth at the front of his mouth, and gazed at Rhinehart with that one eye of his. The young man couldn't help but feel as if the other were oriented at him as well, penetrating through the scarred flesh. The apothecary moved suddenly, and with surprising speed, toward a warped wooden cabinet on the opposite side of the room.

"I'm fresh out of love potions," said the old man. "They're not easy to make, and it's the busy season. You should've moved quicker if you wanted one."

"Well, I..." Rhinehart began, but the old man silenced him with one, withering look.

"I may have something else for you," said the old man. "I took this as trade for one of my more potent concoctions just last night. The kerra who traded it swore that it was very old, and very valuable -- unique in this world." The apothecary turned, and with him, he carried a scroll that seemed to crumble at the touch. "It's a poem."

"A poem?" asked Rhinehart, not even attempting to hide his disbelief. "I come for a love potion, and you offer me poetry? I have tried poetry! I have tried flowers! I have tried candies! I even had her overbearing aunt removed permanently, if you will, from her life. None of it has done a thing to win her! Why would some tired old bard's hackneyed verses be any different?"

The apothecary moved toward Rhinehart, and the flesh around his nose and mouth wrinkled at the smell of years of acids and bases soaked into the old man's skin. Despite his recoiling backward, the scroll was pushed straight into his chest.

"This is not tired, and not hackneyed," said the apothecary. "It hasn't been heard for thousands of years. If she can't appreciate that hers are the first spoiled ears to hear these verses spoken to her, then I suggest you find yourself another trollop, because nothing will please this Finella."

Rhinehart fumbled for words, but found himself only able to grip the scroll tightly. The apothecary turned, the hunch of his black-clothed back looming in Rhinehart's vision. "What will you charge for it then?" he asked.

"Nothing," said the apothecary, over his shoulder and without turning. "Consider it a gift... My devotion to Erollisi on this most auspicious of days."

"A fine lot of good that will do," said Rhinehart, chuckling slightly.

The old man turned suddenly, and his eye was flared opened and reddened. "Take the scroll and go. I've important work to do."

Rhinehart swallowed heavily. "Where did you say the kerra had gotten it?"
"Go."

The young man sunk into his doublet and turned, gazing at the scroll. As he made a hasty retreat through the storefront, he unrolled it to see what he had been given, eye passing swiftly over the words.

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Submitted By: Psia  

Submitted By: Psia