Common Designation: Last Advocate

  Type: Bestial (CD)

  Aggression Level: High, territorial

  Past Grievances: Abandonment, Faith, Duty

  Faith and belief are powerful forces that can motivate men to incredible feats beyond their strength. However, it can also be transformed into twisted versions that can no longer differentiate between passion and madness. Such is the case with the Last Advocate, and the false realities they enshroud themselves within.

  In the days before the names of the Four were revealed to us, they were not inactive, and their works were witnessed across all of Meios. As a result of this, numerous small, proto-religions appeared everywhere, each worshiping an individual aspect of one of the Four. Once the First Calling was sounded, and the truth of the gods revealed, these glimpses-turned-deities and their places of worship were abandoned and forgotten. But not by all. Certain rare individuals of extreme faith were able to reject the verdicts of their Choruses, instead returning to the mortal world as a rare type of Unrepentant known as ‘Conscious Defiers’. This designation is marked by a notably increased level of intelligence, with individuals maintaining hollowed versions of their memories, personality, as well as the ability to speak. While Last Advocates spawn mainly from priests desperate to uphold fading religions, a number of other causes have been recorded throughout history. These include military leaders who refuse to give in, loyal retainers of fallen dynasties, and scholars of subjects that are no longer taught.

  Returning to a place deeply important to them, the Advocate quickly designates the area as its territory. Examples of these places include religious sites, fortifications, royal residences, and other professional institutions that have been taken over or fallen into disuse. Once established, the Advocate will confront any who enter, often believing them to be willing converts or students, while attacking and killing any who would deny or refuse them. Strangely, despite their aggression, Advocates are surprisingly protective and caring of the bodies they gather to form their ‘flock’. They will go to great measure to maintain and preserve them, almost seeming to bend time itself in their efforts to keep them intact.

  Last Advocates take the form of an immense spider, augmented by a secondary torso supporting two pairs of arms. These arms end in long, blade-like appendages with no hands to speak of. However, Advocates have been seen to exhibit great dexterity as they manipulate the bodies they gather. It is also noted that their rudimentary ability to puppet the facial features of their chosen bodies, without direct contact, has not yet been understood and remains a mystery.

  The territory of a Last Advocate also sees unexplained changes once established. Survivors and other witnesses have reported strange sensations upon entering the affected area. Most notable of which being an invisible psychic barrier that prevents the living from escaping, though the Advocate may choose to lift it should they be persuaded to do so. It is theorised that this power comes from their intense faith, and their desperation to preserve their flocks. While no Last Advocates have ever been killed through combat, and appear to resist the power of Sirrithae’s Lifeflame, these Unrepentant can be banished through the utter destruction of their territories.

  Notable Event: The Last Soldier of Kanaliss

  When the Empire of the Fourth Calling began its campaign of expansion, one of the first countries to be attacked was the small, coastal nation of Kanaliss. The military government of Kanaliss had long suspected that their little hegemony would one day come under attack, and had taken several steps to fortify their landward border. Inevitably, the armies of the empire did indeed besiege the country, and only after sustaining several times their predicted casualties were they able to breach the network of forts along the border. At the far western edge of Kanaliss, the coastal garrison of Fort Jabell was mostly ignored by the occupying forces, and was even completely forgotten about. This led to a strange situation where the fort’s soldiers, driven by fear and fervour, never surrendered and still believed themselves to be at war years after the nation had ceased to be. Eventually, the troops were persuaded to stand down and be reintegrated into society. However, the commander of the fort refused, choosing instead to take his own life rather than admit defeat.

  Months later, a team of junior scholars visited Fort Jabell in order to research the lives of those stationed there, but they never returned. When their tutor and the rest of his students arrived to find out what had happened, they saw them standing to attention on the battlements wearing pieces of mismatched armour and holding rusted weaponry. The tutor marched alone into the fort to demand they return with him, but was never seen again. The remaining students fled after one of the missing scholars challenged them in a voice that was not their own. The imperial governor of the region deemed that the cost of destroying the fort would be too high, as such the order was given to cordon off the area to prevent more people from losing their lives. As I write this entry, Fort Jabell still stands, and is currently occupied by an estimated fourteen unbreathing sentries along with the Unrepentant itself.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “As you can see, you’re all very lucky that you made it out of there in one piece.” There was sharp thud as the leather-bound copy of the Manual of Unnatural Beings was snapped shut.

  Lucille Auserre, looking resplendent in the green hues of her family colours, raised an eyebrow at the gathered squad as she gently placed the tome back on the briefing room table in Osprey Hall. Standing next to her, Oliver seemed caught between love-struck pride at his fiancé’s ability, and the embarrassment of watching his secret, elite force being dressed down in such a manner.

  “It is common knowledge taught to children that you do not enter structures abandoned in the wilderness, no matter how broken down they appear. I had assumed you would know this, but it would appear that this was another fact that your teachers had neglected to inform you of. I’m honestly not sure what to do with you sometimes.” The young lord dragged the palms of his hands across his face dramatically.

  “We tried our best not to enter the ruins,” Alter began defensively. “But when we determined that the enemy had not emerged at any point, we had to follow him in. Also, if it’s common knowledge then why did he run in there in the first place?”

  “I think that if I were being hunted down by you lot, I wouldn’t be thinking particularly straight. I’m sure the man was scared out of his mind, you’re beginning to gather a reputation for your … efficiency, after all.” Oliver conceded with a shrug before turning to Whim and Vangroover. “What about the other man that fled on foot?”

  “It was quite the chase, but we caught him in the end.” Whim reported with a winning smile.

  “He’d tried to climb a tree once he realised he couldn’t outpace us. Unfortunately, he wasn’t exactly camouflaged, so we spotted him straight away.” Vangroover further explained.

  “I see, and he’s stuck in the doctor’s wing because?” Lucille prodded.

  “He refused to comply with our order to climb back down, so we had to get a little more persuasive.” Whim’s smile crept upwards at the corners, a hint of sadism slipping through the triumph.

  “He’s got a bullet wound in his right calf, and a broken ankle from the subsequent fall. It’s nothing particularly life threatening.” Boozehound concluded.

  “Alright. So, one of the men stumbles into a Last Advocate, and the other gets captured after suffering multiple injuries. What else happened, if anything?”

  “Honestly, very little.” Alter took over the narrative at that point. “We reconvened at the camp we’d made in the woods nearby, packed it all up, loaded the captives onto the horses and then came straight back. Other than a few odd looks as we entered Jestriff, we didn’t attract much attention on our return. The captives were given straight to the Houseguard, then we informed you of our arrival.”

  “What of the other men you engaged with? The casualties of the fighting. Did you just leave them scattered across the countryside for the farmers to deal with?” Lucille asked.

  The squad shifted awkwardly under her intense scrutiny, with no man wanting to give a response. After five seconds of awkward silence, the lady sighed before picking up and opening the manual once more.

  “Let’s just move on. I read your report about your encounter with Lord Bertrand in the temple of Kalaton, paying specific attention to the part where you mentioned the possibility of an Unrepentant attached to him. From the description you provided, I believe I have narrowed it down to a couple of options. Although, I strongly suspect it’s this one here.” She flicked through the tome until she reached a page she had marked, before setting the open book down on the table and turning it towards them.

  Alter leaned forward to see the name at the top of the page. “A Lingering?” He asked.

  Oliver nodded. “It would certainly explain the change in my uncle’s behaviour. The man was always ambitious, but he’d never go anywhere near lengths such as these, especially not against his own blood.”

  “So, if we can detach this Lingering from him, he should return to normal?” Riptide asked as he scanned the paragraphs of text.

  “I believe so, or at least he’ll be himself enough to listen to reason.” Oliver nodded. “Exposure to the green flames of Sirrithae should do the job. The trick will be getting a strong enough priest close to him in order to conduct the banishment.”

  “That’s simple.” Boats snorted enough. “We know where the man is staying, right? We break the door down, pin him to the floor, and let the robes do their work. Job done.”

  Oliver chuckled dryly and shook his head. “To do so would be breaking the second pillar, a direct assault on my fellow nobleman would bring calamity. We’ll have to be more subtle.”

  “A trap?” Alter suggested.

  “Exactly, and I know just the bait to lay it with. It just so happens that I have some soldiers under my command that my uncle would love to steal from beneath me.”