The Specter of the South Wall

When Arif was under the control of the The Bastard Ferals, a vengeful being emerged in the night to wreak its vengeance two nights before the Liberators' assault. Feral guards patrolling the south-most wall of the city perimeter were struck dead where they stood with nary a sound nor proof of a killer. The Specter was thus born into infamy, cutting down the city's usurpers over the course of two nights. After the first night, the bodies of 14 Ferals were found scattered along the length of the Arif's southernmost wall. One of them was impaled atop of the palisade wall below the southwest tower as if thrown from his post. Another, guarding that same southwest tower, was found standing with spears thrust up his trousers and tunic to prop him up; a macabre visage displaying the only means by which the Specter will leave you standing. Near several others was one word, painted in the blood of the dead: "RUN". The second night, on the eve of the assault, the south wall was double-manned. Nonetheless, another 18 dead were attributed to the Specter with no evidence of an attacker beyond the wounds it inflicted and the blood-scrawled "RUN" on the south wall's stones. Nobody has yet discovered who or what the Specter was.

Many covert actions were taken by allies of the Liberators leading up to the assault on Arif in 328AE. The timing leads some people to believe that this event was among those plans, but historians agree that none of the other preparatory covert operations were violent or intrusive which leads many to say this phenomenon is likely unrelated.

The legend survives because fear of the Specter immediately spread through enemy ranks. Their terror was expressed before captured Arifans and other slaves, who retained the story as one of justice and liberation even after the city was liberated. It has been spread through the northern Fringe as part of Arifsaga .

The main legend remains consistent, but a few contested additions can be found. Some tell that the Specter delved into the Arifan mines and killed several guards but this is not a widely accepted position. The nature of the Specter itself is widely speculated. Some say it's a humanoid, others a vengeful spirit. These are the most common theories but some still claim the Specter is some kind of ghost, demon, fey, celestial, or predatory beast.

Throughout the Fringe the Specter of the South Wall has quickly grown into a mystical figure that represents righteous vengeance. It is something that inspires hope to the oppressed. However, the legend has recently taken on a second face of a more somber nature. Some now recant the tale or name as form of threat, curse, or other ill-omen. Parents and siblings can occasionally be heard speaking of the Specter as some form of nighttime boogeyman who will come for ornery children while they sleep. There have yet been no imposters known to try acting under the Specter's name. It seems any aspirants ultimately fear that the real Specter would find them out and regard them with the same contempt it showed the Bastard Ferals.

The story of the Specter was spread beyond the Fringe as the first section of the epic Arifsaga skaldic poem. It has made no other noteworthy appearances in art or literature.