War is a constantly evolving thing. The motives, the weaponry, the tactics, the players, they are always in a state of flux. The war between the Red Hand and the Ronerawths started out about supposed border incursions (it would shame me to later find out that the death of my aunt and my subsequent murder spree was used as an example of one such incursion for both sides, so Valrya was really hedging her bets with trying to recruit me), it eventually would spiral into an invasion and attempted elimination of the Ronerawths.
I'd like to say I had a huge part in staving off the destruction of an empire, but honestly I didn't. I didn't really do anything in this particular conflict (well ignoring that I was used to partially escalate it). I started the conflict with blending in with some refugees to escape the shelling the Ronerawths were delivering, and then moved on from there. The victory at Dorianna was short lived, the Red Hand were known for a lot of things, mercy was not one of them. And unfortunately for the Ronerawths they didn't have much of an exit strategy for how deep in they were (oh I never really did explain where I'd been moved to, yeah I'd gone from being in the south near the Ronerawth, Red Hand border to being way far north past a mountain range, that Valrya was able to move me here without much of my knowledge explained how bad a shape I was in). I'd like to think this was part of Morley's plan, have the Ronerawth force escalate the conflict and then get annihilated (and in that it worked beautifully). With their forward artillery and expedition force taken care of the Ronerawths were in a bad position for the rest of the conflict, they mainly fought a losing campaign back to their own territory and then had to hold back the horde that was the Red Hand retribution.
I saw none of that as shortly after the conflict started I was imprisoned. Yes again, you'll notice a pattern in my life I've been in and out of prison cells for the majority of it! You'd probably laugh at what I got busted for. Was it all the murder? The necromancy? No, nothing so serious, war profiteering! Can you believe that? They busted me early on because I came across a dead merchant and sort of started charging refugees a lot more than the goods were originally worth. Apparently the magic rules all empire really frowns on charging peons for essential things like flour, the dicks.This imprisonment actually lasted the entire length of the war (which is why I had little to do with it. Five long horrible years eating prison food and thinking of ways of escaping (the Red Hand had a crude anti magical runes that prevented my abilities, not that I really wanted to show them anyway as that could have gotten me conscripted or worse like mind slaved). I learned a lot in those years, specifically fist fighting (these lessons were taught to me weekly, mostly at my ribs expense, its hard being the mouthy prisoner).
The conflict ended before my sentence did, the war technically lasted four years, there were some flare ups afterwards (like any hot fire you never get all the coals). The end of the conflict I was told was quite dramatic, the Red Hand was marching on the capitol of the Ronerawths with their force ready to raze it to the ground when they were told to halt and retreat. It wasn't immediately known at the time what saved Ronerawth (there was talks of dark magic and sorcery, deals with gods etc etc), the actual reason was a group of assassins had infiltrated the upper echelons of the Red Hand and held them at knife point to cease the conflict, as one can only imagine this didn't lead to much of a resolution in a conflict, but people in power don't really want to see their life blood fading from them. I got this all second hand, so maybe there was some kind of deal made with a dark god I have no idea, I've seen nothing to suggest it was anything but assassins.
My release from prison was much the same way anti climatic. No big gesture, no grand coming to terms with who I was. They just ushered me out saying I'd done my sentence. I had no money, no weapon (I guess my sword was confisicated for the war effort? I never heard back on that), my original robes and boots were also gone. I was in what I spent my time in prison with, a rough cloth shirt, overly tight itchy pants, and a pair of overly large shoes. When I stepped out of the prison I was introduced to the city I'd currently end up living in Rosetia. My first introduction was enlightening, shocking, and thrilling, a lot ing words. And tomorrow it begins!
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