[Rygar]

Bardoc and Wedar quickly became friends, seemingly bound by their love of battle. It wasn’t long until Wedar pledged his allegiance to the Azure Guard and was welcomed into the fold. A finer group of comrades he could not ask for, and many he called his friends. With their help Wedar came to learn and master the secrets of the legendary Celestial Fists, obtain powerful and magical garments of protection from a frozen wasteland half a world away, and visited other worldly realms that were all together on another plane of existence.

However, he never forgot his quest. Always he returned to the Ruins of Old Paineel, or The Hole as many came to call it. How appropriate a name, as the beings here stole something very precious to Wedar and left a hole in his soul that could only be filled with elemental blood. By now, his staff had many notches, approximately 3,000. So deep and devout was his hatred for these Elemental Beings that it was said Innoruuk himself took notice. He learned every intricacy of his enemies, knew all their weaknesses, their movements, their habits, their alliances, and their strengths. He became a local legend of sorts, leading many fighting expeditions with the various warriors and wizards of Norrath in an effort to encourage more adventure (and elemental death!) in this forgotten corner of the world.

But often, Wedar was alone. His favorite hunting ground was the library deep within the Town Centre. He would dart to and from the shadows to the lower levels and pick off the Elementals one by one until they were re-summoned by their master. As he waited and regenerated his wounds, he browsed the Old Tomes that were filled with arcane knowledge long forgotten (some say even forbidden). It was while he was reading one of these ancient texts that a message crossed the Astral Plane and entered his thoughts (a gift bestowed upon Norrath by the Gods of long ago).

“Wedar, my friend, I believe we are in need of your help” said Bardoc.

“Bardoc! It has been too long, how may I be of assistance?” he placed the tome back on the shelf and sat to meditate.

“I have met a most peculiar wizard on my travels, although he seems a bit mad he is in possession of a powerful artifact I wish to acquire. He has tasked me with finding 4 rather unique pieces of ore, one of which we are hunting now in the Western Wastes of Velious… Guarded by a great elemental of frost and ice.” Wedar hissed and tightened his fists at the thought of this elemental out of his reach and in striking distance of his friends.

“Easy there, friend, I can sense the fire in your belly! I fear my next bit of news will turn that flame into a raging inferno…” Wedar tilted his head inquisitively, not sure what Bardoc would reveal next. “…one of the last pieces I require is buried deep in the heart of Master Yael himself!”

“YAEL?!” he screamed, unable to control himself. His cry rang throughout the hall, a rock golem came round the corner to investigate and caught sight of the great Iksar. Wedar seemed uninterested, lost in thoughts of revenge, “I’ll be right there”. The golem charged with a guttural roar, Wedar reached into his satchel and pulled out his magical mallet and slammed it hard in the face of the great construct. It vibrated with such force that Wedar phased out of his current space, slipping briefly through another dimension. He felt his core begin to stabilize, by the time he was still again and his sight restored, he was squinting from the rays of sunlight that bathed the Overthere.

Quickly he secured passage to Velious from the many druids and wizards clamoring for his coin, and before long he had snuck his way past the kelp maidens and enchanted creatures in Siren’s Grotto. Finally he set foot in the Western Wastes, and was joined by his comrades who had taken refuge in the cavern exiting the Grotto.

“Wedar my friend! So glad you could join us for some hunting on this fine afternoon!” said Bardoc. Cheich seemed to disagree on his assessment of the weather as he pulled his shawl tightly around his body. Normally it would chill an Iksar to his core, but fire burned within the great lizard today, he got right down to the task at hand.

“This Kozzalym, have you slain him yet and sent him back to the abyss?” he was eager to move the fight back to his homeland, back to Yael.

“No…” said Yakiee, “I am having trouble finding any trace of the creature. He floats above the ground so leaves no tracks, and he is near transparent so blends too well with the surrounding landscape”.

“Elementals all have a common characteristic, regardless of the element they represent…” Wedar bent low to the ground and Yakiee followed suit. “They all excrete a fine ethereal mist, not directly visible, but it can be detected out at the edge of your gaze.”

Yakiee glanced across the tundra, careful to unfocus his vision. And then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a faint glistening only noticeable by a seasoned ranger. “I’ve found the trail! We head Northeast, my friends!” They picked up their gear and followed Yakiee out into the unforgiving landscape. It wasn’t long before they came to a great valley, it was crisscrossed with the being’s tracks.

“Where is the foul creature??” Bardoc growled impatiently, squeezing the hilt of his sword. Wedar honed his senses, he also knew of the gentle hum that an elemental creates by being on this plane of existence, he closed his eyes and blocked out the howling wind. “I can hear him” he said, almost in a trance. He winced and focused, trying to keep patient. “This way!” He began to take-off west towards the shore, but Yakiee stopped him short.

“You’re certain, you hear him over yonder?” the ranger motioned with his head, and Wedar affirmed his belief. “This valley can trick the ears, many walls and drifts to reflect the sound…” he studied the landscape, he was certain the sound was bouncing off the cliffs, he calculated as best he could and focused his eyes. “There!” pointed the ranger. Everyone took a moment, but saw a light shadow from the gathering of snow on a near invisible being.

“Ready your wards, Cheich” instructed Bardoc, and he drew forth his weapons. Yakiee unslung his bow and notched a single arrow, he took a moment and spoke to it as if it were a sentient being.

“Fly true as the sun over the plains… by Tunare may you find your mark, and with Karana’s blessing may you strike deep.” He closed his eyes and felt the howling wind against his face, anticipating how it will affect his trajectory, and then he let the golden arrow fly. So violently did the arrow twist and turn, nearly everyone doubted it would strike the great Kozzalym… everyone but Yakiee. At the last second a great gale blew the arrow back on course and it headed straight for the great Elemental!

Right before the arrow struck, Kozzalym burst into a heavy flame and charged off to the east, away from the Azure Guardians. They all looked to Yakiee, but he was as puzzled as his comrades, neither his arrows nor his bow was blessed with incendiary properties. It was then they saw a druid knelt behind a snow drift at the edge of the valley, wearing the brand of Rustle. Yakiee spotted a pack of battle hardened warriors and spell-casters over the ridge, he knew then that the goal had been lost. Bardoc cursed and threw his weapons into the snow in a fit of rage. Wedar began to move to intercept the great elemental but the barbarian reached out his hulking hands and stopped the monk dead in his tracks.

“No, Wedar..” he said with a voice so empty it stung the great lizard. “It is their kill, the day is done”.

“What?! This is no time to sulk, if we hurry we can….” He began to argue, but was interrupted by Cheich.

“This isn’t about a lack of heart or a question of cowardice, but of honoring the decree of Overlord Sirken” said the Halfling. “Once you engage in battle, interference is forbidden. I don’t know about you, but I don’t wish to spend my later years chained in the basement of Befallen!” He shuddered at the thought, many devices of torture are employed in that hell hole.

Wedar recognized the truth of his words and gave in to defeat, although it wounded him deeply to see Bardoc so dejected. But the Barbarian turned to him and managed a half smile. “Come, let us give this Master Yael a taste of our steel”. That the monk could do.