This photo story was made with the help of my wife and my daughter while we were on hliday. They helped with setting the scenes as well as naming some of the characters. It is really great being able to these things as a team!!
This story will give you some background information on Liskon, one of the Baronies in Belathre. This story is a standalone (for now) and I have not thought of any of the open ends of the story. Who knows maybe I will get to them in the future.
Sorry for the quality of some of the pics I only realized that upon seeing them when I was home.---
It is early in the morning in Ferracos, the capitol city of Liskon, when we see Sir Richard “Ironhand” Triande make his way through the near empty streets. He face is etched with worry. His sister, the Baron’s Wife, has vanished during the night.
His path leads him to the Seven Stone Forest just south of the city. The forest houses a Spirit, named Boris, that has been a nuance for many a year. But in recent months his activity has seemed to increase with the number of horror stories from people traveling the forest being a lot more frequently these days.
His sister, Baroness Esmeralda Triande, has always been a special case and lately she and the Baron, Olafur Taraslan of Liskon, have had a strained relationship as her experiments with magic have been getting ever edgier. There has also been a fall out between Sir Richard and his sister as he tried to warn her about the dangers of dabbling with powers beyond her control
Sir Richard leads his horse to a particularly dense part of the forest. The horror stories of the travelers have usually come from around this area and it where the Forest Spirit Boris was presumed to reside most of the time. As Sir Richard dismounts and enters this overgrown part of the forest he feels it is time to get rid of the menace that is Boris, once and for all.
Meanwhile Boris and Esmeralda are sitting around the fire, discussing magic and its implications on nature.
As the conversation moves on and touches on many aspects of the super natural Boris all of a sudden raises his hand. “Quick get in my prison, someone is here to rescue you.”
Esmeralda quickly gets into a cave that is barred with branches. As soon as she is in, Boris places another branch and casts a spell to secure it in place.
Moments later Sir Richard comes into the glade, running as he sees Boris holding his sister in the makeshift prison. Boris is well prepared and casts a spell as soon as Sir Richard is in range.
“ENTANGLE!”
As the spell resolves, vines sprout from the earth at Sir Richard’s feet and slowly twist around his legs and body. Within steps he is immobile and the only thing left to him is cursing Boris.
As Boris is gloating over his easy victory and slowly approaches Sir Richard another spell on his lips, another person charges in to the clearing, breaking Boris’ concentration making him lose his spell as he turns to this new person who seems intent on attacking him.
Boris raises his hands and starts another spell while the newcomer advances fast with his sword drawn.
Boris is too late, as the sword hits him on his head and knocks him out cold before his spell went off.
As the fighter approaches Sir Richard the vines slowly sink back into the earth freeing him from his bonds. “Well met Stranger!”
Before the warrior has time to respond Sir Richard pushes past him. The stranger mumbles “Well met” In Sir Richard’s direction, but he is hacking at the branches that are keeping him from reaching his sister. “Esmeralda I am so happy I found you!”, “Richard, I know I could count on you to rescue me.”
In a couple of quick strokes Sir Richard manages to break the Baroness out of her cell and embraces her warmly.
Sir Richard decides to secure the area, while the Lady Esmeralda turns on their savior.
“Well met Sir Knight. Thank you for coming to our rescue. To who do we owe our lives?”
“I am no knight, my Lady. My name is Maxim, I am a sword for hire. I am currently without a job and was on my way to Ferracos.”
“Thank you once again Maxim and I will personally ensure your work here today will not go unrewarded. As you might have gathered I am Lady Esmeralda, Baroness of Liskon, and Sir Richard is my brother, also known as the “Ironhand of Liskon”.”
“Let us see if we can take anything useful from this place apart from Boris’ body, make sure you tie him up.” says Esmeralda as she enters another side cave. Maxim starts binding the spirit and sees some sparkle in the bushes.
As he feels it, it is a handle of some sort and as he pulls it free it feels that it is heavy. There is also a power radiating from it that he has never felt before. As he pulls it free, it is a huge double bladed axe.
Meanwhile Sir Richard has also found something special in the form of an enchanted trumpet.
Looking for something to test his axe on Maxim starts trashing the branches of the prison cell. As he hits the branch a loud Thunder resonates from the axe almost knocking Sir Richard and Lady Esmeralda of their feet and shattering the branch, instantly.
Impressed with the axe’s potency, they search for more items but no other exciting things are turned up. They carry Boris back to Sir Richards horse and put him over the horses back like a sack of potatoes. Then they start their way back to Ferracos.
Back in the city Baron Olafur Taraslan requests to meet this Maxim who saved the lives of his wife and his general. The following day Maxim is there for his audience with the Baron. Lady Esmeralda and Sir Richard are also in attendance.
“Maxim, Sir Richard and Lady Esmeralda have spoken high of you and your valor and they owe you their lives. As a reward for your bravery I will name you “Warden of Seven Stones Forest”. We need to return the feeling of safety to the travelers and I look to you for providing that. We look into the details later but first I need your answer.” With that he looks at Maxim.
“I accept my lord and I will serve you and yours with all my heart to make the Seven Stones Forest safe again for any who wish to travel it.
“Bestowing these kinds of responsibilities on a normal man is out of the question, therefore I need you to take the knights vow. Sir Richard?”
With that Sir Richard steps forward and unsheathes his sword.
“Maxim, will you take up your axe and fight for all that is right, protecting the innocent and the weak at the cost of your own life?”
“Yes, I will!”
“Will you fight loyal to Liskon and swear fealty to Baron Olafur Taraslan?”
“I will!”
“Will you fight in the name of King Leopold, ruler of Belathre and always act on behalf of the crown?”
“I will!”
“Then in the name of King Leopold, I name you Sir Maxim Thunderaxe!”
With that Sir Richard takes his place again and Baron Olafur steps forward and shakes Maxim’s hand. “Sir Maxim Thunderaxe, I like the sound of that.” Tonight I will give a feast in your honor; tomorrow we will look at the details of what you need as Warden of Seven Stones Forest.”
