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Website by Dustin Evermore with artwork by Sandy Spilker. Individual submissions copyright the respective authors. This site best viewed at 800x600 or better with an HTML 4.0 compliant browser. Dawn of Legends is a fantasy roleplaying game designed with the Fuzion game system. Here you'll find information on the upcoming campaign book and a freely distributed version of the game
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Alricwritten by Curtis Eckerman for Paul Comstock "Greetings, I am Alric." This was his standard greeting while traveling. This was a whole lot less confusing to people than, "Greetings, we are Alric", even though this was a more accurate representation of the truth. He used to use the latter greeting as a matter of principle but when it almost got him thrown in jail on charges of being possessed with demons, he decided that principles could be bent a little in this case. Strangely enough, that charge of possession was not all that far from the truth either. He had not always gone by the name of Alric. As a young Saxon he was known as Willem and was a typical boy dreaming of glory and longing for the day he would know the feeling of his sword piercing the heart of his enemy. That was long ago now. So much has changed since that time, including his name. Now he no longer longed for the battle cry on the moor or the sounds of war. To him those things now meant destruction and the potential end of a people, his people, the Saxons. His change of heart was a direct consequence of intervention but he could trace it all the way back to his mother. She was a kind, gentle, giving woman and stood in stark contrast to his father who was rough, strong and set in his ways. Willem was an only child and was influenced heavily by his father because his father was exactly what Willem wanted to be, a warrior. The father took equal pride in Willem and worked to instill his son with a sense of honor, pride and the Saxon way. Willem learned eagerly to please his father. However, for every lesson his father seemed to teach him, his mother seemed to offer alternatives or a counter lesson in her own subtle way. As was inevitable in a time of war, Willem's father was killed in battle. This was not unusual or even unexpected because so many men had already fallen under the British sword. Willem was sad at his loss but was proud of his father. His mother grieved for months afterwards. Willem accepted this as her weakness as a woman. It wasn't for several more years that Willem began to understand his mother's grief. In those few years after his father's death, he learned the ways of a warrior and managed to join a Saxon war band (they were not very discriminating when it came to age). It is here that an accompanying Saxon priest who went by the name of Alric noticed his skills as a warrior and obvious intelligence. It was common for a priest to accompany a unit of men. They had proven themselves to be very useful in the war effort against the British. Priests were revered almost as if they were gods themselves because of the great power they could conjure. So it was a great honor to Willem to be asked by Alric to accompany him. At first Willem did not see why Alric paid any attention to him at all. For the first few months of their acquaintance, Alric question Willem endlessly about his thoughts, emotions and general state of mind. This often confused and frustrated Willem who felt constantly uneasy. Up until now he had relied on his instincts to deal with people and to survive but now here was this priest asking questions that seemed to probe his inner self. To make matters worse, Willem believed that he was now hearing those voices inside of his head again. He had heard these voices when he was young but they never made sense to him and so he learned to tune them out. He never told anyone about them because he had never heard anyone else talk about them and he didn't want to be different. In time he believed that he had imagined the whole thing but here they were again, louder, and more insistent. One day, after several months of their uneasy relationship, Alric turned to Willem and asked, "Do you hear voices?" Willem was shocked and didn't answer immediately, "N-no." The priest now wore a knowing smile, "It is okay Willem, you are not the only one you know." Forgetting his denial, Willem quickly replied, "Really?" "Yes, really. It is why I brought you to me. The gods told me to." "The gods?" "Yes, don't you listen to them boy? They are gods speaking to you and you would do wise to listen to them for they speak the truth in ways that most cannot understand. What do they say to you boy?" "Most of the time I don't listen, they confuse me. When I was a boy they would tell me things about people around me. They even told me about my father's death but only after it happened did I understand what they meant." "What was it exactly they said to you?" "It was something like 'Do not go the way of your father, protect yourself'. That may not be exactly what they said but the message was similar." Alric stood for awhile contemplating this new development. After a pause he added, "It is interesting that I hear a different message in those words. It may be difficult for you to understand now but contemplate our conversation. I want you to meditate and clear your mind and just listen. It is those moments of peace where you can hear them most clearly. You may choose to ignore them but it is unwise and you must know by now that they are not going away. I will keep my words at a minimum now but once you have had a chance to reflect, we will talk." Willem was dismayed for sometime afterwards and unable to concentrate or focus. This was the first time he had spoken to anyone about those voices. Could it really be the gods? If so, what do they want? Why him? Eventually his dismay turned into contemplation and eventually to something resembling acceptance. Alric and Willem eventually had that talk. It changed Willem forever. This also changed their relationship from acquaintances to teacher and student. Alric taught Willem how to listen to the gods and to trust in them, even blindly if need be. Willem soon came to trust those voices and realized that throughout his life they had helped him, he had just always accepted their help as his own instincts. During this time their war band fought many British units. While Willem's unit suffered great losses they tended to fare better than their Enemies' units. Willem began to be concerned because as they prepared for battles he would hear the gods telling him to avoid battle. They even suggested that he must stop the Saxon's from attacking the British or else terrible things were to come. He didn't dare share these things with his fellow warriors. He did, however, share them with Alric. "Do not be discouraged Willem, I too hear those same warnings." "What do we do about them?" "All in good time, all in good time." "What do you mean?" "Willem, I want to tell you a story. But you must first forget that you are a Saxon warrior and heed your calling as a voice to the gods. What I will tell you will sound treasonous and cowardly but you have heard the voices in your own mind. Judge it as you will, for you will discover immediately that you are part of this story." Alric told Willem about the first Alric. He told how the first Alric had been warned by the gods to stop the Saxon's for their treachery to Vortigen. He explained how Alric escaped from Hengist and went into seclusion fearing for his life after that dreaded day. He also told Alric of the strange rune left by Alric and the bounty that was put on his head. "So the message to Alric was clear, 'the Saxon people must return to their peaceful ways'. He left this rune for those of us who believe that. No one can know its meaning until we have succeeded." "But, Alric, how can that be the way of the Saxons? We thrive on honor and war. There is no greater glory for a Saxon than war." "That was not always true, my son. And this is why we, I, follow the teachings of Alric. That is why I am called Alric. We have risen to lead the Saxons away from war to a more peaceful existence. Make no mistake, we are Saxons we want to live as Saxons and love as Saxons but now we are all destined for destruction. I must warn you that most consider the followers of Alric's ways to be traitors and if found out are to be put to death. I take a chance in telling you this for you might remind the captain of Saxon's 'old enemy' but you have heard it for yourself, the warnings. You too are destined to join us." "You mean there are more Alrics?" "Yes, many more." "This cannot be true. How can you turn on your own people like that? How can I join such a cause?" "Tell me Willem, what did the gods say to you when we ransacked that last village?" "That's not important." "It is absolutely important. What did they say?" "They said 'This is the path to destruction'." "What did they say when you were preparing for battle against those British foot soldiers?" "Something like 'To kill one of them is to kill one of your own'." "Don't you see Willem? The gods are saying to stay away from the British. I do not know how much clearer they can be to you. It is not enough to listen. You must understand as well." Thus began Willem's understanding. It did not take right away. He fought many more battles and sacked several more villages before he resolved his own personal struggle with what Alric had told him. Once he accepted the truth that he realized came from within, he was at peace. He started thinking more and more about his mother and the way she would put things in perspective. Eventually it became clear to him that to truly save the Saxons meant saving them from themselves. Willem stayed with the unit another year, meanwhile learning from Alric the mysterious ways of rune magic. He had decided during that year that the way to save the Saxons was to let the gods tell him how to do it. It was a decision that did not come lightly and was not going to be painless. Willem had also come to understand Alric's place in this unit. Alric would steer the unit around small settlements or would sometimes convince the unit leader to spare the lives of the women and children. These were small things coming from a Saxon standard but they made a world of difference to Alric and in time to Willem as well. Eventually there came the time when Alric could teach Willem nothing new. Willem knew by now that the best way he could serve the Saxon people was to part from Alric and work independently. He knew this not only instinctively but the gods had been urging him on for some time. "Master Alric, it is time for my departure." "Yes, I know. I have foreseen it for some time now. I was beginning to believe that the gods were only telling me about it." "I have learned much from you and cannot repay your kindness." "There is a way. Listen to the gods and you will find that way, for you are destined to do great things. Otherwise, why would the gods bother with you?" Willem laughed, "You are a true friend. I believe now it is time to visit my mother. I believe she could teach me a great deal." "Aah, you are truly showing a wisdom beyond your age." "Good bye my friend." "Good bye Willem, and take care of yourself." "Call me Alric. I think it is time that I share in that brotherhood." "Very well Alric. May you go with the gods."
His 6'1", well built frame now stands on top of a hillside overlooking a clearing where a small group of adventurers are camped. The wind blows strands of his long dark hair across his face matching the movement of his cloak. Alric's attire had changed much since his days spent in ring armor. He now wore a long, flowing, black cloak that could be used to easily conceal all of his features. The red trim had been added later for effect one which the movement caused by this wind only accented even more. It gave Alric the appearance of being surrounded by a glow or ring of fire. This tends to impress those who have looked upon him and that is certainly the affect he is going for, after all, he has quite a story to tell. Today the gods have told him that he must join those adventurers camped out in the valley below him. As he carefully approaches from afar he contemplates what his fellow Saxon might say now if he knew that he was now about to befriend the British. "This is no time to start questioning the gods", Alric thought. When he reaches the camp clearing he steps out into the open and approaches them. "Greetings, I am Alric". |
