The Entirely True Legends of Velan Volandis

[Vlaid]

A rather unofficial collection of tales, poems and otherwise artwork depicting local elven warrior of the Well "Velan Volandis".

"As long as the people believe you deserve to win you've won every battle before you even draw your sword."

-Velan Volandis

The Very Valorous Fall of Velan Volandis
Sand and Sacrilege: A Velan Volandis Epic
Tribute
Union
Candles in the Dark
Forbidden Ash: A Velan Volandis Tale
Velan Volandis Faces the Lunar Horrors

[Vlaid]

The Very Valorous Fall of Velan Volandis

It was late at night, the sun had passed over the great desert when Velan the Valorous set out with a band of travelers onto the sands. His only thought was to protect the Well from those that would do it harm for he loved his home and his neighbors were as family.

Suddenly a patrol of the foul sneak-scales lept from the sands! He saw them, but his shouts of alarm came too late! Lizardfolk! What was Velan to do but fight? Velan was sworn to protect the weak and the party he led was well behind his own might.

Clang. Clash. CRASH! Velan fought with the strength of twenty elves! The scaled cowards fell one after another! But then.... from the shadows... slinked the horrible "Axolotl the Fierce"! The bandit king of their treacherous warband. Velan drew his most potent arsenal of potions, the mark of a true warrior! However, it was no use.

Velan was outmatch. The hideous lizard king sliced into Velan's flesh. His companions called for him to retreat, but that is the way of a coward. Velan stood his ground and allowed his friends to escape with their lives.

With his dying breath, as his companions escaped he was heard to utter "Remember me...fondly...."

Velan Volandis, the Sentinel of the Roads fell that day not just for the ones who fled but for all of Ephia's Well. He was a true hero.

-Felix Felicity

[Vlaid]

Sand and Sacrilege: A Velan Volandis Epic

Velan and I had just sat down to a drink in the Krak when it all began. News reached him that a group of demons were planning to perform a wicked ritual in the heart of the desert. Velan knew that we had to act at once!

Velan: "Come Felix! We make fot the eastern dunes! Destiny calls to me!"

Velan and I burst from the Krak and strode off into the scorching sands. We traveled through the day and into the night, barely stopping to rest. The heat was almost unbearable! We had no choice but to press on. I am not ashamed to say my resolve faltered...

Felix: "P-please Velan the Valorous... we must turn before the sands consume us!"

As the sun rose Velan spotted a plume of smoke rising in the distance. He urged us forward, eager to get a closer look. As we drew closer, we saw that the smoke was coming from a small campsite. The demons were locked in combat with a group of locals who were attempting to thwart their ritual!

The demons were caught off guard when Velan attacked. They were no match for his swordmanship and his magic. He cast spells that sent them flying through the air and sliced through their ranks with his sword. He looked down at me as I cowered in fear...

Velan: "Rise Felix! We may tremble but we will not falter! Onward!"

Clang. Clash. CRASH! Velan emerged victorious. The demons were defeated, and their ritual stopped. The locals cheered Velan's name. The desert was safe once again.

The cheering crowd: "VELAN! VELAN! Velan!"

Velan marched off into the distance, a lone figure in the desert. He knew that there would always be another battle to fight, but for now, he could rest easy knowing that he had saved the day.

-Felix Felicity

[Vlaid]

Rumored to be a never publicly pubished poem written for a poetry contest held by "Aster the Master". The reason why it was never entered range from not caring enough to send the poem off, to getting the days mixed up to simply drinking too much and passing out in the corner of the Krak with the poem used as a coaster for his cup throughout the night.

Tribute
By: Valen Volandis

I stumble in through the door
Late for a contest I could not ignore
My words were slurred, my feet unsteady
Palms sweaty but spirit ready

The crowd waited, disdainful stares
But Velan Volandis had no cares
I raised my glass and began to speak
A quiver, a shake, the fans their knees now weak

But this is not the poem I heard
I could not recall it
Not even a single word

This is not the poem I read that day
A mere tribute I give before I must away
I must now quickly bow and depart
Or else my final gift
A quiet squeak, a sickly, wine-drunk fart

[Vlaid]

Rumored to be a "poem" performed for  a ritual  Cosmoetry contest in honor of Izdu sponsored by Laremy Locke, the prize a Voice for the victor. Though it is known, at the very end the contestants were to each vote for someone other than themselves to win and Velan was seen to have voted for his rival before departing, did he even care about winning?

Unions
By: Velan Volandis

I'm an elven hero, born from the forest
Now I'm going to tell you about the month, it's Hziran, under the sign where love is purest
A time of magic, new union blooming
You better knock when you come where I'm rooming
It might seem erratic, fanatic, emphatic. Don't look now it's zooming this love we got  booming, all consuming


Look at the time our love is about to take flight
Dodging the starblight under the moonlight, two hearts one at midnight
With our power, elven might, don't take fright
My sword's flashing, love is dashing, hold you breath our bodies clashing

Hziran is ending, hearts were for the taking
The stars are bending, Tammuz, we start our heartbreaking
Hearts aching, our love was breathtaking, earthshaking but now I'm thinking it was a bit mistaking

It was magic how but it's tragic now.
Our love Izdu did allow, but it's over now, we must avow.
Tammuz is here, my love you must now lose, from our love I must recuse, from our love we must diffuse.

[Vlaid]

Candles in the Dark

Every cellar is dark, and in the dark pests huddle together and grow. Left alone too long, and they endanger the whole house. This is why no matter how dark, every cellar must be cleaned, even a city's. A Swordsman, a Shieldmaiden, and a Geomancer, those are the cleaners, the humble heroes of this tale.

Things slithered in the city's cellar - serpents fleeing the desert's harsh sun to multiply and grow in the cool beneath the earth. They slumbered in the dark, but soon they would be hungry, for the children who slept blissfully unaware of their horror.

They slumbered, until the dark was disturbed by a light. Shining from the thin needle of the shieldmainden's blade - reflected on the glimmering armor of the swordman's armor. Twin candles in the dark come to wake the nest and end the pests. The snakes from the sands littered the whole cellar, but the heroes did not hesitate. With courage and grace did they jump into the pit of scales and venom, dancing away from fangs, steel cutting away like two whirlwinds. But for every serpent left with head or breath, two more took it's place.

"There, they come from a hole in the wall!" called out the swordsman with piercing eyes. No moreneeded to be said, the heroes knew what needed to be done. The geomancer called upon his power, straining to shape the earth and seal away the evil for the good of all. The Swordsman and SHieldmaiden forming a wall of their bodies to keep him safe, holding staunch against the tide.

As if it knew what was to come, the greatest of the serpents, the oldest, the broodmother slid forth just as the breach was closed, and stared down our heroes. With great battle-cry did the Shieldmaiden charge the beast, but it was not like it's lesser kins. Her thin steel barely could pierce it's thick scales and soon it was battering her shield, throwing her to the floor, shield escaping her grasp. The asp stared her down with malicious eyes, jaw opening to reveal dripping  fangs. She saw death...

She saw death... and then hope! Hope a thin light in the dark, light shining across a sharp sword, a sharp sword lodging itself in the beast's open maw.

The Swordsman pulled his blade from the dying beast and offered the SHieldmaiden a hand up. The heroes shared a comforting smile. The candles would not go out this day, and the children upstairs could continue sleeping peacefully.

-Shae Winterbloom

[Vlaid]

Forbidden Ash: A Velan Volandis Tale

The elven warrior strode across the Plaza of the Well, hair and Rose adorned cloak billowing in the wind behind him just as he had done countless times before and stopped at the usual place. Arriving near the barracks of the Janissary he casually leaned against the wall, trying to look natural as tried to look like he was watching the passing mercenaries passing through the Gate of Coin. His piercing eyes and easy smile made him stand out anywhere so it was a pointless gesture. The nearby Janissaries exchanged knowing glances with each other as he waited with a nervous tension. Something was different today, he could feel it.

The barrel chested Janissary Mert Briggs came walking over, an unconvincing sour look in his eyes, truncheon in hand "What are you doing here elf? Y'ain't causing trouble for us Jannies are you?" Velan Volandis shook his head, trying not to let the amused twinkle in his eyes show "No sir." came his quiet reply. The towering Janissary leaning in closer, his breath hot and his words came lower so only he could hear them "Why not? You're not making this much fun today.". The large man held the much smaller elf's gaze with his own for a moment before barking out loud to make sure the Janissary nearby could hear "What's that I smell? Y'got Scorch on ya elf? Turn around and hands on the wall I'm gonna have to search you! Don't resist, ye just make things harder." The barked order was quickly followed by quieter words "Or maybe do..."

The large man leaned in and began to pat down the lithe elven warrior with a barely hidden grin, the nearby Janissary rolled their eyes in a mixture of jealousy and prudish embarrassment at the unbridled, unabashed display of desire.

Suddenly - chaos, battle, screaming! The Mert and Valen Volandis whirled together, a mix of feelings on the source of the sound and saw spells and steel flying! Too late they got there to aid, just as the shadowed figures dragged a bloodied, unconscious Janissary into a hatch into the Creep. Acting purely on instinct steel was drawn and the pair alongside the brave halfling Agarly dove down into the Creep, only to catch sight of them passing through a narrow chasm. The Janissary paused dead in his tracks "They went in there if ye thinkin' of chasing after..." The halfling not even stopping a step chased after as Velan Volandis turned to Mert in a moment of confusion before the brave elf spoke out "What do you mean? We're going after him! We can't let them get away". But the proud bear of a Janissary merely shook his head "I can not. I've got a duty to protect the Plaza, I can't chase every criminal into the Creep. And if you do... we're through. It won't look good if it gets out we were together when they came and took him under my watch. Not just for us but for the Janissary and Balladeers my love. Go after them.I know you must."

Tearfully Valen stared and Mert. But nothing more needed to be said. He dove through the chasm into the Creep where the worst of the Creep lived. Agarly was hot in pursuit, hurling darts from behind a kicked over table, taking spellfire blasts that ricocheted off the shuddering wooden makeshift barrier. The dashing elf dover over the table just as another storm of ice slammed into Agarly and the table, sending them flying through the air - for but a moment he looked to Agarly and she groaned angrily "Agarly fine, wounded. Do not let bad things happen. Do not let escape." The elven hero Velan Volandis nodded firmly in resolute understanding and dashed after the already fleeing kidnappers.

A table was flung through the air at the flashing black and red of Velan as he ran after them, a shine of his blade and he cleaved through the wood and spun underneath and through, not even slowing a step as the sound of the splintered table sounded behind him. Closer he chased until finally they emerged from the Creep out into the deserts. Eldritch words were uttered and arcane webs bound his feet, the Unknown Female Mage spit a curse and hurried the band along further out into the dunes, hoping to outpace their dogged pursuers.

Finally the hero Velan Volandis caught up to them, their victim, Janissary Quentin Scarbrook lay wounded, surrounded by writhing, hissing asps and a green fog as a band of cultists of the spoke that dare not be spoke worked a foul ritual. The leader of the cult, the feared Itaja Sijapuros screamed a curse and pointed at Velan "Hissssss ssssstop him before he runinsssss the ritual!" Dozens of masked bandits in scaled leather and mail sprung up from hiding in the sand and hurled themselves at the elven warrior, a zeal to their movements matched only by the peerless swordsmanship of a true hero. Two by two they fell to the flashing blade as it cleaved through cultist flesh.

A flash of magic and another primal scream, Itaja flung his hand towards the hero and a barrage of snakes flew through the air to be met only by a dizzying flash of steel, each snake falling to the ground split and cut in half. Another curse issued from the Cultist leader as he continued to desperately work his ritual he pointed at a shadowed spot in the sand and as if from the darkness itself an unknown female mage appeared, launching a barrage of stalagmites of ice through the air. Thankfully his finely honed elven reflexes were not dulled by wine this day and Velan Volandis backflipped out of the way, his fullplate catching the light as he did so, the reflection of the sun blinding the unknown female mage with a scream as she staggered back and fled.

Only Itaja and Velan Volandis remained, the ritual was nearing completion, a sickly green miasma was spreading about them. The hero strode forward, bloody sword in hand. A quick movement of the cultist leader and a huge serpent rose out of the sounds, as tall as any building its maw opening around him and it snapped shut. "Yessssss! Itaja was triumphant as he returned to his moment of victory, the sacrifice of the gentle Janissary Quentin Scarbrook was almost complete. A silent moment of uncertainty followed by the muffled incantation of high wizardry as the side of the side of the serpent exploded in scorched flesh and sizzling electricity, the elven blade of Velan dashing through the air for the throat of Itaja - "Damn! Too quick!" he thought as he was forced to cartwheel away from the ritual, sliding backwards on his backheel and sneering at the hero Velan Volandis "Thissssss issssn't over, hero!" and with a quick movement of his hand his body melted into a pile of writhing asps.

He sprinted quickly to the side of the wounded Quentin Scarbrook, cradling him in his arms, the man tried to speak but Velan Volandis put a finger to his lips "Save your strength, I'm here now. Everything will be ok for I am a hero and this is what heroes do." The joy and relief in the tearful eyes of the gentle giant of a Janissary were evident, and he brushed aside the silencing finger with the strength honed from countless criminals he had beat down "Velan...I'm dying. There's something I need you to hear first. I...love you. I always have."

The silence that followed was deafening, pierced by the sound of an fiendish blessing falling upon a crossbow leveled in the distance. The hero Velan Volandis whirled to see where the sound had come from, "Itaja!" he realized too late, a flashing poison-blessed bolt flew from the top of the dune, piercing not only through the air, but into the chest of the Janissary Quentin Scarbrook.

Velan stared at him as he watched the last moments of life leave the man's body and quietly whispered "I'm.. sorry. I think of you more as a friend though." And then, he was still. The hero now left with the bitter taste of defeat, heartbreak and sorrow.

The End...?

-Velan Volandis

[Vlaid]

Velan Volandis Faces the Lunar Horrors
by Estellise Azimi

On the moon, where madness reigns and the stars gaze down with countless alien eyes, a lone figure came forth, his white hair flowing in the lunar wind. Velan Volandis, warrior of the Citadel, had come to this forsaken place on a mission of his own making.

The chariot on which he rode was no ordinary craft. It was powered not by the magic of runes or the spells of wizards, but by the sheer force of Velan's own ego. As he soared above the craters and valleys of the lunar landscape, he felt a thrill of exhilaration course through him. He was invincible, untouchable, a god among mortals.

But the moon cared nothing for such petty delusions of grandeur. It was a place of cosmic dread, where the very fabric of reality was stretched thin and the horrors of the stars lurked just beyond the veil. And so it was that Velan found himself confronted with a village under siege by forces beyond mortal ken.

The creatures that assailed the village were abominations from beyond the stars, beings of writhing tentacles and eldritch energies. But Velan was undaunted. With a flick of his wrist, he drew forth his sword, a gleaming blade that had tasted the blood of countless foes.

The battle that followed was one of epic proportions. Velan moved with the grace and speed of a lioness, his blade flashing as it reflected the eerie glow of the village's many lanterns. The creatures howled and gibbered in their alien tongues, but they could not withstand the fury of his onslaught.

As the villagers emerged from their hiding places and saw the devastation wrought by the otherworldly terrors, they fell to their knees before Velan. They praised his bravery and skill with the blade, thanking him for delivering them from the brink of destruction.

In gratitude, the villagers offered Velan a chest filled with treasures from the moon's surface - gems that glinted like starlight, rare metals forged in the heat of stellar cataclysms, and ancient relics of civilizations long lost to the void. But Velan, in his typical self-absorbed manner, scoffed at their offerings.

"What use do I have for your trinkets?" he said, laughing with disdain. "I have come to the moon to prove my own worth, not to indulge myself in your petty baubles."

And so, the villagers, grateful yet disappointed, sent Velan on his way. As he mounted his magic chariot and soared back to Ephia's Well, the people of the village could only shake their heads and wonder at the vanity of the Citadel's most famed warrior.