Why do we Fight? - Volume III - For Honor

Chapter 24: Ending an Era

Izetta Lorderius (Narrating): "In such dark times where you cannot even see in front of you, many would have lost hope. Instead, (Argen) Lorderius, the master of the House of Lorderius at the time of this writing never truly faltered. He was tenacious and intelligent, and he commanded the respect of his people and his men. It was no wonder that in my generation, he is seen as a demigod of sorts. That mere thought makes me laugh. Why? Because while he wanted greatness, he never liked the idea of people worshipping him. Such is that old man. It is incredible how there were countless opportunities in his life that he could have seized to gain greater power, but he opted to share it among his subordinates. I have always wondered what kind of man was he back in those days..."

Their victory was costly. Tens of thousands have died over the years of Apollyon's legacy, the Age of Wolves. None were spared - Knights, Vikings, Samurai, Wu Lin; men, women, children, livestock - it is as if a Cataclysm has descended upon the inhabitants of Heathmoor again. It was utter chaos and Heathmoor is now locked in a state of total war against itself. Kin against kin, brother against brother, and the strong preyed on the weak. It was Apollyon's goal, to make the people of Heathmoor realize the true nature of humanity.

However, Astrea was different. She claims to be Apollyon's successor, but her ways were far more different, radical even. One could say that they could form an unholy alliance and bring about what many perceived as an empire of demons. To the wise and those who knew Apollyon personally, that simply won't happen.

Apollyon used her power as the master of the Blackstone Legion to 'bring out the wolves', but Astrea used her ideals to further her own goals. She gathered an army of followers who were dissatisfied of the peace offered in the Truce of Wyverndale and used that power to gain even more power. She declared war on peace itself and plunged Heathmoor further into the abyss. From those point, it would seem that Astrea is indeed bent on making the world kneel before her.

From the darkness that she has brought, light continued to flicker. While there are many who were unwilling to accept peace, there are also those who accepted it and they lit the path so that many more can leave the stray path that they were forced to take. That flickering light became a fire and soon, it turned into a blazing will to fight for peace, to fulfill (Argen's) dream.

Over the course of the war, (Argen) himself have long understood what Apollyon's dream was supposed to be. He even has started to accept her ideals, but he swore that he will do things his own way. Astrea, on the other hand remains his archenemy and she will answer to her crimes and atrocities to the people of Heathmoor and especially those of Ashfeld. While she follows Apollyon's ideology, her kind was a perverted variant and is designed to give her power as a dictator, vastly different to what Apollyon was to her subjects. As a Warden, (Argen) simply must destroy her and the Order of Horkos. It was his duty, and everyone else's.

The victory in the Battle of the Eclipse was another step to his plan to finally bring an end to the eternal war that had stagnated and raged for centuries. The Victorious Legion along with its acting commander Gabrielle, his secret weapon remains in exile in the southwest and while still powerless in the face of the bulwark of Horkos, they will prove useful to his plan. The Battle of the Eclipse was merely a stopgap in order to halt the advance of Horkos and now that the allies have achieved it, they can regroup and settle scores elsewhere.

The Stallion Legion in Iron Slopes was finally liberated through the joint effort of the Lightshield Cohort and of the Bronzetail Legion, providing the Chimera Alliance a valuable force of cavalry in the south. The Hattori, the Otomo, and the Mogami of the Samurai have joined forces with the Knights of the Embers and together, they have seized control of Bellua Road, Valle Dei, and Dollo Plains, reducing the Horkos forces there into mere pockets of resistance. Eastern Ashfeld is as good as liberated.