The Historian's Story

By Lazar "Dr. Stupendo" Janus

(Lordlazypants on FanFiction)

(lordhirosuke on DeviantArt)

My name is Roderick Eugeneson, call me Rodd, everyone does. I'm technically a hero. I graduated from the guild when I was twenty. I did a few missions, and visited a few towns; but what I gained on my few adventures is a realization. The realization that I'm not really cut out to be a hero. I found I had a greater love for the books I found, and the history of Albion rather than trying to shape its future. I sought out The Archeologist, which with the help of The Guild Master turned out to be quite easy. I asked him to take me as his pupil, or at least let me see his library and his writings so I could learn from them. He only let me do the second. So I spent a few years at The Archeologist's house learning what I could from his vast library. With time I began using the will I had learned to use as a weapon at the guild to help me in my studies, to bring me my books, or to help me learn and memorize faster. I wasn't sure how this worked, so I left for a day to ask the Guild Master about it. He said it wasn't unusual for that sort of thing to happen to ex-heroes. He said their unused will begins to manifest itself in other ways that better suit the user. Content with that answer I returned to The Archeologist's house to go over some scrolls from The Old Kingdom that he had acquired during his time searching for information on The Sword.

When I finished my time studying at his home I made my way back to the guild to see if there were any quests that could benefit my search for knowledge. There was one. It was from the school teacher at Bowerstone South. He wanted to know what had become of Liberator, the hero who killed Jack of Blades. I told The Guild Master I wanted this quest and made my way to the Bowerstone South School House to speak with the man. I got there was greeted by the children in a lackluster manner. It was well know that I had hung up my sword and bow for the pursuit of knowledge, and most children thought I was boring because of it, and most women wouldn't even look at me "Ooh! Look! It's that dullard Roderick! He had such potential as a hero!" I hear that all the time when I go into towns. Sure, I don't shave often, and my hair is just a simple pudding basin cut, and I've got dark circles around my eyes from lack of sleep, but I'm still just as strong as I was. I made it through The Arena just fine. Oh! I need to visit there again…I need to look through the Hall of Heroes…I need to make a charcoal sketch of the statues for my records.

But any way, I made my way to see the school teacher and get briefing. Basically, he wanted to know how Liberator's story ended. None of the books say. The man knows he's still alive. He comes in every so often to take care of his Mayoral duties. The thing is, no one knows where he lives, or if he has any family aside from his sister. The children don't stop asking his how the story ends, but he can never give them an answer. So, I'm off to find where the great man lives today.

The first thing I did was ask The Guild Master if he knows.

"Ah, Wilhelm 'Liberator' Bardson." he begins with a gleam in his eye. "He was a good man I must say. Bit of a whiner as a boy, but he grew out of it when he got older. Time does that to a man." the chuckled. "Records show he has homes everywhere. From Bowerstone to Snowspire Village. He could be in any of those. He always spent a lot of time in his child hood home of Oakvale though. It's a special place for that man, it is." he sighed. "You may want to start your search there."

So I went to Oakvale first. It's a beautiful town. I own a house here as well. It's down by the coast near where they hold the chicken kicking contest every year. Anyway, I first asked my neighbors. They usually know a lot of what has gone on in this town for the past years.

"Liberator? Oh, that man was such a nice man he was a perfect angel as a child, so my mother said. She knew him as a child. He looked out for his family, and would help out anyone who was being bullied or whatnot. Saved her stuffed teddy from a bully he did."She said with a chuckle. Every one could tell he'd be a hero like his mother one day. All 'cept his sister and father. His father hoped he'd be a woodworker like he was. Taught him the basic tenets of wood carving, or at least that's what my mother would tell me." she finished her ramble with a girlish giggle.

I sighed and asked her if she knew if he lived here now.

"Oh? Liberator? I thought he died a few years ago? But then how would he still be doing his mayoral duties at Bowerstone then? No, he hasn't lived here for years. I think it brought back to many bad memories for him." she sighed. "You might try Knothole Glade though, his mother hailed from there. They have a statue of her by the town entrance from what I hear."

I thanked her, and went to my home to put some books I had been carrying in my satchel for past few months away, locked up, and teleported over to Knothole Glade. When I got there it was raining just like it always was. I headed over to where The Chief lived to ask him about Liberator.

"Liberator? HaHa! Oh that man was a great one indeed. Just as great as his mother I'd say. He actually bested my father in The Fist Fighter's Guild! Hmm. That man is sorely missed around these parts. Never has been a balverine slayer quite like him. He would go in there with nothing more than his armor. I've seen him crush a white balverine's skull with one clap on his hands. A mighty, mighty man he was. His house is up the hill. Near mine.

At this I picked up. I began to smile. My search was over. I was kind of sad though. I had hoped to hear more stories about him from the people he had saved in the past. But then that came crashing down.

"Hasn't lived there in a decade at least though. He rents it out to people nowadays. Tells me to collect it for him and put it towards the town funds. I think he does the same with his houses elsewhere as well. He wouldn't really need it any more though. From what I heard the money he amassed during his quests and adventures have made him the richest man in all of Albion. His children and His children's children won't have to work for a long time. They probably do though. He seems to be the type to instill a feeling of hard work and responsibility in his young. He descends from Knothole Glade! It's in his blood." He finished with a nod. "Oh, maybe you should try Snowspire or the lost bay? I heard that he had fixed up that old boat house there, and that he owns a home up on a hill in Snowspire." he said, patting me on my shoulder.

I thank him and make my way to The Lost Bay first. It was pretty pointless. The boat house had been fixed up, but it was uninhabited. I teleported over to Snowspier real quick and went to the pub. It was cold and I needed some ale to warm me up. While I was there I asked the elderly barman about Liberator.

"Hm? Liberator? He owes me money. Wait. No he doesn't his son does. That lousy bard son of his." he chuckled. "He's a good bard, that's for certain. Just never pays his bar tab."

I ask him to tell me about Liberator, not the son of Liberator.

"Liberator was a good man. Like chain lightning with a sword or long bow. Had fists like thunder. I once dared him to put a hole through my wall with nothing by his un-armored fist. Told him drinks would be on the house if he managed it." he chuckled. "BAM! With out even the slightest of effort put his bare fist through the wall. Ended up putting a new window there instead of fixing the hole. He ended up paying for the nights drinks after everyone left though. We, we were going through a tough period then. I was glad he did. I needed all the money I could get at the time. Liberator was a good man. Still is as far as I know." he said, sitting down at one of the tables wiping his brow and looking wistfully at the ceiling.

It was late and he had been cleaning up when I came and asked him. I sat down across from him and asked if he knew where he was today.

"I figure he's still roaming. I know his wife died from a fever a few years back. I figured that now that she's dead he'd be roaming again. I imagine he'd be somewhere in Darkwood dealing with bandits, hobbes, sprytes, and balverines. Saving traders and whatnot." he said.

I thanked him and asked if I could rent a bed for the night. He agreed, I paid for my drink and a bed and went to get a night's sleep.

When I woke up in the morning I said my goodbyes and headed to barrow fields to talk to talk to some traders there and ask about Liberator being in Darkwood. The search wasn't very conclusive so I headed back to Oakvale to go to my home and go over my notes, clean them up a bit maybe re-write what needed re-writing. I was going to compile them all into a book eventually. I think it would sell. People hear about great heroes from the bards point of view all the time, but never from the people's eye. After I took care of that I was starting to yawn. It had been getting late, so I de-robed myself, extinguished my lamps and slipped into bed. I lay awake for a while before it hit me. I never thought of going to Hook Coast. I decided that in the morning I'd gather up some of my warmer robes and the guard's hat that was given to me as a gift from a guard I had saved in the past, and head up to that snowy coast. But that would be the next morning.