Lore submision by: Nakor of Boreft.
I love Ancient Greece and i believe some characters are very interesting and have a lot to tell you. Name this guy here…he looks to be just a simple city guard, but…Oh well. He can tell you his story much better than I can
Part 1
Hello, stranger, you caught me at my break. Grab a chair and let me tell you my story. My name is Aléxandros and I’m a guard here in Thebes. I have a wife called Berenice and a daughter called Chloe. She truly is the apple of my eye, though I fear the day she grows up. Such a strong-willed child she is.
When I was but a boy, my father, who was a stonemason, apprenticed me to a weapon-smith. My master was a really good smith, and he supplied the garrison here at Thebes. I, however, though I learned to appreciate fine craftsmanship in my time as his apprentice, was never any good at working the forge. I can still hear my ears ring, so often did he box my ears for ruining an almost finished sword. Oftentimes, I had to deliver the weapons to the garrison here. Seeing the soldiers practice with them and the splendid armors they wore, was all this boy needed to know this was where he belonged. So, long before it became time for my masterpiece, we both thought it was best if I didn’t ruin any more iron ingots and did what I wanted to do anyway. Use the weapons and armor!
I went to the garrison, where they already knew me, and became a guard. That was the easy part Then the training began! Let me tell you. It’s nice to look at men training with their swords and spear for a few minutes. It’s very different when you are that man, wearing armor too and having to train for hours on end! It was exhausting and most of the boys I started with didn’t make it. Accidents happened almost daily, the winter a cold one, and a lot of boys couldn’t handle it anymore. But I succeeded!
Ok, It’s time for my next round. Thebes market. It’s always busy there with lots of people and lots of purses for pickpockets to snatch. See you later stranger.
Part 2
Hello again, stranger. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here. When I first started as a guard here at Thebes, it was very uneventful, but over the last couple of years, with more newcomers, it’s gotten quite busy! Don’t get me wrong, I like it this way. At least it’s never dull anymore. Even this morning while patrolling Thebes market, we caught 2 pickpockets and had to break up a crowd. It seems one of the new shop owners put a dragon’s head above her stall. Can you imagine! People just stood there gazing at it. I don’t know if it was real or not. I’ve never seen a dragon in my life!
I think it shook me more than I’d like to admit, but a little later, I swear I saw Berenice at the market. All dressed in her dark green cloak. When I looked again, she was gone. She knows I patrol the market at this time, so if it was her, she would’ve come over and given me a kiss, I’m sure. It’s strange when your mind lets you see things that aren’t really there.
Anyway, dragon’s heads, bear heads, you newcomers bring a lot of new things into our lives here. That helps keep our thoughts from worrying too much over other things that have also been going on. Monsters have become much, much more active over the last years. In greater numbers too! We can keep them at bay and fortunately, you newcomers are strong and love to hunt them. Still, I feel it’s only a matter of time before they become brave enough to come into the city. It’s a good thing they’re all different types of monsters and still relatively small groups. If they got a strong leader that could unite them, we’d definitely be in trouble.
Anyway, time to get back to work for me. This afternoon, I stand guard at the palace. Nice and quiet after a busy morning round. See you later stranger.
Part 3
Hello again, stranger. Have you heard the rumors? There’s been talk of the monsters uniting under one leader for some time now. Those rumors have only gotten stronger. More attacks have been reported over the last couple of weeks. No attacks close to Thebes yet, all were south from here. I hope the rumors of the monsters having a leader are false. Our king sent scouts and they should report back any day now. We can handle one or two of them at a time, but the thought of a horde of them attacking us scares even me! Truth be told, we guards are just ceremonial. We can’t fight like you newcomers can!
What do you say? Pull it together? Yes, yes, You’re right. Even if it turns out as we fear, we’ll be alright. We have allies. Knights and heroes will come to our aid. Thank you, that calmed me down. We’ve just seen so many mysterious and new things in the last months. It’s very different from when I was a boy. Sometimes, I lie awake in bed. Wondering what Chloe’s life will be like.
She’s not like the other girls here. She’s strong-willed and more interested in my throwing knives than in making a flower necklace. And she’s skilled at throwing them too! Part of me is very proud of her and part of me is deeply saddened. What man would ever want a woman like that? Berenice, her mother is doing her darndest to raise her like a proper lady, but she runs off whenever she gets a chance. Last week, we even caught her next to the training grounds! She’d been imitating the recruits all afternoon! When I found her I just saw her throw her knife at a frog. I’ve never been able to hit a moving frog at that distance! My heart swelled with pride. I did have to scold her for running off and not picking flowers like she was supposed too, of course.
Part 4
Hello again stranger. Yes, Thebes is bustling with activity right now! Remember last time I told you our king had sent out scouts to learn more about the monsters uniting? Well, they returned not long after our last talk. At least, some of them did. Some, it seems, were turned to stone!
The king shared a lot of information with us. Well, shipping an army won’t go unnoticed anyway. It seems the monsters are uniting under one leader. She calls herself the dark queen. She’s a very powerful Gorgon. One of those snake creatures. And she has the power to turn others to stone!
Her base should be o the south, southeast from here. The king ordered all of our ships to sail out with an army. They’re leaving today. That’s why it ís so busy. Soldiers from Thebes are known throughout all of Greece for their bravery and fighting skills, so I have no doubt they will be victorious!
They’ll come back with her head and a magnificent parade and feast will be held in their honor. You’ll see a stranger! All of the monsters will crawl back under the rock they came from in fear of the men from Thebes! Things will return to the calm and safe way everything was, you’ll see!
Ah, we’re not like you newcomers. There are always newcomers hunting the Arges to the north, or even the Myrinian to the east. Killing them by the hundreds with your devastating weapons! We’re just not like that. All we want is a peaceful life! Many of the men setting out today, I’ve known for all of their lives. There’s Ajax, who I wrestled with as a kid. Gregorios with his sister Euthalia. He was not as watchful as his name implies. She was the first girl I kissed. I hate to see them go and I hope to see them again in this life. Anyway, enough reminiscing. Remember this day well stranger. You’ll never see a bigger fleet of brave men set sail to fight for their loved ones.
Part 5
Hello stranger, As you can see, Thebes has seen brighter days. The impossible has happened. Our brave soldiers have been vanquished. Incense is being burned all day and all night to ask the gods for mercy on their souls and to let them pass into the underworld. All of our women are dressed in black. Fathers mourn their sons. Young men mourn their brothers. Their friends, their fathers.
We don’t know what exactly happened. A retreat is not an option for the brave soldiers of Thebes. When we hadn’t heard from them in a few weeks, the king sent scouts looking for them. What they told us, chilled us to the bones! All of the ships lay at anchor but not a single man was seen! All of them have disappeared! The scouts searched where they could. That island swarms with very strong and aggressive monsters, o the scouts couldn’t search everywhere, but they found nothing! Not even bones and armor! We can’t be sure of the ill fate that became of them, but we think they’re all dead. Maybe we hope they are for their sake.
Since they left, we have seen fewer monsters and fewer attacks have been reported, but we all fear what the future has in store for us. Many of the people here have fled to other cities. My wife Berenice and daughter Chloe went to her parents far, far in the north in Cyzicus. I hope they will be safe there.
If the monsters do regroup. If our brave soldiers did not manage to strike a fatal blow to this monstrous gorgon calling herself Dark queen. I too fear for the lives of all men, women, and children in Thebes and in all of this world. If Thebes falls it will only be the beginning. Please help us, stranger. You and more of you newcomers. Save us. Deliver us from the dark queen.