Continuity/Siege of Holtburg and Founding of Rithwic

There are some inconsistencies related to the seige of Holtburg, the rescue by Celcynd, and the founding of Rithwic.

Holtburg

Holtburg was founded in 2 PY In 6 PY, Tumeroks besieged the town. Most of the population retreated to the Holtburg Redoubt, where they were slain by the Tumeroks. The children were rescued by the mage Celcynd. The children escaped through a summoned portal to Rithwic.

Children known to have been saved are:

• Flinrala Ryndmad
• Hardunna
• Worcer

Adults known to have been killed are:

• Brogord the Forester, father of Flinrala Ryndmad.
• Mother of Worcer.
• Father of Worcer.

Adults assumed to have been killed are:

• Ryndya, mother of Flinrala Ryndmad.
• Roland, father of Hardunna.
• Hope, mother of Hardunna.

Some sources say all the adults were killed. Other sources say many (but not all) of the adults were killed, or imply that some of the adults survived.

The age of the children is also somewhat unclear. Flinrala Ryndmad once said that, when her father was killed, she was just a babe in swaddling. Flinrala also said that her father was going to make her an axe of her own, as soon as she was big enough to hold one. Worcer and Hardunna referred to themselves as a "boy" and a "girl" at the time of the attacks.

Celcynd

Celcynd stated that, when he was younger, he found adventure in the area around Rithwic.

At some point, Celcynd and Brentsella were romantically involved. At some point, the two of them visited Mount Esper. Their relationship ended at some point, with Brentsella leaving an unsent letter behind in the Old Warehouse. In the letter, she encouraged Celcynd to pursue thinngs with Mindorla. It would appear that Celcynd did, but prior to 10 PY, Celcynd and Mindorla also ended their relationship, and by 10 PY, Mindorla was looking to reconcile.

Some years prior to 10 PY, Harlune lived in Arwic. Before he was known as Harlune the Misanthrope, he was Harlune of Arwic. Harlune was a famous mage, and many young mages came to hime seeking apprenticeship. The only pupil he took on was Celcynd.

Celcynd was the first Isparian to master Empyrean planar magic. Celcynd mastered planar magic after becoming Harlune's apprentice, but it is unclear if he learned planar magic during his apprenticeship, possibly with the help of Harlune, or after his apprenticeship. What is known is that he scibed these planar spells for Harlune, but Harlune considered them to be more trouble than they were worth, and he locked them away. Harlune later moved to the Mite Maze, to avoid any more would-be apprentices.

Harlune once referred to Celcynd as "the planar mage from Rithwic," and that he had borrowed one of his history books a few years back from 10 PY. Harlune also stated that Celcynd was once the greatest of his generation.

Wylreda, the scribe of Rithwic, described Celcynd as "Celcynd the Dour, mage of Rithwic," in her text Of Celcynd the Dour written circa 10 PY.

Tazal al-Ashfai, a planar mage near Al-Jalima, called Celcynd his old colleague.

Hendac the Watcher wrote in The Golems: Chiseled Forms (AKA The Sleepless Stones) that Celcynd once told him that he managed to swim to the island off the coast of Eastham, and there he found a castle in the same style as Neydisa, guarded by Diamond Golems. Hendac wasn't certain on the truth of this tale, as Celcynd was inebriated at the time.

When Holtburg was under seige in 6 PY, Celcynd was present. He used the planar magic he had mastered to summon a portal to save the children. But, when he tried to summon a second portal to save the adults, he was unable to, not having enough mana to cast the spell again. This failure to save the adults is what led Celcynd to become a drunkard. Even the love of Brentsella was not enough to bring him out of his guilt for long.

Rithwic

Rithwic was settled in 7 PY. It was originally a small stonemason's hamlet.

Brentsella and others used to live in the Old Warehouse. It is implied that Celcynd may have lived there as well.

Some time between Leafcull, 10 PY and Leafcull, 9 PY the second settlement of East Rithwic was built on the other side of the river. The bridge, named Prosper Span, connects Rithwic and East Rithwic. It was built from the stones that, in more dangerous times, were Rithwic's fortifications.

Analysis

Holtburg

Holtburg's founding in 2 PY has no conflicts with other information, and makes sense in the larger picture, as Aluvians didn't settle outside of the Underground City until 0 PY, after the defeat of the Olthoi Queen.

Likewise, the seige of Holtburg occurring in 6 PY does not have any direct conflicts. We have multiple sources from release giving it that date, and it was reiterated later in The History of Auberean. The only potential conflict is that this was supposed to take place in the era before lifestones, so the deaths were permanent. But that is a topic for another article.

Our first conflict is with the death total. The historical marker states that the people of Holtburg were slaughtered in the redoubt, and only the children were spared. Hardunna's retired dialog also stated that all of the adults died in the redoubt. The text Of Celcynd the Dour also states the adults were unable to be saved.

However, the text Directions to the Holtburg Redoubt states that most of the population retreated into the redoubt, implying that some chose to hide elsewhere or flee. In the text A Crabbed Note, Harlune writes to Celcynd that he has heard the people of Holtburg praising Celcynd for saving their children. This again implies that some adults survived. And later on in The History of Auberean it states that many adults died, again implying some survived.

Finally, we have conflicts with the children themselves. Flinrala describes herself in 6 PY as an infant, and again describes herself as not big enough to wield an axe. Worcer calls himself a boy, Hardunna calls herself a girl, and in general, the survivors are referred to multiple times as children. The issue with this is that these are descriptions of these characters in 6 PY, and the game starts in 10 PY. When players were first able to interact with these NPCs, they have the appearance of adults, and their dialog does not indicate that they are still children.

Celcynd

Celcynd's history is a complicated one.

It is clear that, since he saved the children of Holtburg with planar magic, that his mastery of planar magic occurred prior to the siege of Holtburg in 6 PY. This would also mean his apprenticeship with Harlune occurred prior to 6 PY.

It also seems clear that after the events of Holtburg, Celcynd's glory days were behind him. While it is possible that he did not immediately fall into drunkenness from the guilt, we have no solid evidence that any of the events in his life took place after Holtburg.

If that is the case, then Celcynd and Tazal would have been colleagues prior to 6 PY. It would also place his younger day of adventure around the area of Rithwic before 6 PY.