For the Eorzea and the peace it deserves!

Fiat voluntas mea.

Kaz'Alkorrah Sumaresh

Former Ishgardan knight just trying to find his place in the world.

Kaz'alkorrah In Ishgardian Service

Kaz'alkorrah In His Summoner Practice

Lord of House Solholt

History

Domus ante aliud. Early Life.Kaz'Alkorrah's earliest memory is being with his father, a silver-haired Miqo'te named D'anark, on a small row boat out in Limsan waters; the warm sun beating down on Kaz's pale skin. It was on this trip, one of many, that Kaz'Alkorrah caught his first fish. A hefty bass that he could hardly keep hold of long enough to put into a sack full of other fish.Kaz'Alkorrah never knew his mother and every time he would ask his father, a new answer would come to light. Which answer was true, Kaz didnt know. All he knew is that she was no longer around. As the years would pass, Kaz's hunger for knowledge would be insatiable. He read every book he could on the history of Eorzea and the world at large. He and his father had planned for him to visit and attend various Sharlayan schools but it would seem that the 12 had different plans for this young Miqo'te.

Rising StormIt was on his 23rd summer that Kaz'Alkorrah left home for Sharlayan. He had ambitions that could not be checked and a drive to bring glory and fame to his and his father's name. Unfortunately, this was also the year that would see a new calamity change Eorzea forever.While resting in Ishgard from many days of hard travel, Kaz'Alkorrah felt the ground shake like no quake he had ever felt. When he went outside, he saw it. Dalamud descending from the skies to strike the planet. The Battle of Cartenau was ending. In the following days, the weather grew greyer and greyer and snow began to fall. His world was shattered as he learned of what had happened at Cartenau and the calamities that raged throughout the other great states of Eorzea.It became clear to Kaz that traveling to Sharlayan was not only unsafe, it was impossible. Desparate for income and food, Kaz enlisted with the Ishgardian militia to help stave off the Dravanian threat. In this station he would serve for four years, rising through the ranks until one day while on patrol, his unit was ambushed by both heretics and dragons. Kaz would lose an eye in the fight and barely survive, limping for miles back to Ishgard where he was told upon recovery that he would be forced to retire early.

Waxing Knowledge and Waning ServiceIn the time following his forced retirement from service, he would keep his well honed combat prowess sharp and would even learn the ways of the greatsword from a former Dark Knight. With everything he owned on his person, Kaz left Ishgard to explore the hopefully more stable Eorzea and find out what happened to his family.In his search for these answers he took up the art of Summoning, learning from the Arcanist's Guild in Limsa Lominsa. It was difficult to adjust to using the aether so directly as opposed to a blade and shield but Kaz would manage to become a decent enough Summoner, though he still keeps his skills with blade and board honed.

A ShatteringIn the time since his exit from service in the Ishgardian Army and uptaking of Summoner duties, Kaz started to study Aetheric currents he noticed in the air, high above his head. Weeks passed and he began the formation of a thesis that could allow airships to ride these currents, allowing them to travel far further than current technology would allow.In his studies for this thesis, he came across a trail that his father had, deliberately or not, left behind. He had survived the Calamity and had began long distance seafood trade with citizens of Mor Dhona. The day that Kaz'alkorrah finished his thesis, he set out on the trail that his father had left.It was on a fateful day that Kaz'alkorrah would lay eyes on his father for the first time in 5 long years. He was surrounded by men in black and gold uniforms. First they shoved D'anark, then the pushed him to the ground. In the moment that Kaz'alkorrah saw what was happening, he rushed to his father's aid. As he grew close, he saw something he knew all too well; a blade drawn. He heard the faint sentencing of his father to death by the Garlean soldiers and then a pained cry from an all too familair voice. By the time Kaz'alkorrah reached his father, it was too late. He held his father in his arms as the last of his life faded away.As his father passed away in his arms, Kaz'alkorrah heard a whisper from his bag. He searched for the voice until he found it coming from a tome he had taken from Ishgard's archives. The book spoke to him, telling Kaz'alkorrah of his condolences and sympathies. Then it offered something. A power that could avenge his father. A power that would allow Kaz'alkorrah to bring justice and fear to those who deserved it. All it would cost, is Kaz's remaining ability to see. Deep in grief and anger, Kaz made the deal in an instant.In a flurry of scarlet and blue flame, Kaz's eyes bled and new armor clad his body. Dark royal blue plate with a vicious tool in his right hand. He had become the vessel of fear drawn from the Garlean soldiers. He became a Reaper, an entity that was naught but a myth; a ghost story told in Garlemald to keep children in line. He had become a being made of dying men's nightmares.He hunted down the men responsible for his father's murder and all those associated with them. By the time dawn rose, Kaz had three heads hanging from his belt and his new armor was splattered and stained in blood. He made his way back to Ishgard, the only home he now had.

Lordhood and WarThree months had passed since the events that caused Kaz'alkorrah's descent into the Reaper path. While time did indeed pass, he was not idle in this time. Kaz spent his time either in Ishgard, studying the secrets of Aether sight or in the snow capped mountains, keeping his skills sharp with the help of old friends from his time in Ishgard's army.One fateful day, a day like the dozens that had already passed, Kaz'alkorra would receive word of someone looking for him. Upon meeting this person, he would learn their identity. Menda Solholt, reigning matriarch of House Solholt had come with news. After 28 years, Kaz'alkorrah's mother had finally shown herself. Not only did she bring an explanation for her absence, she came with an offer. Now that Kaz'alkorrah was of age, he was to become the Lord of House Solholt, a minor nobility in eastern Gridania.After a week of consideration, Kaz'alkorrah accepted the offer. Within a matter of days, he was crowned Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh, Lord of House Solholt. Though it would not be long before his ability to rule would be tested. House Octavian, under the rule of Alariel Octavian, launched a surprise attack on Solholt lands and citizens in a surprising and brutal invasion. The war would rage for three long weeks with House Octavian utilizing chemical weapons and cruel biological magicks. Kaz'alkorrah would lead his knights on the frontline despite the foul weapons used by House Octavian and would be scarred by a chemical spell on his face in the final push to take the Octavian keep and behead Alariel Octavian.

A Pact Made, A Soul to Offer.Six months. Six months had passed since the Octavian War had come to an end. In that time, House Solholt had recovered. Knight Rusu Daito had been promoted to the head of the Praesidio Lorem, the personal guard of Kaz'alkorrah and the Lieutenant in charge of the 1st Host, House Solholt's most elite knights and casters.One day while Knight Rusu was away, Soholt Keep had gone dark and the chapel bell had not stopped ringing for two days. No one had been seen entering or leaving aside from a Marauder Messenger. Upon her return, Knight Rusu had the lockdown rescinded and Solholt Keep opened. It was revealed that Kaz'alkorrah had given the order for unknown reasons but that a change had happened.The entity that he had made a pact with to take revenge for his father's murder had come to collect. In exchange for his soul, Kaz'alkorrah had offered his appearance. Six glowing white wings had sprouted from his back and his voice was ravaged. Not a day after his new form was revealed to Knight Rusu, word came of Garlean troops massing on House Solholt's border with Gyr Abania.When asked about how to proceed, Kaz'alkorrah was uncharacteristically eager for violence. "I will sunder the filth of their forms for threatening us so!" So the battle of Shiloh Field was set in motion.

Wars are won in the mind.The dead had been buried. The land had been tilled. The victorious army had returned home as heroes to their wives, their husbands, their sons, their daughters. To their mothers and their fathers. For a time, there was peace. House Solholt had seen to it that there would be no more Garlean incursions into Eorzean lands. A veritable bulwark against the hungering hateful maw that was the Garlean Empire and its legions.For three months it stayed that way. Three months of peace. Not long enough to bring in a single harvest of new crops.When word came of a sighting of Garlean scouts near Baelsar's Wall, Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh ordered it investigated despite council from his generals and senators. "A few scouts is nothing to be worried about. They can do us no harm," was the resounding statement from those that did not hold the keys to the Gates of Janus.When word came back of a spy captured outside of Solholt Keep, Lord Sumaresh bade investigate himself. There was a lengthy interrogation. Blood spilled. Bones broken. Flesh seared from muscle. At the end of it all, when the information gathered had been documented and the rooms cleaned, there was merely the question of what to do with the prisoner."Its simple," the Angel of Shiloh Fields said, "we give her back."

A Storm on the Horizon.When word of the Eorzean Alliance mobilizing reached Lord Solholt's ears, there was no choice to be made. Immediately, 20 Hosts would be made ready to fight and march with Kaz'alkorrah at their head.Upon his arrival to the Wall, he was met with General Aldynn, the Elder Seedseer, Chief Admiral Bloefhiswyn, and Ser Aymeric. It was there he was appraised of the situation; Men and women posing as members of the Eorzean Alliance attacked Baelsar's Wall, a post well within Solholt lands.Lord Solholt flew into a rage at the audacity of those who would dare use the uniforms of his brothers and sisters in arms. He would call for the head of the leader of this cowardly attempt to draw Eorzea into a war with Garlemald, though he knew that he himself would not be the one to claim it. For the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and the fabled Warrior of Light were already acting. After hastily planning was done, it was decided that Lord Solholt and his 20 hosts, totaling just over 20,000 men and women at arms, would serve to draw as much of the Garlean response away from the Scions and the Warrior of Light as possible.

A Storm of Blood.The fighting was fierce. Men cut down left, right, and center. 20,000 men carving a path to a location they did not know. Blood littered the dirt, the sand, the metal. At the head of it all, two figures who could not have been more unalike.One, in gold and silver clad, floated above the ground between blows. Carving bodies apart with swift yet heavy blows of a blade that burned like the star that had set behind the horizon a few scant minutes before. The Angel of Shiloh Fields. Roaring and barking orders. Beside him, barely reaching his hip in height, was a warrior who seemed to have the air around her chilled with ice. Donned in yellow and white was the head of the Praesidio Lorem, the personal guard of Lord Solholt, and the Marshal of the First Host. Rusu Daito with her sword and shield. When she feared her Lord's orders were not heard, she echoed them with an uncharacteristically loud voice for her size.After what seemed malms of continuous fighting, the momentum of the advance started to die. Swords met swords. Shields to shields. Bodies to bodies. It was in a microcosm of combat that Lord Solholt chanced a gaze to his First Marshal. She was on a knee, about to be dealt the killing blow by an Imperial. In a voice that all souls heard, he cried out. "You will not take her!"The grass that surrounded the star embedded in the dirt burnt away in an instant. Screams and cries of agony and guttural terror clashed against an inhuman roar of rage as bones cracked, muscle tore, and life faded. In front of First Marshal Daito laid her would be killer, bisected... but not by a blade. For the blade that should have done such a wound was embedded in the ground not an arms length away. Above her stood her Lord, coated in the gore and viscera of the man ripped in twain.

Time to Pay the Piper.A week had passed since the diversionary action that House Solholt had performed at Baelsar's Wall for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Since that battle, Kaz'alkorrah had not been feeling himself. His skin was growing pale, his appetite faded, he slept longer and deeper than normal. While most under his command knew something was amiss, Lord Solholt himself refused to acknowledge the truth. That is until he was midway through writing a missive to the Eorzean Alliance.Kaz'alkorrah noticed that his skin was near ash white and decided that he would heed his 1st Marshal's, as well as his Lady's word, and open up. As he stood and started to make his way to the door of his study, all of his strength left him. He was only able to walk by leaning on whatever was nearby, practically dragging himself along walls and partitions.As he had the door in sight Kaz'alkorrah heard a voice inside his mind. "Now... Now is the time I take what is owed, Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh. Ive let you keep my powers for long enough, far past your original due date. As such, I think extra compensation is due. As payment, I not only take back my powers... but your life as well." The voice would be dripping venom and malice were it beside his ears.With the last word hanging in his head, he fell to his knees and then onto his stomach. His throbbing head could only focus on the slowing beat of his heart despite his every attempt to do aught else. In the seconds that he could concentrate on anything other than his slowing heart, he thought of his beloved. His 1st Marshal. His Lady Solholt. His Rusu Daito. As the last of his strength faded, he only managed to silently mouth an apology before his eyes closed, for what would be the last time.

Ascension."I know your soul is not tainted, even though you've been told so." The feminine voice cooed. Across the black void in which Kaz'alkorrah stood hovered an all too familiar face of his past. Berkut Nariya, an old colleague of Kaz'alkorrah from his time in Ishgard.Before he could think of what to say, Berkut raised a hand, bidding him to stop. "You have done well. The libraries of House Solholt are vast and ever growing. My master has watched you with great interest, Kaz'alkorrah. It is because of your love for knowledge and your willingness to share it freely that Thaliak himself grants you his blessing.He was too stunned to speak. A mountain of questions raced through his mind. Was his best friend an angel the entire time? How long had she been watching him? How did he earn the eye of one of the Twelve? But before he could ask any of these questions, there was a growing warmth in his chest."Your soul was not tainted, nor was it lost to you. It was sealed away by the voidsent who gave you their power all those moons ago. My Lord Thaliak bade me to free your soul so that you may continue your work. Share knowledge and share it far and wide. Now, return Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh. Return to Eorzea as a Lord Solholt Ascendant!"

Finality.The liberation of Ala Mhigo was in full swing and was nearing its end. Not only had the Warrior of Light and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn assisted in Ala Mhigo, they had served to assist the Doman remnants to entirely force the Garlean Empire out of their traditional landsThe day had finally come. The assault on the last bastion of Garlean control in Ala Mhigo. Lord Solholt had remained at Castrum Oriens to oversee deployment of reinforcements while sending ahead Marshal Rusu Daito to assist the Eorzean Alliance in the siege proper.As the sun was high in the sky, Lord Solholt decided that now was the time. He had heard no word from his 1st Marshal since the siege began. Deciding to er on the side of caution, he set about moving to the frontline. His retinue of 4 Praesidio Lorem accompanied him from Castrum Oriens.When this small precession had reached Castellum Velodyna, they were met with an odd sight. Three Garleans in unforms they had not seen before.There was no warning, no posturing that the five had come to expect of Garleans. It was a flash of steel and crimson. Spins of blade and black cloth. Kaz'alkorrah had but a scant moment to realize that these three unknown Garleans had just cut down four of his best before he himself was under assault.It was a flurry of blades. Glancing blows and heavy hits. Muscles tearing and bones cracking. It lasted no more than a moment. Across from the seemingly unphased Garleans stood Lord Solholt. His right shoulder dislocated, his left femur and tibia cracked, and more than a few tendons torn.

Walk the Knife Edge.His ears thrummed with his own pulse. That pounding in his ears served as an alarm. A screaming of his body. Each breath he took into his lung was agony and every fiber of his being knew why.In his only functioning hand held the crumbling remnants of a skull still inside the bag that was muscle and skin. With a wet splattering, the corpse fell to the ground, joining the 7 other fallen warriors. Both friend and foe lay on the same blood soaked stone.The trek back to Castrum Oriens seemed an eternity to the wounded Lord. Had there been any other elite Garlean's keen to finish off the Angel of Shiloh Field, the dark glistening crimson trail would be all they needed to follow.Hours passed and it was as dark as could be. Both guards that watched the gate of Castrum Oriens watched in awe as the bloodied and still impaled Lord Solholt made his last steps into the walls before collapsing.

The Howl of Winter.Voices shouted and pairs of footsteps running at pace filled the air. "He's losing too much. Put more pressure on that!" A soft voice commanded. "Yes, Marshal!"The rushed creak of iron hinges swinging open and the clunk of wood meeting wood barked. "We've got him from here! Get back! Hoist on three. One.. two.. three!" In beat with the countdown cries of agony filled the ears and mind of all in the room. "Hes still awake!?""Let me help! I can help save him!"
"Get back! You'll only get in the way!"
"Thats my husband! I have to save him!"
"Marshal! Let them work! You're doing more harm by distracting them!"Amidst the shouts and protestations, plates of steel and chain clattered and scraped against one another. "Left lung is punctured and collapsing. We need to get in there now! Scalpel." Steel scraping against bone was heard before being drowned out by the screams of agony and pounding of flesh on wood.

Immortalis Angelus.How much time had passed? Days? Weeks? Months? It is hard for one soul to say. To the rest of those around him, it had been several weeks. While the Lord of House Solholt recovered from holding hands with death, the world marched on. Revolution turned to liberation. Political schemes in the far east; thwarted. Dark clouds hanging over Garlemald. Most importantly, however, the slumbering of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.It was fortuitous timing, though. Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh, Lord of House Solholt, had taken his first steps since the day that nearly claimed his life. He stood on the balcony of his personal quarters at Solholt Keep. When those below chanced to spy their Lord returning to health, a cheer came up. Still sore and in no small amount of pain, Kaz'alkorrah managed a small wave.Beside him, watching his every move, was a small Raen. Her pearlescent scales shone in the light of the sun as well as her Lord and husband's wings. First Marshal, Lady of House Solholt, Praesidio Lorem Praetor, Rusu Daito kept a near constant eye on her beloved, assuring that he did not overtax himself.

Attero Dominatus.It had been maybe a week since Lord Solholt Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh had been given the go ahead from the chief apothecary and chirugeon in Solholt Keep to resume his duties as House Lord. The first words of official business that Lord Solholt had heard is that Garlemald had collapsed into civil war.It is said that upon hearing the confirmed reports, Lord Solholt flung his arms wide and cried to the heavens with a smile on his face "Ilsabard's burning! Attero Dominatus contingency is now active. Make the preparations to march on Garlemald. If the Alliance will not capitalize on this, we shall."And so the Marshals of the 2nd through 30th Hosts began making preparations for the long march from Eastern Gridania all the way to Ilsabard. While they made ready, Lord Solholt would personally convene a conference between the leaders of the other great states of Eorzea and propose his plan to march on Garlemald. This plan would ultimately be denied as the other members of the Eorzean Alliance deemed the situation too volatile to get involved in. While this was much to the frustration of Lord Solholt, he begrudgingly agreed.

Turmoil Within, Turmoil Without.It was a stormy night when, in the midst of planning House Solholt's own march on Garlemald, that Kaz'alkorrah received a visitor through his study window. It was Berkut Nariya, his old friend who revealed herself to actually be Thaliak's Emissary and saved his soul from eternal corruption by a voidsent. She brought word that the voidsent which possessed his soul had returned to Eorzea in possession of another body, one that was eerily similar to that of Kaz'alkorrah. Seeking to deal with this threat, Kaz immediately set about readying himself for a duel. He knew this voidsent well, having spent so long together. It would want a challenge, a chance to prove that it was the better warrior and that it was only because of divine intervention that it was banished.And so they met, in the midst of Shiloh Field. The field in which the powers the voidsent granted Kaz'alkorrah won a great victory for House Solholt. There was only a moment of pause between the two winged figures and then in a blast of air, the war was on. Blade scraped blade, metal checked against metal, steel met flesh. Back and forth they went, trading blow for blow. Hours they fought for each knew each others mind, each move they would make and how they would expect to counter it.It wasnt until the heavens themselves began to cry and flash tears of light that the conflict began to slow. Both bodies were growing tired, bloody, and bruised. The Angel of Shiloh Field was the first to slip up. In a flash of brass and crimson, the Lord was disarmed in every sense of the word. His longsword, Dominus Pax, now lie blade first in the dirt while his left arm from the shoulder down was cast across the field of grass, painting a trail of sanguine. But this blow was the opening he needed, with his one remaining arm and the remainder of his strength, Lord Solholt grasped Dominus Pax and drove its length through the chest of the voidsent's host body. It fell, lifeless into the grass, impaled by the blade that shone with the light of its wielders wings.

Wildfire.Lord Solholt fell to a knee. Now bereft of an arm and the fight well over, the severity of his injuries became clear to him. His legs were stained crimson and there was a sizeable slash across his chest in which he could feel the shards of crushed bone. He knew this was the end. He knew he would not survive.As he looked across the field in which House Solholt secured its strength and fame, he could only think of one thing; one person. A small Au Ra. Her pastel blue hair and blue and pink eyes. Her pearlescent scales. She would be the new head of House Solholt. Lady Solholt... that had a nice ring to it. And with that, he collapsed, the rain pattering on his armor and the grass around him as he slowly faded away.That is until he opened his eyes. He was in a black void, lying on nothing. He was not moving, nor was he falling. He stood, slowly, trying to let his eyes focus on something, anything at all. There was nothing to see, but then there was a voice. "Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh.. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. While I would like nothing more than to answer your myriad of questions, our time is short. I offer you a choice: Return to the Source in a new body and help bring peace to the star or embrace eternal peace and pass on to the Aetherial Sea? Time is short, regrettably, so you must choose now." The voice was masculine and familiar and yet neither. It sounded of a conglomeration of a thousand, no, a million voices all speaking at once in the same cadence and accent.Whoever this voice was, it had offered Kaz'alkorrah a choice but to him, it was no choice. There was only one option in his mind. "Return me to Eorzea so that I may live my life! So that I may seek knowledge and share it with the world! So that I may help bring peace to the Star!"Silence. Void. Nothing. Then a flash. A flash of light from a distant point on the horizon that only grew and grew until it blinded and burnt his eyes. Then agony. He felt his body be ripped apart and torn asunder only to be rebuilt fiber by fiber, nerve by nerve, muscle strand by muscle strand.When next he opened his eyes, he saw the world around him in a new light. He was back home and in a new body. At that realization, there grew a smirk. "Time to get to work."

Axios!Kaz'alkorrah had been gone for several days. Solholt Keep was nearly in a crisis of leadership and would have fallen to infighting were it not for the efforts of Rusu Daito, head of the Praesidio Lorem, Lord Solholt's personal guard, as well as High Marshal of the 1st Host.All of the Marshals were gathered in the conference hall, shouting and bickering when the doors to the chamber were flung open. The bang of the heavy wooden doors being flung open with such force startled all inside save for the figure that now stood in the doorway. A familiar yet slightly different voice spoke a single word which silenced the room."Axios!"Axios. I am worthy. This was the first word that Kaz'alkorrah had spoken upon taking the throne and becoming Lord of House Solholt. The shirtless Viera bore all the scars and the build of Lord Solholt. All were in question of this stranger, some even deigned to whisper to one another. That was, until, the man barked at them. "Marshals! Have we time for such behavior?! Fighting over positions of power like petulant children?! Your Lord is returned and we have work to do!" It was High Marshal of the 1st Host, Rusu Daito, that knelt first. In a matter of moments, all 30 High Marshals were down to a knee chanting their Lord's first word to them. "Axios! Axios! Axios! Axios!"There was no mistaking the voice now. This man was, in fact, Lord Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh.

Razing.In the time since his return, Lord Solholt had been keen to become appraised of the situation in Garlemald. Fresh scout reports stated not only that the fighting had ceased altogether but that a massive spire covered in spikes had been constructed. With the urging of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, the Eorzean Alliance finally agreed to march to Garlemald.However, at no point was Kaz'alkorrah informed that this was a relief mission. To him, the Eorzean Alliance had finally seen his plan as the correct path to take. House Solholt would singlehandedly guide its own convoy of supplies, some 19 malms south of the main convoy, into Ilsabard with little to no hostile activity.Once basecamp was established, Kaz'alkorrah looked to Garlemald proper. There was a fire in his eyes, a fire that burned for revenge. He would see Garlemald razed to the ground and made so that it would never again threaten the world. Across the camp, all 30 Marshals would hear the order. "On my authority as Lord Solholt, Regicide Contingency is now in effect..."With that order given, Solholt forces were to prepare to take shifts in razing Garlemald. Kaz'alkorrah would be the first of any Eorzean Alliance member states to set foot in the capital. What followed was a slaughter. Years worth of hatred, prejudice, and rage came to the front. Man or woman, whoever held a weapon, were slaughtered where they stood. There were no prisoners taken. The Garlean survivors of their own civil war were brutalized, many by Lord Solholt's own hands.

Ce Vis Pacem...Nightfall. From inside the command tent in Camp Broken Glass, three voices were heard shouting. An argument betwen Lord Solholt, Maxima, and Lucina. By the end of it, Lord Solholt stormed out of the tent, clearly enraged at the decree.Lucina held the authority of the Eorzean Alliance and had condemned the actions of House Solholt and its 1st Host. Despite House Solholt not being informed of this operation being a relief mission, the punishment was handed down as if they knew and acted in contempt of that purpose.House Solholt, and all 30 of its Hosts, would serve as caretakers to the Garlean refugees. If that was not met with sufficient action or this order was defied and any of the Hosts took to the field of battle, House Solholt would be cast out of the Eorzean Alliance and be treated as a hostile force.With tempers rising, the 60,000 men and women at arms became caretakers to the people they had been so wronged by. They had not come so far and endured so much to now have to take the moral high ground and like it. All had suffered at the Garlean hands, some more than others, whether they knew it or not.Lord Solholt had to act and act well. If he did nothing or acted on emotions, there would doubtless be conflict within the Eorzean Alliance. So, to set an example, he set aside his prejudice and rage and was first to tend to the refugees. Through days of nonstop hard work, he started to gain the trust of those he had so wronged. He knew he would never be forgiven, he was incapable of such self delusion. But perhaps he could start to make amends by learning of the Garlean's story and help to rebuild their home.

Para Bellum.The skies turned a fiery orange. Meteors began falling from the skies. People began to be engulfed in fire as black as night before turning into monsters that could only have come from the darkest nightmares.Camp Broken Glass was under attack. The refugees either turning into monsters or being killed by them. Seeing there was precious little time to act, Lord Solholt ordered his 30 Hosts to protect the refugees with their lives, Lucina's orders be damned.The fighting was intense, people either falling to these so-called 'Blasphemies' or turning into them as they were consumed by despair or fear. Soldier, civilian, refugee, it mattered not. All could fall victim to the forces that drove these abominations.

Apotheosis.Hours had turned into days. The days felt like weeks. The fighting was nonstop, those who had not succumbed to the despair and fear that turned them into monsters set against their former comrades were beginning to collapse from exhaustion. Apothecaries and chirugeons were running ragged from trying to keep the remaining fighters upright or to stop the fallen from dying.On the northern front, facing the icy fields towards Garlemald stood a single man amidst corpses. Both friend and foe decorated the ground around Lord Solholt. As he struck down the last Blasphemy to approach, he dropped to a knee, his sword planted into the ice. He was tired beyond words. Not even when he had fought the voidsent possessed doppelganger had he been so worn out and exhausted. When he heard the familair footsteps of his High Marshal, Rusu Daito, approach, he breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought he would be joined in death by his love.But as she whispered what encouragement she could, what motivation to fight she could muster, Kaz'alkorrah could only find himself staring into her eyes. In that moment, he remembered his words to the voice in the void and knew what he must do.His right hand shot skyward as if he meant to grasp the heavens themselves and bring them down. In a booming voice that none had heard since the Battle of Shiloh Field, the Lord Solholt spoke."In nomine dei cognitionis, dei lucis, per Portas Iani, Ego Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh, Ritum Contriti Aurum invoco!"A column of light thudded to the ground around the lord, enveloping him in a golden yellow glow. In his hand a rod formed. This rod grew and grew until it was a long staff, ornate and gilded in gold and silver."By the Rite of Extermina Anima.."
The staff slammed into the ground, a scythe blade of pure light forming at the top.
"YOU WILL NOT HAVE THEM!! For all sons of man and the peace they deserve!"With this last act, Lord Solholt stood tall, reinvigorated. His aether forever changed as his eyes now glowed with divine might. His fight would continue for days, never seeming to tire as he flew on wings of light from battle to battle.Only once the Scions of the Seventh Dawn had returned successfully to Sharlayan, unbeknownst to those in Camp Broken Glass, did the remaining Blasphemies fall. The war was over. Peace had finally been achieved.Once the threat was determined to be removed, House Solholt under the leadership of Lord Kaz'alkorrah Sumaresh, was ordered to return to its holdings in Gridania and await orders from the Eorzean Alliance.

Recovery.It had been days since the House Solholt detachment returned home. 30 hosts had departed for Garlemald; through the Gates of Janus only 9,000 men and women marched.The efforts and exploits of House Solholt were rewarded with cheers and celebration of the people of Gyr Abania and Gridania but in the minds of each fighter clad in the distinct white and yellow, particularly of the 1st Host, the action that they saw in Garlemald resonated and they did not see themselves as heroes.Soon there was a ceremony held in Ul Dah. A parade through its streets of those forces that served to save the Star. The houses of Ishgard, Wood Wailers, Brass Blades, Marauders, shinobi of Yanxia, all before the men and women of House Solholt. A paltry detachment of 50 men in parade uniforms. The size of the detachment was not a choice but only those that were presentable and able to march. Kaz'alkorrah would not show the people of Eorzea how close they were to defeat and ruination.The ceremony culminated in the leaders of forces of renown being awarded medals designed specifically to memorialize the prevention of the Final Days return. Kaz'alkorrah stood shoulder to shoulder with captains of the Maelstrom, Order of the Twin Adder, and Immortal Flames. Those of the Grand Companies stood tall with pride and a sense of accomplishment but the Viera bedecked in black, white, and gold was only putting appearances on for the world. His mind was focused on two things: the recovery of those he asked the impossible of and the replenishment of the ranks of his house. For while the threats to the star were ended, the threats to House Solholt were many and far from quashed.

No Rest for the Wicked and Tired.Months had passed. Kaz'alkorrah sat at his ill-fitting desk. The growth he endured during what he considered his final stand, when he played the last ace he had up his sleeve, had made all his furniture now too small for his comfortable use.As he flipped through the numerous letters and missives he had received he saw a letter with a wax seal that was all too familiar; that of the Eorzean Alliance. As the letter was between his shaking hands he debated breaking the seal. If he broke the seal and did not like what he read, there would be no denying that he had indeed seen it. He was scared of what it would contain. New orders for his still depleted House? Letters containing orders of censure? Demands for himself to report for trial for his actions in Garlemald? "My lord?" the guard at the door questioned.Paper tore and crinkled as it unfolded. A sigh. Of relief or apprehension?"We've barely enough men to form 3 full hosts and now they ask us to sail across the Western Empty? A route that few have successfully crossed and fewer still have returned to speak of?!"
"Sir, I dont understand. What do you mean they ask us to sail? There is nothing to the west past Sharlayan."
A fist of the Lord of Solholt slammed into the desk made of Limsan timber, sending a massive crack down the middle of the desk. "So be it..."

Good Soldiers Follow Orders.A conversation between Lord Solholt and the heads of the Eorzean Alliance had clarified the orders to sail west and negotiated terms.The member-states of the Eorzean Alliance would provide what manpower they could to accompany the 1st Host of House Solholt. House Solholt and members from each member-states military would cross the Western Empty to establish an embassy with Tural's permission.The Angel of Shiloh Field stood on the balcony above the assembled men and women at arms. "Men. Women. Comrades. You and I have all seen the horrors of battle. Last we stood shoulder to shoulder we defended this star from annihilation and ruin. We drew our swords and spears to spill blood in the defense of those we love. Now we board the ships of the Maelstrom to sail west. We follow the route laid by Ketenramm over half a century ago. I'm sure that some of you have heard the rumors. There is a land to the west: Tural. Our mission is to reach their shores and establish an embassy. With the exception of the Warrior of Light and the former Scions of the Seventh Dawn we will be the Turali people's first impressions with Eorzea and the rest of the world. Lets make sure that we dont leave their expectations wanting."The wings of white and gold erupted from Lord Solholt's back as a halo of crystals materialized behind his head. "To your ships! We cast off at the first north-western wind!"

Hearts and Minds.The voyage to Turali waters was rough and fraught with storms and dangers but all of the flotilla arrived more or less intact. Kaz'alkorrah was the first to set foot onto the docks and meet the Turali welcoming party. Within a matter of hours Kaz'alkorrah was helping to transport all the documents and supplies for the construction of the Eorzean Alliance embassy.It was on a personal trek through Tuliyolal that Kaz'alkorrah's attention was grabbed by a small child sitting on the roadside.
"Wow! You sure are a tall Shetona!"
"Shetona? Ah, you must mean those with ears like mine." he gave a wiggle of his blue and white ears.
"Yeah! Are you one of the new ones from across the salt?"
"I am. My name is Kaz'alkorrah, whats yours?"
"My name is-"Screams filled the air as Lord Solholt's eyes shot skyward at the source of the colossal shadow cast over Tuliyolal. A vessel in the sky shining purple and covered in a glistening metallic black. Like a swarm of hornets, craft flowed from their mothership to fly over the stone buildings and colored canopies.

Too Familiar for Comfort.Seconds. Bodies fell as they were struck by glowing orange blades. The very aether and souls extracted from those who fell or resisted. Any who stood to fight or run, all were cut down by these men of metal. All were innocent. Civilians. Noncombatants. A ruthlessness that shot through Kaz'alkorrah's heart like a spear."NO!"He didnt hesitate. With a leap that broke the bricks of the road upon which he stood he threw himself into combat. His hands gripped the shaft of a halberd that glowed the same color of his wings. With a single twist he bisected a man of steel before impaling it's head on the pike end above the axe head."Not again!"In a blur of white and gold he shot to another of the attacking machine and took its head, swinging the entire machine over his own head and slamming it into the bricks. The rubble kicked into the air by the force of the impact hadnt even come clattering back down before his eyes shot to a line of the thing he had just buried into the earth."These are innocents... Civilians... Man or machine, I will rend you down until the Aether itself cries for mercy!"The instant he saw the purple visored invaders move to raise their weapons, Kaz'alkorrah was a blur once more. A torrent of blows annihilated the formation of would be attackers. Twin streaks of red serving as the only sign that there was motion in the haze of white light.His wings traveled across the city, helping his people and those of Tural as best he could. But even the best of the Angel of Shiloh was not enough to save everyone. In his laps of the city Kaz'alkorrah encountered a fellow viera fighting a monster of a machine clad in the same colors as the other machines he had been dismantling across the city. Sophie was her name and it was with a gust of wind that he flew his new compatriot to the Eorzean Embassy turned impromptu hospital. There they discussed a plan to gather more information on the threat facing Tuliyolal and Tural as a whole.

A Dip Back Into those Waters.It wasnt long after the foray by Kaz'alkorrah and Sophie to gain intel had ended that a plan was forged by the Lord of White and Gold. Kaz'alkorrah would take his 2nd Host to the bridge connecting Xak Tural to Tuliyolal and hold the far end. The fabled 1st Host would remain in Tuliyolal proper to defend against any further attacks.The men and women of House Solholt's 2nd Host, the Shield Breakers, stood alongside their lord as an army of what had come to be known as Vanguard forces made landfall a mere 300 fulms from their position.Conflict was immediate and brutal. Steel meeting steel. Limbs breaking. Bone snapping. Just like at Shiloh Field Kaz'alkorrah would single out the Vanguard leader. In their initial clash the white and purple Hyur would be disarmed by Kaz'alkorrah's masterful dueling skills."Pick up the sword..."Kaz'alkorrah stood with the deactivated short-sword at his feet, gazing down at the enemy commander before kicking it across to his foe."I will have your head for such disresp-""I will mount your head on a pike for your mother to see as I parade through your home..." said the Lord of House Solholt, his eyes fading to an eerie purple as interrupted the enemy commander. His booming voice of command filling the air and drowning out the din of battle around them."Pick up the sword!"The foe slumped to the ground, spilling their very essence from their throat while making soft gurgling noises. Those wings turned about to face the High Marshal of the Shield Breakers when the Angel froze. Over his shoulder he saw the enemy commander rise with his blade drawn. Kaz'alkorrah new immediately that some trickery with the enemy commander's aether was in play. What trickery it was he did not know. What Kaz'alkorrah did know is that he had severed every major artery in that man's throat and he should be a meal for the desert in hours. Yet here he stood, defiant with glowing orange blade in hand."Killing me will not be so easy. I've plenty of souls to burn.""Blasphemy.. So be it. I'll kill you as many times as I have to.. and I will enjoy each. And. Every. One. NOW DIE!"

The Battle of Shiloh Field

It was a cold morning. The sun had barely started to rise. On one side of the fields stood the Garlean infantry, their black and red uniforms contrasting the white and yellow of House Solholt's 1st Host. But the other stark contrast that all eyes were upon was the figure above the Solholt lines. A single figure floated in the air on six wings of glowing radiance. The figure's siver armor and white robes flowed from its form with grace and elegance. In its right hand, the shaft of a scythe. Silver and gold trim traced its lines and shape.As the Garleans started to march, a voice echoed out that all heard, but not with their ears. The voice was male and echoed in their heads. It was almost ethereal and other worldly. "I know it was you, Imperials. I know it was you that sent the assassin to end me. Come! Let me kill you! A thousand times isnt enough!With those words heard in the very souls of all in attendance, the battle was on. The winged figure dropped to head level of his men and floated just above the ground, the shaft of the scythe in both hands. With a roar, the two lines met in a thunderous clash of metal and flesh.The battle raged for hours. Men and women fell on both sides but one duel had everyones attention. The winged figure and the legatus of the Imperial force. Between the strikes and scrapes a single shot had rung out. The wings of light had dipped and dimmed as the barrel of the Imperial's lance smoked. Mud and blood covered the shaft of the scythe that stood tall in the air. For a moment, the fighting seemed to slow as if to let all witness the outcome of the duel. The six wings started to fade, letting the individual feathers be seen. But just as the light seemed to fade entirely, the voice that had begun cried out again in the minds of all. "Insects!"At that instant, the wings flared back to their full brightness with a flash. "Did you think you could kill me!?" In a blur of silver and yellow, blood filled the air and two wet thumps were heard amid the battle. "I am Kaz'alkorrah, Lord Solholt Ascendant and none shall fell me! Fight! Take everything from them!" With that declaration, Kaz'alkorrah took to the skies again and started to carve a bloody swathe through the Imperial lines.It didnt take long for the Imperial infantry to start to retreat. "That's right! Run! I will hack and chop and cleave and sunder the filth of your forms! Never return to these lands!" Kaz'alkorrah let all hear. It was not long after that that the battle was over, a complete victory for House Solholt.