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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 1796799" data-attributes="member: 99">Well, here's the last of the updates for my "Week of Mad Updates".  This has really helped me get some momentum and hopefully I won't have any long breaks between now and when I finish this Story Hour.  There is plenty more to come including some incredible political maneuvering, a hint that a major character will fall from grace and all out war.  Two of them actually.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Dawn peeked dimly through the crevasse in the ceiling of the Foundry and the night, though eventful for some, had passed without the party coming under attack.  Marcus explained the general nature of his Vision to the others as they gathered their things and prepared to depart.  The others listened with interest and, although they did not witness the Vision directly, they acknowledged that contact with a direct servant of St. Cuthbert underscored the seriousness of the events at hand.It was decided that they would undertake their trip in two distinct legs.  First they would Teleport back to Hrongar’s Hill and let Urdrax and the others there know that the Orcish army was on the move but did not look as though it would strike them.  Then they would move on to Emor and spread the word there to the powers they were in contact with.  What they would do after that they did not know.With the aid of Speaks’ Feathers magic, they changed form to that of the smallest birds they could imagine.  Lazarius had explained that weight was a limiting factor in Teleportation and it would be all he could manage to bring Marius along in his present form without them taking the form of eagles or hawks.  Every bit of weight counted.  With his fingers crossed, Lazarius did his magic.And they stood atop Hrongar’s Hill.  The Brigante folk who were going grimly about their business upon the hill gaped at the arrival of this Wizard, his statue and his flock of birds.  They gaped even more as the birds transformed one by one into the other members of the battle hardened party.  Several of them scurried fearfully into nearby tents as they saw the Imperial markings on Marcus’ armor and the symbol of St. Cuthbert on his mace and shining shield.The party members looked askance at one another for this strange reaction but none of them had any answers.  They climbed the short distance to Urdrax’s mead-hall and noted that no guards stood at the door.  They entered to find Urdrax and Hrothan, son of Hrongar and the new leader of the Corritani, hunched over a map at one of the thick, cedar tables.  They looked up with a start and their faces did not brighten as one would have thought they would at the sight of friends old and new.Speaks decided that he’d had enough of this mystery and stepped forward to address the pair of Chieftains, “Hail, Urdrax and Hrothan.  I sense that we are less welcome and the mood seems dour here at Hrongar’s Hill.  What has happened?”The two Fodor men looked at each other for a moment.  Urdrax spoke, “It seems that you have been long away and short of news, Speaks With Stone.  I take it that word has not yet reached you of the invasion of our homelands.”The companions regarded each other with surprise before Speaks spoke again, “The Orcs!?  They’ve sent a band against you too?”Urdrax scowled, “Not the Orcs!  The Empire!”In near unison, the party blurted out, “What?!”Urdrax answered, gesturing absently toward the map laid across the table, “They’ve crossed the sea and are encamped near the mouth of the Fodor.  We don’t know how long it will be before they begin their northern march but they appear to be coming in force.”“How many,” asked Cathal.“The Allmani scouts have reported seeing the banners of two of their Legions but they are encamped behind a palisade fort they’ve erected and we cannot get a precise count of their numbers.  They are many.”Eyes turned to Lazarius and Marcus.  “How man men is that?” asked Speaks.Lazaruis thought for a moment and answered, “Virtually all the Legions are under strength since the slave wars.  Most now only boast four or five Cohorts.  Two Legions would be maybe…five thousand men.”“Five thousand!” cried Speaks.  “Those fools!  An army of Orcs headed their way and they’ve sent five thousand men to attack a defenseless nation with a tenth of that number of warriors, who have recently made peace with them!  This is madness!”Marcus interjected, “There is still time to stop this!  We’ve got to get back to Emor!  If I can speak to the High Priest of St. Cuthbert and Lazarius can warn the Imperial War College about the Orcs, these Legions could be recalled.  But we must move quickly!”Urdrax and Hrothan both seemed confused and the group took the next hour to describe what had transpired at the City of Endless Summer:  The Orcish Fleet, the sacrifice of the women and children and the impending release of Bane.  By the end the Chieftains seemed in better spirits.“Let the Orc ships come then.  The Empire needs another reminder that they are not the power they once were.  This fleet of ships will give them something to concern themselves with instead of trying to take our land!”“That may be,” said Marcus, attempting to contain his anger over their disregard for the fate of his country, “but if we don’t convince them to pull back those Legions then they may destroy the tribes of the Fodor even as they themselves fall to the Orcs.”Urdrax’s dour visage reestablished itself.  “I’m afraid that what you say may be true.  I’ve sent word to the other tribes urging them to make our defense here, at Hrongar’s Hill, but Relmar of the Suevi has been stubborn as usual.  He refuses to give ground and insists upon defending his lands, which are the most southern and the ones that will first be encountered by the Legions on their march northwards.”The Brigante Chieftain continued, “He says that if we are to have a chance at victory, we must strike at the Legions early and make them bleed for every step they take into the valley of the Fodor.”“I fear that plan will not work,” said Marcus.  “There is one thing that the Legions do very well and that is to wage war against those who try to nip at their edges.  They will have ample food stores and guard them well.  They will fortify their encampments every night and defend them with skill.  They will march slowly, but inevitably northward.  The only way I can imagine them stopping is because they are told to.  We must make the Senate see the threat to Emor so they’ll pull those Legions back.”“Then let us be off then,” said Lazarius.  “There is much to do and time is short!”Cathal backed away from the table, deep in thought.  Then said, “I do not think I can go with you my brothers.  At a time like this, I will not be welcome in your Empire.”“I suspect that the same may hold for me as well,” said Speaks.  “The Druid Council is still out for my blood so far as I know.  And there is some good that I might do here for a while.  I will travel south and try to meet with the Suevi and see if I can convince Relmar to bend so that his people will not be broken.  I have some…some sway with their Shaman, Orthula.”  Urdrax and Hrothan shared a knowing glance at this last remark.Speaks continued, “Lazarius, you and Marcus both have powerful contacts that might be able to get the Senate to see reason and pull those Legions back to defend the Empire.  And Marius may too but first you’ll need to see if he can be made whole once again.  Cathal and I can do our best to try and keep things here from devolving into all out war between the tribes and the Imperials.”“I’m afraid the time has come for our paths to part.”</blockquote>

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