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Another Bastard Child of Tolkien - Litany for a Dead Campaign (The End)
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<blockquote data-quote="Paka" data-source="post: 1299279" data-attributes="member: 100"><p><strong>Chapter V </strong> </p><p><em>Twilight </em> </p><p></p><p>Kachelka’s grandmother used to tell her about the ocean. She’d talk about swimming down to great undersea kingdoms illuminated by domesticated fish with lanterns on their heads. Grandma would talk about fighting under the sea and how different it was. </p><p></p><p>“We were the Troll shock troops of the Deep Ones. We fought in wars the sun’ll never see, on battlefields no human will walk over till oceans dry up. Fetch me some more chowder, dear, and I’ll tell you more.” </p><p></p><p>Kachelka always did fetch more chowder. </p><p></p><p>Grandma used to say how Sea Trolls were the truer of the Troll breeds, “Trolls have always laired on, in, near bridges. Realize the power of in-between places. We Sea Trolls live in sea, on land, in between two worlds. </p><p></p><p>In between, always in between with us. Value between places, child. Twilight lands, that line between sea and horizon.” </p><p></p><p>Her mother hated such talk, “No breed of Troll is higher than any other, foolish talk. Two-heads think they are better than the one heads and the Land Trolls think they are better than the Sea Trolls and the Black Trolls think they are better than all of them. </p><p></p><p>Nonsense talk only leads to trouble.” </p><p></p><p>But Kachelka likes that idea, that her people are a special people. </p><p></p><p>Kachelka Blackmason, Yukeni Underkill, Venoq Bridgeclaw and Betan Deepmason, trained Monks, walk to the city of Ladymist to pledge as lifelong guards for the Green Lady as stated when the Bridge Guild swore fealty. </p><p></p><p>Among the four, she is the only Sea Troll, the other three are all Land Trolls, or as her grandmother would call them, Mud Trolls. </p><p></p><p>They stand on a hilltop, looking at Ladymist at dusk. They can see the torches and lanterns being lit, cooking fires giving off smoke all over the city. </p><p></p><p>Yukeni is the quietest and the eldest of them. Her family’s fury is well known. The Underkills were known for fighting dirty and when someone is known for fighting dirty among Orcs, Trolls and Goblins you know it is more than just the occasional head-butt or a casual elbow to the throat or even a rusty knife in a fistfight. </p><p></p><p>The Underkills defend their bridge with unusual zeal. Once a wanderer tried to cross the bridge when a throng of merchants was crossing without paying the toll, just strolled by casually without paying the three silver. Three silver coins were taken out of his bag. He watched while the Orcish blacksmith fashioned the coins into three nails. </p><p></p><p>What was done with those nails after they were fashioned is now a subject of disgusting myth among the Bridge Guilders. </p><p></p><p>Yukeni Underkill needs to be watched. She isn’t prone to loud rages like Venoq or the mug half empty philosophy of Betan. Kachelka found her dangerous, exciting, but still dangerous. She always kept an eye on her. </p><p></p><p>Kachelka Deepmason, somewhere on the journey here, was silently elected leader. She has that way about her: when she talks others listen. Kachelka grunts and points one of her green fingers and its long, sharp nails at the city, “Fires.” </p><p></p><p>The others nod and grunt in ascent and she continues, “Sometimes in nasty weather mother let’s a human stay in the bridge. I hear stories. They say things like, ‘Oh, it is so clean in here. I thought it would be different, like a dungeon.’” </p><p></p><p>The four chuckle, “They think we eat billy goats or something. They think we barbarians.” </p><p></p><p>Nods. </p><p></p><p>Their leader continues, “Humans have stories about going into underground and fighting Orcs or Goblins. Finding treasure, being heroes,” she points to the city, “Our dungeon. Filled with enemies-“ </p><p></p><p>Venoq, always funning, roars, “-and filled with treasures too.” </p><p></p><p>More chuckles. </p><p></p><p>“Our days of pillage this, pillage that well over. Now our families run bridges. Now we serve the Green Lady, bodyguards.” </p><p></p><p>Betan, always fuming, snorts, “Bodyguards, if she doesn’t put as guarding lair doorway to nothing ‘cause Troll guards belong in dungeons, not seen in public.” </p><p></p><p>Kachelka shakes her hear, scratched her fin ears, “Maybe. Maybe the Green Lady will waste us and we spend this whole life guarding a door. Maybe.” </p><p></p><p>But remember who her first knight is. Before nobles from all cities she knighted M’Randa. She knighted a Half-Orc warrior. Lady M’Randa, they call her. Maybe our Lady has no care for human opinion. Maybe Dragons are better than that.” </p><p></p><p>The ladies want to believe. The only sound is their breathing while they consider a life more noble than that of a monster under a bridge. </p><p></p><p>Sensing that she almost has them, Kachelka continues, “Who will keep her safer than us? Who better? Stronger than a Troll woman? Tougher than us with family spirits watching? War-wiser after our training?” </p><p></p><p>Nods all around, even Betan. </p><p></p><p>“No one is better for guard a young Green Dragon with many enemies. If she put us in some dungeon room, far from her, than we know all about Green Lady foolery. </p><p></p><p>Forget doubt. We get there first. First we get to her Lair. </p><p></p><p>Look at those fires. Many humans. Let’s look at your dungeon, plan our attack.” </p><p></p><p>Venoq smiles, crooked and sharp, “Pretend we are human men and the Green Lady is some kidnapped princess with gold hair and jade eyes, ‘Oh, save me, dragon take me. I no fight.” </p><p></p><p>Laughs erupt into full on snorts, Betan brays like a donkey at the thought of the helpless human princess. </p><p></p><p>Kachelka lets the laugh do its work, “Can’t go in together. Horde Law. Four Trolls can’t walk the streets together. Fear. </p><p></p><p>We will split, two and two. Venoq, you and Betan go to East Gate. Yukeni and me go in West Gate. We meet you at top of the city; then we meet the Green Lady. </p><p></p><p>We are in between. Old home with family’s Guild and new home with Dragon, Green Lady. Jade Forest is between itself and Golden Empire. Important time, like my Grandma always said. This is a bridge too, like our old home. Gods made Trolls for bridges, this kind of time, twilight time.”</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Chapter V.5</strong></p><p><em>A Missive to the Green Knight</em></p><p></p><p>Green Knight, </p><p>I wanted to send a goblin courier. He could yell the message so that you would know its power. My husband says that we are part of the Jade Empire now and here we write. </p><p></p><p>When it comes to circumstances outside from my Bridge, I listen to my husband. </p><p></p><p>My daughter's name is my name, Kachelka, and she will soon be in Ladymist to serve the Green Lady. I hope you two will meet. She needs to know you. </p><p></p><p>I write for a reason but the ink is doing not what I want it to and now the letter is in wrong direction. </p><p></p><p>Here. I want you to be Champion of the Longdrop Bridge. You would answer any challenges to that Bridge's Honor, defend it in times of seige and leads its Orcish troops in times of war. Longdrop Bridge would always welcome you, feed your horse and you and your Squire and be a safe place for you. </p><p></p><p>Bridge mistresses meet and talk about this. We fought. We decided this. </p><p></p><p>I hope you accept and be Champion. </p><p></p><p>We are proud of what you have done. </p><p></p><p>Do more yet. </p><p></p><p>Kachelka Blackmason </p><p>Trollmother of Highbridge</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Paka, post: 1299279, member: 100"] [b]Chapter V [/b] [I]Twilight [/I] Kachelka’s grandmother used to tell her about the ocean. She’d talk about swimming down to great undersea kingdoms illuminated by domesticated fish with lanterns on their heads. Grandma would talk about fighting under the sea and how different it was. “We were the Troll shock troops of the Deep Ones. We fought in wars the sun’ll never see, on battlefields no human will walk over till oceans dry up. Fetch me some more chowder, dear, and I’ll tell you more.” Kachelka always did fetch more chowder. Grandma used to say how Sea Trolls were the truer of the Troll breeds, “Trolls have always laired on, in, near bridges. Realize the power of in-between places. We Sea Trolls live in sea, on land, in between two worlds. In between, always in between with us. Value between places, child. Twilight lands, that line between sea and horizon.” Her mother hated such talk, “No breed of Troll is higher than any other, foolish talk. Two-heads think they are better than the one heads and the Land Trolls think they are better than the Sea Trolls and the Black Trolls think they are better than all of them. Nonsense talk only leads to trouble.” But Kachelka likes that idea, that her people are a special people. Kachelka Blackmason, Yukeni Underkill, Venoq Bridgeclaw and Betan Deepmason, trained Monks, walk to the city of Ladymist to pledge as lifelong guards for the Green Lady as stated when the Bridge Guild swore fealty. Among the four, she is the only Sea Troll, the other three are all Land Trolls, or as her grandmother would call them, Mud Trolls. They stand on a hilltop, looking at Ladymist at dusk. They can see the torches and lanterns being lit, cooking fires giving off smoke all over the city. Yukeni is the quietest and the eldest of them. Her family’s fury is well known. The Underkills were known for fighting dirty and when someone is known for fighting dirty among Orcs, Trolls and Goblins you know it is more than just the occasional head-butt or a casual elbow to the throat or even a rusty knife in a fistfight. The Underkills defend their bridge with unusual zeal. Once a wanderer tried to cross the bridge when a throng of merchants was crossing without paying the toll, just strolled by casually without paying the three silver. Three silver coins were taken out of his bag. He watched while the Orcish blacksmith fashioned the coins into three nails. What was done with those nails after they were fashioned is now a subject of disgusting myth among the Bridge Guilders. Yukeni Underkill needs to be watched. She isn’t prone to loud rages like Venoq or the mug half empty philosophy of Betan. Kachelka found her dangerous, exciting, but still dangerous. She always kept an eye on her. Kachelka Deepmason, somewhere on the journey here, was silently elected leader. She has that way about her: when she talks others listen. Kachelka grunts and points one of her green fingers and its long, sharp nails at the city, “Fires.” The others nod and grunt in ascent and she continues, “Sometimes in nasty weather mother let’s a human stay in the bridge. I hear stories. They say things like, ‘Oh, it is so clean in here. I thought it would be different, like a dungeon.’” The four chuckle, “They think we eat billy goats or something. They think we barbarians.” Nods. Their leader continues, “Humans have stories about going into underground and fighting Orcs or Goblins. Finding treasure, being heroes,” she points to the city, “Our dungeon. Filled with enemies-“ Venoq, always funning, roars, “-and filled with treasures too.” More chuckles. “Our days of pillage this, pillage that well over. Now our families run bridges. Now we serve the Green Lady, bodyguards.” Betan, always fuming, snorts, “Bodyguards, if she doesn’t put as guarding lair doorway to nothing ‘cause Troll guards belong in dungeons, not seen in public.” Kachelka shakes her hear, scratched her fin ears, “Maybe. Maybe the Green Lady will waste us and we spend this whole life guarding a door. Maybe.” But remember who her first knight is. Before nobles from all cities she knighted M’Randa. She knighted a Half-Orc warrior. Lady M’Randa, they call her. Maybe our Lady has no care for human opinion. Maybe Dragons are better than that.” The ladies want to believe. The only sound is their breathing while they consider a life more noble than that of a monster under a bridge. Sensing that she almost has them, Kachelka continues, “Who will keep her safer than us? Who better? Stronger than a Troll woman? Tougher than us with family spirits watching? War-wiser after our training?” Nods all around, even Betan. “No one is better for guard a young Green Dragon with many enemies. If she put us in some dungeon room, far from her, than we know all about Green Lady foolery. Forget doubt. We get there first. First we get to her Lair. Look at those fires. Many humans. Let’s look at your dungeon, plan our attack.” Venoq smiles, crooked and sharp, “Pretend we are human men and the Green Lady is some kidnapped princess with gold hair and jade eyes, ‘Oh, save me, dragon take me. I no fight.” Laughs erupt into full on snorts, Betan brays like a donkey at the thought of the helpless human princess. Kachelka lets the laugh do its work, “Can’t go in together. Horde Law. Four Trolls can’t walk the streets together. Fear. We will split, two and two. Venoq, you and Betan go to East Gate. Yukeni and me go in West Gate. We meet you at top of the city; then we meet the Green Lady. We are in between. Old home with family’s Guild and new home with Dragon, Green Lady. Jade Forest is between itself and Golden Empire. Important time, like my Grandma always said. This is a bridge too, like our old home. Gods made Trolls for bridges, this kind of time, twilight time.” [B]Chapter V.5[/B] [I]A Missive to the Green Knight[/I] Green Knight, I wanted to send a goblin courier. He could yell the message so that you would know its power. My husband says that we are part of the Jade Empire now and here we write. When it comes to circumstances outside from my Bridge, I listen to my husband. My daughter's name is my name, Kachelka, and she will soon be in Ladymist to serve the Green Lady. I hope you two will meet. She needs to know you. I write for a reason but the ink is doing not what I want it to and now the letter is in wrong direction. Here. I want you to be Champion of the Longdrop Bridge. You would answer any challenges to that Bridge's Honor, defend it in times of seige and leads its Orcish troops in times of war. Longdrop Bridge would always welcome you, feed your horse and you and your Squire and be a safe place for you. Bridge mistresses meet and talk about this. We fought. We decided this. I hope you accept and be Champion. We are proud of what you have done. Do more yet. Kachelka Blackmason Trollmother of Highbridge [/QUOTE]
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