I remember it as if it were yesterday... The first time I ever met the Dark Wardens... These defenders of righteousness, who have been such good friends and allies to my guild... It was a time before the Lord Jamace, Dragco and I had found our common heritage, We had known each other for some time, and even traveled together some, but the fates had not yet set us to the bond we now share...
It was a time of lawlessness, when a man would kill you for no reason other than to satisfy some dark god, or lust of envy... Many a traveler had lost their life to these Dark Lords... I had narrowly escaped their kind on many occasions... But still I came to the places of death, to rid the land of creatures and evil beings that called those dark dungeons home... Also I came for gold, and treasure that these creatures hoarded, as did many others... This is what brought the Dark Lords as well, but not to prey on the creations of evil, but to prey on us... Like some of the lower animals, who wait on the edge of the fray till they can gain an advantage and make their lives easier... Instead of facing us in honorable combat, they preferred to hunt the single warrior with their pack of brethren...
They used all manners of tricks from poison weapons, to devastating evil creatures bound by some dark pack to their will... It seemed that there were more Dark Lords and their minions than were honest decent people in Brittianna in those days... The decent people were afraid to travel the roads between cities for fear of ambush; it was truly a dark time...
It was just before the celebration of the walrus that I first met them... I was in the dungeon of Shame, a vile place inhabited by those foul spawn known as orcs... I was at the place Dragco, Jamace and I called orc corner, where the beasts would congregate from time to time... I was not paying to close attention to my surroundings as I should have as I and a few fellow adventurers had dispatched a patrol of the beasts... The others drifted off as they do when the action is over, in search of other dark minions to slay... It was then that I had noticed that I was alone, and had been for some time... usually you see many adventures pass by especially when you are at this hub of activity, but I had not seen anyone in quite some time... that is when it happened...
The ozone of crackling air as the lightning bolt hit me... broke the silence It sent shivers down my spine, luckily I was not too hurt from the blast as most of it was grounded through my armor to the iron ore in the cave wall I was leaning against... Then they came at me; I saw at least five of them shouting their war cries... I thought I was done for, but then out of the shadows they came, dressed all in cloaks with the blackness of midnight...
Four warriors who did not say a word as they came to the fray... At first I did not know what to make of them. I thought for half a heartbeat that it was another gang of Dark Lords, but my fears turned to hope when the leader drew his halberd and brought it down in one great sweep cutting the sword arm off of one of the Dark Lords... The other black clad warriors followed suit, and in a matter of seconds it was over the Dark Lords now seeing equal odds thought it better to flee and fight another day...
As I gathered myself, the leader came over to me and introduced himself as the Lord Dark Flame, he explained that he was a member of a group of individuals known as The Dark Wardens, a guild devoted to ending the blight of the Dark Lords... As I took it all in, a familiar voice came to my ear I had not heard in many moons... It was Jamace; he had been travelling with The Dark Wardens, and had even been made an initiate of the guild... As Jamace and I were catching up on old times, Dark Flame called the other Dark Wardens close to him... He explained that he had received a message that Dark Lords were killing people at another dungeon, and they were needed... With some arcane gestures which I did not understand at the time, that I now know of as casting the spell gate travel, he opened a moongate, and disappeared in it... The others followed suit, save for Jamace he and I rode back to Britain to talk and drink...
It was after much drink and fellowship that we discovered both our parents had handed down our common heritage as sons of the Primarches... Shortly after we found that Dragco was also of this heritage, and together we formed The Adeptus Astaries, but that is another story... In the months that followed, The Adeptus Astaries and The Dark Wardens fought together and came to each others aid on countless adventures, and with other like minded people saw the end of the Dark Lords reign in Brittiannia...
Now it is once again safe to travel the roads between cities, but the Dark Lords and those who follow them are still out there, so we remain ever vigilant... I hope that never again shall the dark times fall upon the world of Britannia, but should darkness ever find commonality again, The Dark Wardens and The Adeptus Astaries will be there to bring light out of the darkness...
Marcalla Primarch, Iron Priest... The Adeptus Astaries...
