Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Talismans of Aerdrim
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="havenstone" data-source="post: 4345613" data-attributes="member: 61094"><p><strong>You’re in the Army Now</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>AS THE PARTY </strong>enters the castle, Ontaya notes to her surprise that three hundred men out of the four hundred-strong garrison of Wildengard are already prepared for march. When she asks if they’re getting ready to fight Haraks, a quizzical-looking sergeant says no -- they’re about to march north to Lynar for a grand muster of all the Senalline armies. “Rumor is, there’s to be a grand campaign against the barbarians -- but the Arawai, not the Haraks,” he says with some relish. </p><p> </p><p>Both Kyla and Nina fall silent at this. As an Arawai orphan, Kyla has put up with a degree of prejudice her whole life; she can only imagine how much worse things will get if the Senallines invade the plains. As for Nina, while he can pass as a sun-tanned Northerner with some relatively elementary disguises, his Chramic people are considered barbaric by most of the North, and in a war against “barbarians” the distinction between Arawai and Chraman could easily be blurred.</p><p> </p><p>Ontaya and Atrix use their family names to gain access to the commander of Wildengard, the silver-haired General Marcor d’Syrnon. They tell him about the Harak attack on Rim Square and implore him to return with them to aid any survivors. The stern General Marcor agrees that he can’t afford to leave Wildengard lightly guarded without disposing of the Harak horde. He will send an expeditionary cavalry force at once to break the barbarians, and bring the rest of his army through the Five Villages on his march to Lynar.</p><p> </p><p>"General... when we left, there was a man named Shect in Rim Square," Ontaya adds abruptly. "A very skilled swordsman. He called himself a Swordsmark, and was trying to kill some villagers for an alleged theft."</p><p> </p><p>Marcor d'Syrnon's brow furrows. "Damnation. We'll have to tread carefully around that one. I won't stand by while he kills a Senalline, however lowly... but it's hard to keep that sort from their prey."</p><p> </p><p>"Are the Swordsmarks so formidable?" Atrix queries lightly. "I'd never heard of them."</p><p> </p><p>“They're a brotherhood of master duelists based in Velnar. Possibly the best swordsmen in the world," Marcor states. "Many of the great generals of the North have had some Swordsmark training. But there are secrets of swordsmanship known only to the sworn masters of Scarth Tower, who wear the steel torc. And the Swordsmarks protect those secrets to the death.”</p><p> </p><p>At the end of their meeting, General Marcor informs the eight young refugees that if they expect to travel with him for any length of time, they will need to find some function in his army. Ontaya, Ash, and Atrix agree to serve as squires. Carwyn volunteers to cook, and Nina and Kyla decide that they’d be better off joining her in low-profile kitchen work. Darren offers his services as a tinker, and Meeshak as a healer. </p><p> </p><p>Ontaya quickly establishes herself as the protector of weaker squires against bullies. On the practice field, she is clearly the strongest and most disciplined young fighter, just as Atrix is by far the most dextrous.</p><p> </p><p><strong>THE ARMY REACHES</strong> Rim Square after two weeks of travel. To their immense relief, the party sees the village has not been utterly destroyed. They learn that on the morning of their escape, Shect and his men fought their way out of Rim Square along with several of the headhunters, leaving the Haraks even more bloodied and dismayed; then Kalitha arrived, singing a strange and powerful song, and led the last few hundred barbarians away into the hills. Marcor’s cavalry have been helping the surviving townsfolk rebuild. So far, there has been no sign of further trouble.</p><p> </p><p>Hamber Meadwater has been buried in a small plot behind his ravaged inn. The eight friends hold a somber memorial service for the kindly innkeeper, and then discuss what to do next.</p><p> </p><p>Many of them are worried about staying in Rim Square lest Shect return and kill more of the villagers in trying to get to them. Staying with the army of Wildengard seems like the best way to avoid the Swordsmark. Kyla is extremely reluctant to tie herself to a force that is rumored to be invading the Arawai plains (even though she herself has no connections other than birth with the strange Arawai tribes). She finally and somewhat hesitantly decides that her bedrock loyalty is to the friends she has fought beside. The little party leaves Rim Square together.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="havenstone, post: 4345613, member: 61094"] [b]You’re in the Army Now[/b] [B]AS THE PARTY [/B]enters the castle, Ontaya notes to her surprise that three hundred men out of the four hundred-strong garrison of Wildengard are already prepared for march. When she asks if they’re getting ready to fight Haraks, a quizzical-looking sergeant says no -- they’re about to march north to Lynar for a grand muster of all the Senalline armies. “Rumor is, there’s to be a grand campaign against the barbarians -- but the Arawai, not the Haraks,” he says with some relish. Both Kyla and Nina fall silent at this. As an Arawai orphan, Kyla has put up with a degree of prejudice her whole life; she can only imagine how much worse things will get if the Senallines invade the plains. As for Nina, while he can pass as a sun-tanned Northerner with some relatively elementary disguises, his Chramic people are considered barbaric by most of the North, and in a war against “barbarians” the distinction between Arawai and Chraman could easily be blurred. Ontaya and Atrix use their family names to gain access to the commander of Wildengard, the silver-haired General Marcor d’Syrnon. They tell him about the Harak attack on Rim Square and implore him to return with them to aid any survivors. The stern General Marcor agrees that he can’t afford to leave Wildengard lightly guarded without disposing of the Harak horde. He will send an expeditionary cavalry force at once to break the barbarians, and bring the rest of his army through the Five Villages on his march to Lynar. "General... when we left, there was a man named Shect in Rim Square," Ontaya adds abruptly. "A very skilled swordsman. He called himself a Swordsmark, and was trying to kill some villagers for an alleged theft." Marcor d'Syrnon's brow furrows. "Damnation. We'll have to tread carefully around that one. I won't stand by while he kills a Senalline, however lowly... but it's hard to keep that sort from their prey." "Are the Swordsmarks so formidable?" Atrix queries lightly. "I'd never heard of them." “They're a brotherhood of master duelists based in Velnar. Possibly the best swordsmen in the world," Marcor states. "Many of the great generals of the North have had some Swordsmark training. But there are secrets of swordsmanship known only to the sworn masters of Scarth Tower, who wear the steel torc. And the Swordsmarks protect those secrets to the death.” At the end of their meeting, General Marcor informs the eight young refugees that if they expect to travel with him for any length of time, they will need to find some function in his army. Ontaya, Ash, and Atrix agree to serve as squires. Carwyn volunteers to cook, and Nina and Kyla decide that they’d be better off joining her in low-profile kitchen work. Darren offers his services as a tinker, and Meeshak as a healer. Ontaya quickly establishes herself as the protector of weaker squires against bullies. On the practice field, she is clearly the strongest and most disciplined young fighter, just as Atrix is by far the most dextrous. [B]THE ARMY REACHES[/B] Rim Square after two weeks of travel. To their immense relief, the party sees the village has not been utterly destroyed. They learn that on the morning of their escape, Shect and his men fought their way out of Rim Square along with several of the headhunters, leaving the Haraks even more bloodied and dismayed; then Kalitha arrived, singing a strange and powerful song, and led the last few hundred barbarians away into the hills. Marcor’s cavalry have been helping the surviving townsfolk rebuild. So far, there has been no sign of further trouble. Hamber Meadwater has been buried in a small plot behind his ravaged inn. The eight friends hold a somber memorial service for the kindly innkeeper, and then discuss what to do next. Many of them are worried about staying in Rim Square lest Shect return and kill more of the villagers in trying to get to them. Staying with the army of Wildengard seems like the best way to avoid the Swordsmark. Kyla is extremely reluctant to tie herself to a force that is rumored to be invading the Arawai plains (even though she herself has no connections other than birth with the strange Arawai tribes). She finally and somewhat hesitantly decides that her bedrock loyalty is to the friends she has fought beside. The little party leaves Rim Square together. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Talismans of Aerdrim
Top