Arc of Halail, Day 1 LA 99
The blood red light of the setting sun does little to ease the spirit of Caft’s inhabitants. Once proud, mighty warriors, the Dorns of Caft are a broken lot, backs bowed by the physical toil of working in the fields and spirits crushed by the oppressive Shadow. These once mighty men speak little as they return to their families after a long day in the green fields that cover the broad valley in which Caft lies. Many in the southern realms would find Caft a blessing with its rich soil, abundant cattle, tall corn and thick wheat. With the shallow, rocky river that the small stone village of Caft huddles around, the cool pine and oak forest in the northeastern end of the valley, and no orc garrison, Caft seems a small idyllic sanctuary in a world of Shadow. But the men and women of Caft know what is coming.
In a month the taskmaster orcs and their legate masters will return with wagons to reap Caft’s bounty and brutalize its citizens, leaving Caft’s inhabitants with meager leftovers for a harsh northern winter. The war machine of Izrador, the Shadow in the North, rolls on in the south against Dwarves, Elves, and those men foolish enough to stand against it. It is hungry, insatiable. It must be fed. Fed with the tears, blood, and sweat of Caft’s residents. The men and women of Caft know what is coming. Surrounded by such bounty, they will see little of it. They will starve again this winter. And only the strong will survive.
Brian Brou (played by Ranger Rick)
Perth’s wife had not even smiled at Brian today when she gave him his food, food in return for breaking his back in Perth’s fields. Potatoes and bread. Again.
Brian relaxed under a tall pine near Perth’s small stone home and wooden barn, the red light of the failing sun falling across his dirty hands and face, the warm day cooling rapidly. He stretched his aching legs and set the heavy clay plate on his lap. Brian was an Outlander. He could understand their suspicion. In these dark times, even good friends might lie to the legates, the priests of the one god – the dark god – Izrador, to curry their favor in return for food to feed families. What could he expect being an outsider? Still, it was not pleasant to be alone and shunned, surrounded by people in this small village. People ignoring your existence unless work was required in the fields. Brian could feel his temper rising, a temper kept in check only through strong discipline. It was time to leave Caft. He had had enough.
At that moment, Brian noticed Perth running down the valley’s broad slope toward town. Obviously coming back from his fields, Perth seemed to be running madly, dust thrown up by his wildly flailing legs. Something sure had Perth in a fluster. Perth barely slowed to throw open the door to the Plough and Stars Inn in town, a couple-hundred yards from where Brian sat. Strange. What was that all about?
Then Brian heard it. A sound he had not heard for months. Heavy, booted feet, marching on the upper rim of the valley. Getting louder. Brian’s stomach sank. They were not due for another month. This couldn’t be happening. The villagers had been promised they would only come at harvest.
Orcs were coming. And they were not coming to harvest Caft’s crops.
Starhl Ikehal (Played by Krug)
Starhl wiped his bloody, greasy hands on his worn, leather breeches. Looking up at the massive stag that hung by a thick rope from a large oak, Starhl could not but help feel remorse. Game was getting harder to find in the North. Orcs were always hungry and they had little regard for limited natural resources. And then there were the fell tales of Shadowspawn ranging the ancient Dornish homelands, hunting both man and orc. There were worse things than orcs in the cold regions of the North.
Starhl scratched his thick beard and peered into town. Stag meat and hides were always welcome bartering items and they ensured Starhl a constant supply of ale from the local inn. The farmers had already descended from their fields for evening supper, their minds and backs overwhelmed by the demands of the Shadow. They rarely talked to him, an Outlander living in the forest outside of town. Starhl’s tiny stone and log hut stood only a few yards in the forest from Caft’s eastern edge, but physical distance meant little compared to the wide gulf of mistrust that they harbored for the huge Dorn. The people of Caft and Starhl shared the same heritage, but the Shadow had driven a spike of suspicion and mistrust between the two, ensuring the barbarian’s isolation. Would anyone ever trust Starhl? Starhl shrugged, picked up his dagger, and turned to the task of butchering the stag.
A sudden feeling of dread descended over the large Dorn. He felt before he heard the tramp of heavy, booted feet marching on the western rim of Caft’s valley. Shielding his eyes from the red rays of the setting sun, Strahl spied a cloud of dust rising in the air. Orcs. Many orcs. And they would be here soon. These warriors were not coming for Caft’s bounty. Blood would run tonight.
Kaela (played by Bobitron)
“Kaela! Come on! COME ON!” A young child, its dirty face and hands and long hair making it impossible to tell if it was a boy or girl, pulled furiously on Kaela’s small, sun-browned hand. “I’ve got to show you this! I’ve been waiting all day!” Kaela smiled despite her fatigue. She had just finished ranging the slopes for herbs and all she wanted to do was rest. The young child continued to smile and laugh, pulling Kaela toward the small, shallow river. Kaela was popular among the children of Caft. The fact that the adults let their children play with Kaela was testament to her acceptance in Caft, an acceptance that few Outsiders could hope to match.
“Look!” The child beamed up at Kaela and pointed at a small pocket in the river’s bank shaded by a tall pine. Smooth river stones had been piled to form a small enclosure. Within, a small trout balanced in the current, its green and gray sides flashing in the sun’s dying light. The child squatted down and nudged the trout with its finger, receiving a splash of water in return. The child looked up at Kaela and smiled proudly.
Many of the children in town Kaela had nursed back to health after a fever tore through Caft last spring. Kaela had been regarded as a savior. Her skills with healing and herbs were enough to barter food and clothing from the townsfolk. She was even given her own small stone home, although exceptionally small.
The children seemed drawn to her gentle smile and good nature. In this world of Shadow, she was a light that gave them strength. Kaela never told them that their presence, their infectious laughter made her strong, made it possible to go on. What would she ever do if she lost them? And then there was Her. The villagers had given Her into Kaela’s care. She was special, there was no doubt of that, but could her stories be true?
Kaela’s thoughts were interrupted by a hoarse shout from the valley’s western rim. Massive, dark figures in blackened armor were descending the valley’s slope. Orcs! How could this be? Kaela noticed the farmer Perth fleeing into the Plough and Stars. “Kaela?” The young child held onto Kaela’s hand, its voice filled with fear and uncertainty at the sight of the warriors of Shadow descending the valley. It was not harvest time. Had they come for Kaela? Or had they come for Her?
Reznik (played by Elapse)
The Plough and Stars Inn was cool and shaded, its masonry walls offering a nice respite from a warm day working in the sun. Days like this were rare, the sun usually hidden by haze or the dark clouds of the Shadow’s will. Reznik wiped the ale from his lips and sat glowering, staring absently into his clay mug. Nearby sat several of Caft’s men, farmers returned from their fields, huddled around small tables discussing the day’s events.
The men sitting nearby kept their voices low and occasionally shot Reznik dark glances. Reznik knew why. He was an Outlander and not one to be trusted. Reznik’s scars of Shadow and gravelly voice were also a reminder of the cruelty the Shadow’s minions could inflict. Best to keep the Outlander at a distance than invite him into their confidence lest he betray them to Izrador’s legates.
If those fools only knew that Reznik was here to fight the Shadow. Then again, if they did know, they might drive him out of town for fear of him attracting orcs or worse. Still, Reznik did not even know why he had been sent here from Port Esben on the Pelluria months ago. The insurgents never told him anything other than he would be contacted. But who would contact him? These farmers? Bah. There was no one else in town that seemed to have the will to fight the Shadow. Except for maybe the large Dorn that lived in the forest to the east, but he had had plenty of time to communicate with Reznik since his arrival. Most likely, the informant had been apprehended somewhere in the North before he made it to Caft. If that was the case, it might be best to leave Caft now since torture would most likely loosen the informant’s tongue and Reznik’s position would be compromised.
Reznik’s dark thoughts were interrupted as the wooden door swung open and slammed into the stone wall. Breathless from exertion, the farmer known as Perth stood in the doorway, his eyes wide with fear. Shutting the door quickly Perth cries, “Orcs! To the west. A war band, just a few minutes behind me.” Chairs are knocked over and fearful looks are exchanged as the men stand up. Perth swallows hard. “And they have a legate with them.”
The blood red light of the setting sun does little to ease the spirit of Caft’s inhabitants. Once proud, mighty warriors, the Dorns of Caft are a broken lot, backs bowed by the physical toil of working in the fields and spirits crushed by the oppressive Shadow. These once mighty men speak little as they return to their families after a long day in the green fields that cover the broad valley in which Caft lies. Many in the southern realms would find Caft a blessing with its rich soil, abundant cattle, tall corn and thick wheat. With the shallow, rocky river that the small stone village of Caft huddles around, the cool pine and oak forest in the northeastern end of the valley, and no orc garrison, Caft seems a small idyllic sanctuary in a world of Shadow. But the men and women of Caft know what is coming.
In a month the taskmaster orcs and their legate masters will return with wagons to reap Caft’s bounty and brutalize its citizens, leaving Caft’s inhabitants with meager leftovers for a harsh northern winter. The war machine of Izrador, the Shadow in the North, rolls on in the south against Dwarves, Elves, and those men foolish enough to stand against it. It is hungry, insatiable. It must be fed. Fed with the tears, blood, and sweat of Caft’s residents. The men and women of Caft know what is coming. Surrounded by such bounty, they will see little of it. They will starve again this winter. And only the strong will survive.
Brian Brou (played by Ranger Rick)
Perth’s wife had not even smiled at Brian today when she gave him his food, food in return for breaking his back in Perth’s fields. Potatoes and bread. Again.
Brian relaxed under a tall pine near Perth’s small stone home and wooden barn, the red light of the failing sun falling across his dirty hands and face, the warm day cooling rapidly. He stretched his aching legs and set the heavy clay plate on his lap. Brian was an Outlander. He could understand their suspicion. In these dark times, even good friends might lie to the legates, the priests of the one god – the dark god – Izrador, to curry their favor in return for food to feed families. What could he expect being an outsider? Still, it was not pleasant to be alone and shunned, surrounded by people in this small village. People ignoring your existence unless work was required in the fields. Brian could feel his temper rising, a temper kept in check only through strong discipline. It was time to leave Caft. He had had enough.
At that moment, Brian noticed Perth running down the valley’s broad slope toward town. Obviously coming back from his fields, Perth seemed to be running madly, dust thrown up by his wildly flailing legs. Something sure had Perth in a fluster. Perth barely slowed to throw open the door to the Plough and Stars Inn in town, a couple-hundred yards from where Brian sat. Strange. What was that all about?
Then Brian heard it. A sound he had not heard for months. Heavy, booted feet, marching on the upper rim of the valley. Getting louder. Brian’s stomach sank. They were not due for another month. This couldn’t be happening. The villagers had been promised they would only come at harvest.
Orcs were coming. And they were not coming to harvest Caft’s crops.
Starhl Ikehal (Played by Krug)
Starhl wiped his bloody, greasy hands on his worn, leather breeches. Looking up at the massive stag that hung by a thick rope from a large oak, Starhl could not but help feel remorse. Game was getting harder to find in the North. Orcs were always hungry and they had little regard for limited natural resources. And then there were the fell tales of Shadowspawn ranging the ancient Dornish homelands, hunting both man and orc. There were worse things than orcs in the cold regions of the North.
Starhl scratched his thick beard and peered into town. Stag meat and hides were always welcome bartering items and they ensured Starhl a constant supply of ale from the local inn. The farmers had already descended from their fields for evening supper, their minds and backs overwhelmed by the demands of the Shadow. They rarely talked to him, an Outlander living in the forest outside of town. Starhl’s tiny stone and log hut stood only a few yards in the forest from Caft’s eastern edge, but physical distance meant little compared to the wide gulf of mistrust that they harbored for the huge Dorn. The people of Caft and Starhl shared the same heritage, but the Shadow had driven a spike of suspicion and mistrust between the two, ensuring the barbarian’s isolation. Would anyone ever trust Starhl? Starhl shrugged, picked up his dagger, and turned to the task of butchering the stag.
A sudden feeling of dread descended over the large Dorn. He felt before he heard the tramp of heavy, booted feet marching on the western rim of Caft’s valley. Shielding his eyes from the red rays of the setting sun, Strahl spied a cloud of dust rising in the air. Orcs. Many orcs. And they would be here soon. These warriors were not coming for Caft’s bounty. Blood would run tonight.
Kaela (played by Bobitron)
“Kaela! Come on! COME ON!” A young child, its dirty face and hands and long hair making it impossible to tell if it was a boy or girl, pulled furiously on Kaela’s small, sun-browned hand. “I’ve got to show you this! I’ve been waiting all day!” Kaela smiled despite her fatigue. She had just finished ranging the slopes for herbs and all she wanted to do was rest. The young child continued to smile and laugh, pulling Kaela toward the small, shallow river. Kaela was popular among the children of Caft. The fact that the adults let their children play with Kaela was testament to her acceptance in Caft, an acceptance that few Outsiders could hope to match.
“Look!” The child beamed up at Kaela and pointed at a small pocket in the river’s bank shaded by a tall pine. Smooth river stones had been piled to form a small enclosure. Within, a small trout balanced in the current, its green and gray sides flashing in the sun’s dying light. The child squatted down and nudged the trout with its finger, receiving a splash of water in return. The child looked up at Kaela and smiled proudly.
Many of the children in town Kaela had nursed back to health after a fever tore through Caft last spring. Kaela had been regarded as a savior. Her skills with healing and herbs were enough to barter food and clothing from the townsfolk. She was even given her own small stone home, although exceptionally small.
The children seemed drawn to her gentle smile and good nature. In this world of Shadow, she was a light that gave them strength. Kaela never told them that their presence, their infectious laughter made her strong, made it possible to go on. What would she ever do if she lost them? And then there was Her. The villagers had given Her into Kaela’s care. She was special, there was no doubt of that, but could her stories be true?
Kaela’s thoughts were interrupted by a hoarse shout from the valley’s western rim. Massive, dark figures in blackened armor were descending the valley’s slope. Orcs! How could this be? Kaela noticed the farmer Perth fleeing into the Plough and Stars. “Kaela?” The young child held onto Kaela’s hand, its voice filled with fear and uncertainty at the sight of the warriors of Shadow descending the valley. It was not harvest time. Had they come for Kaela? Or had they come for Her?
Reznik (played by Elapse)
The Plough and Stars Inn was cool and shaded, its masonry walls offering a nice respite from a warm day working in the sun. Days like this were rare, the sun usually hidden by haze or the dark clouds of the Shadow’s will. Reznik wiped the ale from his lips and sat glowering, staring absently into his clay mug. Nearby sat several of Caft’s men, farmers returned from their fields, huddled around small tables discussing the day’s events.
The men sitting nearby kept their voices low and occasionally shot Reznik dark glances. Reznik knew why. He was an Outlander and not one to be trusted. Reznik’s scars of Shadow and gravelly voice were also a reminder of the cruelty the Shadow’s minions could inflict. Best to keep the Outlander at a distance than invite him into their confidence lest he betray them to Izrador’s legates.
If those fools only knew that Reznik was here to fight the Shadow. Then again, if they did know, they might drive him out of town for fear of him attracting orcs or worse. Still, Reznik did not even know why he had been sent here from Port Esben on the Pelluria months ago. The insurgents never told him anything other than he would be contacted. But who would contact him? These farmers? Bah. There was no one else in town that seemed to have the will to fight the Shadow. Except for maybe the large Dorn that lived in the forest to the east, but he had had plenty of time to communicate with Reznik since his arrival. Most likely, the informant had been apprehended somewhere in the North before he made it to Caft. If that was the case, it might be best to leave Caft now since torture would most likely loosen the informant’s tongue and Reznik’s position would be compromised.
Reznik’s dark thoughts were interrupted as the wooden door swung open and slammed into the stone wall. Breathless from exertion, the farmer known as Perth stood in the doorway, his eyes wide with fear. Shutting the door quickly Perth cries, “Orcs! To the west. A war band, just a few minutes behind me.” Chairs are knocked over and fearful looks are exchanged as the men stand up. Perth swallows hard. “And they have a legate with them.”
