Ironsides Family/Bowie/Chapter Five

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Demon of Dwilight, Chapter Five: The Plague of Aquilegia

Service to Aquilegia

After the mystical journey from D'Hara through the desert and the mountains ended, the Demon of Dwilight landed in Aquilegia to meet an old acquaintance. He heard that Aquilegia was at war with Xinhai, the nest of Astromancy, and he wanted to join their military.

When he arrived in Aquilegia, since he was a rogue, he combated Sir Cyrus' infantry in a skirmish in Tranquil. The Black Army was victorious, but only by accident. Once the Demon Prince became a knight of Tranquil his army immediately joined in combat against monsters in Turbul. The men were anxious to fight after their long and uneventful march.

"Keeper of Lore"

Also, the Demon of Dwilight found the Aquilegion guildhouse of the Keepers of Lore and saw great promise, he joined immediately. His wide travels have given him a whole collection of stories and fables and it is only a matter of time and effort for him to sort them all and contribute to the "Loreians."

It took him a while to find the right one, but the Prince's first submission to the Keepers of Lore was a tale he learned while traveling through the Desert of Silhouettes, a region he has come to love, called the Merchant of Sand. It earned him a promotion in the guild. He is very proud and looking forward to submitting the next tale, once he finds it.

It was also around this time when Bowie joined a society.

In a correspondence with fellow Dean Pierre Von Genf, the Demon Prince confessed the truth of his deep and unflinching prejudice against Astromancy. The confession has been snipped out from the rest of the letter and placed here.

Bowie remembered another tale which he heard on his mystical journey, this one from the West Divide. It was called the Air is Warmer on the Other Mountian. A favourite of parents and elders trying to teach restless youth.

Finding the next tale was not too difficult for the Demon Prince, but recording it properly was. Instead of writing a short capsule to contain the story he wished to share, Lord Bowie decided to give it the full treatment and turn it into a novel. The next piece of lore he submitted was the epic Sir Balanss of Ramea. It was the tale of a tragic hero who gained immortality at a diabolical premium. This novel earned him a full rank in the guild.

A short time after the novel, Bowie submitted another tale he learned about the Desert of Silhouettes. This one was called Faced with the Desert. He finds that the tales he remembers best come from the desert.

Astromancy at War! Series

Lord Bowie joined Aquilegia to both participate in the war against Xinhai and to chronicle what he thought would become a momentous clash. At the moment, the action is slow, but he has finally decided on the next historical project he will pursue. This one he calls the "Astromancy at War!" series. The first analysis he titled "Aquilegia versus Xinhai: The Flow Peninsula Theatre," which he published in the Winter of 8 YD and which outlines the cause for war between Aquilegia and Xinhai.

The second item in the "Astromancy at War!" series was titled "Allies versus Xinhai: the Conflict Escalates," published in the Spring of 8 YD. This article details the reasons why the Libero Empire, and the ignored Raivanlands, entered the war against Xinhai.

The series was continued as Dean Bowie accounted for the "Battle of Bohai', a significant event in the early stages of the war. The next day he published his contrast between Royal Marshal Sejieda Vita and Lord Polemarch Bustoarsenzio Peristaltico in an article titled, "The Finest Men, the Best Contest."

Following this contrast, another major battle led to the article "Battle of Croton."

Viscount of Ashrak

After persistent letters to Emperor Faolin on advancement in the realm, Bowie was selected to be the Lord of Ashrak after its takeover from Xinhai. His prior experience as Count of Qubel will prove him well, and he is determined to exceed all expectations. Ashrak shall shine bright under his lordship despite its position on the frontlines.

At this time he also published his "First Impressions" on the entrance of Astrum into the great war of the north under the article "Allies versus Allies: Astrum Enters the Fray" in his "Astromancy at War!" series. A week later he finally posted his article on the great battles that occurred in Aegir's Deep in what he called the "Onslaught of Aegir's Deep" and then a small record of the recent successful offensive campaign of Aquilegia into Xinhai. This article was published as "Aquilegia Attacks."

"Educator of Ashrak"

Early in the Summer of 9 YD, after progressing the culture of Ashrak, Viscount Bowie took the opportunity to build a Dwilight University campus in the region. He proclaimed it would rival the splendor of the main campus in Springdale City and he announced that it would contain the largest collection of books ever gathered in Dwilight. This collection he would be stored in the Ashrak Library.

The Dean of History then actualized a dream he had for the University, that of a creative writing journal for the Department of Literature (later named Department of Arts). He set up the journal called "The Illiterati," and started a fiction contest. The winner would be awarded the position of Dean of Literature. Being an avid writer himself, he published his first short story in the journal, "Pastimes off Stage". He is not competing in the contest.

When the Treaty of Stratford closed the Libero Front in the war, Lord Bowie was taken by surprise. In an equally surprising move, but this time to his high approval, the Libero Empire shortly after declared war on the Raivanlands. These events he recorded in his article "The Treaty of Stratford Closes the Libero Front," in the Astromancy at War! series.

The Plague of Aquilegia

In the Summer of 9 YD, a swift and terrible plague hit Aquilegia and killed the majority of Lords, the Duchess, the Cleric and worst of all the Emperor. With only four nobles left, the Aquilegions scrambled to regain order. At first, Viscount Bowie stepped up to act Emperor until the elections ended, but it was disapproved of because he was unaffiliated with Astromancy. Then, Ambassador and Tithe Overseer Maximus Westfall took the reins and was elected Emperor of Aquilegia.

Holy Minister of War (formerly Overlord of Aquilegia)

Due to the high mortality rate of the plague, most of the government positions became vacant. Viscount Bowie ran in a heated campaign for Emperor, but lost by one supporter against Tithe Overseer Maximus. He did manage to be elected Overlord of Aquilegia, an ironic title for him to receive since he considers himself the Overlord of Dwilight anyway. The main issue against his campaign for Emperor was the fact that he was not an Astromancer and that Aquilegia was a Theocracy. Shortly after the elections, the titulars changed and Overlord was retitled as Holy Minister of War. When asked about it, Lord Bowie shrugs. He would not say he was "holy" in any way but is amused to be referred to as such.

Cardinal of Finances and Sponsor of the Viper Legion of Aquilegia

Unopposed, Lord Bowie won the election for banker of Aquilegia.

Since the plague, his efforts to recover the realm have been spent on forming the military arm of the realm. He sponsored the realm's new army, the Viper Legion of Aquilegia, and began scouting for strong leaders to join his military core.