The Butcher of Torre
In the county of Torre, where
River's Rest's rustic homes now sprawl, there once were told tales of
horror about the Butcher of Torre. This is a Gosaenan take on the
near-extinct folktale.
In the misty years before the founding of the kingdom by Maelstrom Bay,
there dwelled a singular man in the lands of Torre. He was a man of
determination and charisma, but condemned by the lowness of his blood
to serfdom rather than rule. He was no ordinary man—indeed, it was
often said by those who knew him well that he was destined for
greatness. He was fascinated by the study of the myriad and alien
powers that stretched beyond the mortal word. The priesthoods,
especially, were a matter of interest to him: a man willing to
sacrifice could rise far beyond his birth in the priesthood. It was
much then as it is now.
The man, whose name was Lejin, had lived a fairly conventional life of
nearly thirty years when members of the Voices of Death came through
his town. These were priests of the Empress Beyond the Gates. The
Voices were unusual among the Gosaenan orders of this time in that they
frequently involved themselves in mortal matters. To this day, the
Voices believe themselves charged with the execution of their
mistress’s will in Elanthia. They interpret from her when the living
should die, and when they should be spared.
Lejin was fascinated by these priests, and the whispers of his ambition
told him that there was much power in death. Most of the other
peasantry of the township turned away or fled at the very sight of the
priests in their robes, which were the grey of stone and banded with
the green of old moss. Lejin placed himself in their path, and they
stopped. Though they were named the Voices of Death, they had no words
for him. After mere moments of silence, they moved as if to continue
around the human obstacle.
His hunger for a change in his plain and standard life woke a boldness
in Lejin. It spoke through him, saying, “I wish to serve.”
Again the robed figures stopped. One nodded, and beckoned to Lejin
before turning away. The Voices of Death continued walking through the
town, and when they left its boundaries, the peasant Lejin was with
them.
It was days before they arrived at the priests’ monastery, but when
they arrived the company was welcomed home. No celebration was to be
had, nor smiles or cheer. This is the way of those who serve Death.
For months, Lejin was allowed to learn of the Empress Gosaena amongst
the Voices of Death. When he felt that he had learned enough from their
order, and the opportunity presented itself, he traveled to an abbey of
the Baleful Brothers near the Sea of Fire. For several years, he moved
among the orders of Gosaena and learned.
This was not so innocent or proper as it outwardly seemed. Early in
Lejin’s travels, he learned that there were many ways in which one
could serve the Shadow With Wings. He had little love for the White
Path, though for a time it was said that he studied under White
Talumir. Lejin was instead quite taken with the darker path to service.
He saw death as the conquerer of life. In each temple or monastery
Lejin sought out the quiet followers of the Dark Path. He forged bonds
with many. As his power and reputation among the Gosaenan orders grew,
his allies gathered close about him. Then, abruptly, Lejin returned to
Torre at the head of a veritable army of his compatriots. He himself
had never become a priest, but there were many in his employ.
There was little resistance to the coming of Lejin’s rule to Torre.
Ineffectual warrior barons had long spread themselves across the land,
only to be ousted by those greater than they. Furthermore, there was
terror of the priests of Death. This fear was not unjustified. Lejin’s
enemies grew in number and power during the early years of his rule.
The swiftness and manner in which their challenges were ended soon
established him as the unconditional master of his homeland.
Lejin’s staunchest supporters were often the most radical of the Silent
Seer’s priests. He frequently indulged them in order to maintain their
support. Systems were put into place in Torre that would curdle the
blood of its current inhabitants. Lejin’s priests interpreted the words
of their goddess and dictated when lives should end, and how.
Frequently, those marked for death were used for entertainment and
sport. Lejin may not have been glad for the behavior, but neither did
he stop it.
After some short years of rule, Lejin was wholly loathed by his
conquered people. They named him the Butcher of Torre. At his feet were
lain the murders of all the people his priests had named for death, and
rumors spread that he had built himself a throne of bones.
The truth was far different from this. Though Lejin was much content
that he was obeyed and unquestionably a man of power, he was disgusted
by his reputation. Nonetheless, he continued to allow the ritual
deaths. More and more often, those who were most vocally against him
were frequently chosen by the goddess.
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