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Message: <blockquote data-quote="megamania" data-source="post: 721042" data-attributes="member: 9255">UNDER A DARKSUNSEGMENT  013“The Blue Bones Tribe”Forced to retreat to their original hiding area, Mania and Dutch continue to mend the seriously injuried Dirty Dogg.   Though Dogg will surely live,  Dutch feels he should stay here and rest until Jocosta returns with more forces.  Thus said,  the misadventure continues-“You know Dutch,  those skeletons had blue painted on them similar to the bone trinkets carried by the Gith.  Think there was a connection?”“Yes…there was.”  Dutch is very absorbed in deep thought.  Without moving or shifting his vision, he begins to tell Mania what is on his mind.“Fifteen years ago, when I was a pup like you there was a cause for alarm.  It began with merchant routes being  attacked by Gith raiders.  The city was unconcerned, so they allowed it to grow.  The merchants were forced to come from the East after Gulg.  Again, the city was unconcerned.  And so it remained for 6 more months.  Then the Gith attacked and over ran the outermost templar posts,  then moved in and attacked the middle ones.  By time the templars found out, the nearest post was taken.   Just like now”, Dutch says as he rises his head to allow his dark eyes to stare at Mania’s.“A small group of able bodied warriors were gathered to investigate the incident.  Since there were no merchants, no elven runners or other travelers taking the route, there was no way of learning  what had happened.  It was decided to investigate using a non-templar force.  I was among the young warriors selected to be lead by Nibenay’s champion- Valsavis.”“Valsavis…  I think I have heard of that name before”, replys Mania.“Powerhouse …weapons master….lacking a …heart”, replys the recovering Dogg.  He could..tear us apart…all at once…even now…”“Easy Dogg,  rest now,  don’t talk.”  Dutch gives him more water before continueing his tale. “We set out at dusk.  Before dawn ½ of our force was dead.”   Dutch’s stone face barely registers any emotion but Mania percieves the horror he is reliving in his mind.“These Gith were well trained for combat.  Some were trained to be ranger-like survivors, some as adepts and worse of all-  mind-benders.  We were not prepared for it and was forced to turn back.  Even Valsavis turned back.  Perhaps the only time he ever has or will.”“We returned the next day with Templars and hired mercenaries.  We found nothing.  The Gith had retreated, or so we thought.  Later we discovered their plan.  They allowed us to walk deep into their controlled terroritory then surrounded us.  A battle 5 hours long began.  100’s of gith died that day as Templars and a few defilers began to spin their spells of death and destruction.  I, Valsavis and the other ground troops covered the spell users and attacked their more dareing warriors.”“In the end we prevaled-  the Gith retreated”“Moving forward again by the orders of the templars, we chased the gith to a ruin.  Here we faced their leader-  a powerful Adept-Defiler.  He called on undead to battle us.  He was too strong willed for the templars to possess the undead for their own use and were overrun for their efforts.  The templars and most of the warriors were forced to retreat again.  Only a small group trapped within the ruins remained.  Valsavis and myself were among them.”“The ruins had defenses of it’s own that widdled down our forces as it did the Gith persuers.  The ruin dated back to the rumored time of grass and trees….and water.  Perhaps another bit of it’s curse.”“It was not until two days later, when the Veiled Alliance entered the battle that we had our first true victory.  Bartgas, the Gith ruler of the Blue Bones, was forced to retreat to the tribal origins at the edge of the forest.  It was here, with the Veiled Alliance and our small group that we slew Bartgas.”  “When Lisses went before Valsavis to congradulate him on killing the gith leader, Valsavis slew the Alliance leader in cold blood.”“Why!  That’s insane!”, exclaims Mania“heh…bad form”,  murmurs Dogg“Valsavis had two reasons to do that-  One Lisses was wanted dead by the Shadow King. Two, and the most likely to be the true reason, Lisses aided Valsavis in defeating Bartgas.  If ever you must battle along side him, do not take away anything he considers his.  He is a man driven by deep dark inner demons.  He drives himself hard to prove himself.  In combat, it must ALWAYS be he and only he whom takes down the greatest threat.  Someday it will be the death of him  [see Tribe of One novel series].”“Real charmer”, replys Mania with a smirk that warns of having to check this out someday.“Through Greene’s contacts within the Veiled Alliance, I have found out more of what happened that fateful day.”“Fateful…?” , questions Mania.“Yes- fateful.  I saw a great force of good in the Veiled Alliance that day.  As force of good I wished to be a part of. “, Dutch answers while stuying Mania’s face for a revealing thought or twitch.Dogg, seeing how Dutch has just revealed something to Mania that can have him killed by any templar speaks up.  “Mania-  he is not saying that we…he is part of the Veiled Alliance.  Do not read into it or make us wish not to have said it.”  Dogg and Dutch stares hard at Mania.“So what did Greene learn from the Alliance?”, asks Mania to change the uncomfortable moment.Continueing to study Mania for a moment, Dutch continues.  “Bartgas was searching for a specific ruin.  One thought to be located near Nibenay.  It is said to hold the greatest secrets and powers a gith could hold. [see Black Spine Adv] It is unclear if he found it or not.  However, it appears the Blue Bone tribe are active again.”“gith…ruins…legends…powerful warriors…..Valsavis…”,  I think we are going to have fun today”, replys Mania leaning back against the rock.Dutch and Dogg look at each other fleetingly.   “fun…?”</blockquote>

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