Legend of the Black Mercenary

 "As smoke and soot drifted through the air like snow, a single figure stood. His clothes were as black as the ash around him, and his face was lost beneath his hood."

The legend of the Black Mercenary dates back to Year 758, specifically the day Nelltherian troops cut down a tenth of Ibatrea's population for surrendering to them. On that day, Nelltherian troops rounded up roughly 10,000 Ibatrean's, and had them gather in the isolated mining town of Sanlow, near the Ibatrea-Rhoditrus border.

Once the populace were gathered, the Nelltherians began bombarding the town with flaming catapult volleys, igniting many of the buildings. The people screamed and tried to flee the town, but they were prevented from leaving by soldiers surrounding the town, forcing them to stay in the blazing mess. Without a means of leaving, the citizens fled into the mines, hoping it would be deep enough to protect them from the catapult fire. Alas, their hopes were in vain, for this was a coal mine, and the Nelltherians new that. As the town burned, soldiers marched through, cutting down anyone in the streets, before reaching the mine and dumping barrel after barrel of oil into the mine and lighting it. The people inside were engulfed in flames, and the coal veins were ignited along with them.

The Nelltherians, satisfied they had killed everyone in the town, proceeded to salt every inch of land within two miles of the town. They packed up their gear and made camp several miles further out, just as the sun set. What they failed to realize is that there was a sole survivor from Sanlow. The lone figure strode out from one of the burnt out buildings, clad in armor and a hood that covered his face. After silently mourning his fallen kinsmen, he marched to the Nelltherian camp, discreetly butchering them in their sleep.

When the sun rose, only one Nelltherian remained alive, and he awoke to a horrid sight. All around him, his comrades laid dead, blood splattered everywhere, the catapults dismantled, and the horses gone. Written in blood on one of the tents was the following words: "Beware the Black Mercenary, the vengeful spirit of Sanlow". The soldier, terrified by the slaughter around him, fled on foot to the nearest town, a run of one and one half days. When he arrived, he recounted everything that had happened. Soon, the legend of the Black Mercenary became widely known. Even today, there are still sightings of the Black Mercenary, typically in Ibatrea, but also in Etria and Rhoditrus.