Hiraeth

https://i.imgur.com/s2IFkgE.png Banner Found at Hunter's Reach upon the faction of Hiraeth's Arrival

Creation and Hunter's Reach
Originally Nazor Kamos had decided to form this faction when working on the construction of a monastery in Brother Chao's Memory. But as that fell through and the workers lost interest he moved back into his old habits which included exploring for old ruins, pilfering their goods and returning them to any survivors. This is how he happened upon Hunter's Reach, a small unfinished or badly damaged town in the cliffs of Deepwood Remnant. Instantly taken aback at their ample stores, and many functional [If a little rusty] traps and mechanisms he set about taking over the place to keep would-be looters from ransacking it. He sent word to his closest friend and adventuring companion Talfein, and some days later tracked down his long-time friend and lover Seersha.

The three then set to work making the cliffbound town into a livable place again and this continued for quite some time.

Growth Boom and Docktown
As the population of Hunter's Reach and Hiraeth grew many people decided it would be a good idea to use the massive sea-caves below the cliffs as a place of Akwal Worship and living space. Though neither this or Hunter's Reach ever functioned as a proper town it was impressive to see all this stone and rock being moved and realigned for a noble purpose.

But with all great growth comes obstacles and with regular visits from complete strangers and a mysterious wagon driver offering unknown strangers into the heart of Hunter's Reach trouble was sure to come their way.

Troubles and Conflict
Goblin Raids proved no problem, and with materials overflowing in the stores merchant ships started to drop by laiden with exotic good, but with all good things come the bad. A drake would occasionally visit and harass the residents of the cliff-town and new members proved less and less reliable, with visitors becoming... hostile towards some of them. Claims of "Mistreatment" of the local refugees who argued clearly against such started to be lobbied by a certain group. When proven wrong their visits turned less friendly.

What their end goal really was is a mystery, but around this time... a supposed icon of deserma appeared, Nazor relieved to have his prayers answered questioned the being only to be told that if people did not believe in her they are heretics. Apprehensive to follow a entity they may not even be Deserma the man asked the visitors claiming deserma was false to leave or suffer the consequences. They did not listen, even openly attacking members of Hiraeth. Save the golem Verdict they all fled or became injured. War should have followed this but instead of combat, terrorist and murder did.

Brief War with Mysterious Group
After the tussel, combat didn't happen. It was threatened and promised by a member of their group, but what followed instead was cold-blooded murder. Sneaking into Dock Town they murdered a local apprentice to an enchanter, for no visible reason other than brutality. When word passed up to the cliffs a chase insued in which the attacks found themselves partially stuck inside the home they murdered a man in. One of them fell and the other fled, being chased through the cliffs aggressively for long hours, until finally he used magic to flee the scene.

With this murder, there was one thing on Hiraeth and it's peoples mind, revenge. They knew where one of the attackers lived and rallied an attack, against what was once The Guild's Hall. Calls for battle and cries for proper combat rang out, but not a soul answered. So they set the structure ablaze, only for a young woman of their group to run from a nearby home INTO the blaze, not wanting anyones death from the fire Nazor rushed in covering his face with cloth he pulled her from the structure and when asked why she did this her comment was only that the attackers are villains for coming in such great number.

Finally after the fire burned out, the structure seemingly still intact and not fire-damaged at all somehow the man in question appeared. Thinking on the girls words Nazor offered his weapon to the enchanter Muzu who's apprentice was killed, and offer a proper duel between the two. The man did not disagree but when surrounded used illusionary copies of himself to try and flee the scene, into the water. This was a mistake, as a warrior of Hiraeth and former King of Goldhaven Gadifane lept into the waves after him swimming hard and fast. They grappled with him and we heft his body back up onto the sand, Deserma or whatever entity he originally claimed was false would decide his fate... or she should have.

The entity hesitated in it's judgement seemingly just long enough for the Golem who was nowhere to be seen until this moment Verdict to appear, summoning apparitions and mal-formed creatures with him, the chase was brutal as the machine tried to single out weaker fighters and take them down, no-matter the blows he seemed to stop for nothing. This was not combat but a game of tag. As the mad golem lept about and fled in all directions, deflecting poisons and blows somehow with a cocktail of foul potions that seemed to be pumped into it's body. There was no rhyme or reason to it's action and only foul malace as it dragged a lesser fighter into the waves, striking him down. Then in the heat of combat the armor gifted by the Deserma Entity began to fail Nazor, he was given armor from the enchanter Muzu who was now left vulnerable.. this proved to be a mistake as the golem beast singled him out striking him hard and causing him to loose consciousness.

Afterword The End
But as quickly as this combat started it ended, mysterious. The golem suddenly vanished, with him one of the fighters did too Lucian, and it seemed the other members of Hiraeth slowly went their separate ways. The mysterious group though clearly having been beaten still set about sacking Hiraeth with it's people mysteriously gone, and when the Dream-Wave came much of their sacking was undone, but the shrine to Deserma that once stood had also disappeared. With it the will to live in a place seemingly given back to it's original state. A place fit for a new group of adventurers.

May they have better luck than Hiraeth did in Hunter's Reach.