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Valdor Canz · Journeyman Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 281

With a heavy heart, Valdor looked down upon the Book of Destiny. He knew that the Book would not speak to him at this time, but still he took comfort in it’s presence. Today was a day that Valdor would not forget, today was the day that he would humbly ascend into the position of Lord of the Knights of Sosaria.

Looking around the room, the Knight thought back to the man who would forever be the true Lord of the Knights, Lord Wolf. He thought of those who rode with his Lord in the glorious days of the past, he thought of the honor that was bestowed upon him. Placing his hand, and through it his heart, upon the Book, Valdor swore to hold himself to the standards of those before him.

He thought back on the events since his return from his self-imposed exile. The Knights were scattered, questing elsewhere, most in other realms. The demands of those realms had called to Valdor before, so he understood their departures. A portion remained though, waiting to carve out a piece of Sosaria’s history of their own, as their fellow Knights had done before them. In this remaining group, Valdor saw great potential. They needed someone to lead them, someone to bring them together as one. They needed someone to help uphold the honor of those who had come before.

Those who had preceded him as Lord, or as Lady, of the Knighthood were an impressive lot. Lord Wolf, who was the wise leader that any man or woman would follow to the grave and beyond. Lord Wolf’s daughter, the fair Lady Nova, who had helped cement the Knights’ relationship with Trinsic so long ago. Lord Breti, who knew more about the realms than any three sages combined. Lord Robert and Lady Arcana, who had held the Knights together while all of the elder Knights had left for other realms, and who had each improved the Knights in so many ways, and who had both worked so hard to bring the Knights to the forefront of the community of Sosaria as a whole. So many others had shared the responsibilities of Leadership through the years as well, fitting examples of Lord or Lady in Valdor’s eyes. With his hand still upon the Book and with great humility, Valdor swore to live up to all of their examples.

His thoughts drifting, Valdor thought of his own past, both with the Knights and without. These thoughts naturally turned to the awful curse that Valdor’s father had placed upon him, through the wretched amulet. He thought of the wretched acts that he had committed while under the influence of the curse, and thought of the personal punishments that he had placed upon himself to atone for them. He knew in his heart that he had not been in control of himself during that time, but had still satisfied his sense of justice through his acts of atonement.

Valdor thought of the orphanage where he had spent his youth. He thought of young Ronnie, who he had still been unable to find. His first stop, after returning from his exile, had been at the orphanage. Leaving himself with only a small portion of the gold he had earned during his time away, Valdor gave his fortune to the orphanage, asking that a trust fund be set up so that each of these children might learn a craft someday. His sacrifice was small in his heart though, he swore that he would return with more when he could.

Remembering his many adventures, Valdor smiled. Many glorious battles had been fought by the Knighthood, and he had stood in line with his fellows through a good many of these. Thinking back to some of the most memorable, Valdor thought of a couple that stood out. The Knighthood’s battle to free him of his curse, against the Keeper of Souls recruited by his own father was the first. The Knights had fought bravely that fateful day, making Valdor proud to be among them. He thought of a darker day, when an executioner in the Dungeon Wrong, with his mage allies, had decimated the ranks of the Knights. The Knights had stood bravely though, refusing to yield, refusing to give up. Through both of these, and so many other battles, the Knights’ valor had been unmatched.

Thinking of the days of the Trinsic Invasion, Valdor’s pride in the Knighthood grew stronger. The Knights had stood at the front of those who attempted to stop the dark forces pouring into the city. Knowing that their own fate in the battle was sealed, the Knights had desperately tried to delay the enemy’s inevitable victory to buy time for the citizens of Trinsic, and of Elysium, to depart by sea. The days that followed were even worse. Throughout the lands, poverty and hunger set in, as those who did trade with Trinsic saw great financial losses. Here again, the Knighthood had stood strong. Journeying through the lands, they had brought food and clothing to those who had survived the invasion. Their compassion in such times of need were a beacon of light to those living through those times of darkness.

Valdor thought back on his time in the Knighthood and chuckled for a moment. There was one glaring absence on what might otherwise be a glorious record for a member of the Knights of Sosaria. Through all of his time in the Knighthood, from his early days as a Squire, through his time as Guardsman and Defender and through his quest as a Knight-Errant, to his time as a Knight, Valdor had never once served bar in any of the Knighthood’s establishments. While this had been a requirement for all, somehow, his name had never been called. Deciding to follow the path of honesty, Valdor swore to confess the truth of this oversight.

Looking down upon the Book once more, Valdor felt a sense of awe in the step that he was taking. As Lord of the Knighthood, he would hold the responsibility of protecting the Book, and the responsibility of ensuring that the warnings of the Book were not ignored. Valdor knew that the Book awaited another, but he swore not to ignore it during the wait. Regretfully, he thought of the attempts of Ironrose and Willavid to establish a sect of Priest within the Knighthood, devoted to serving the Book. Those efforts had not taken hold though, the dark days of Sosaria had not created many with the spirituality that servitude of the Book demanded.

His burden seemed lifted somehow as he lifted his hand from the Book. Looking around at the home of his former Lord, Valdor knew that he was doing the right thing. He knew that the Knighthood had life still within it and knew that he was ready for the challenge ahead. Stepping out into what had been Elysium, the Knight called for his ethereal steed, Mular. Looking forward to the days ahead, Valdor smiled, comfortable in the knowledge that those who followed behind would have their legacy upheld, and that the Knights would once again flourish.
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Lord - Knights of Sosaria