From a sky lit by twin crescent moons, fat snowflakes drift down onto the canopy of the dark woods. No sun has shone down on the forest for three days now, and the scene is eerie, almost peaceful.
There's a high-pitched chirp. A single, tiny shadow flaps across the face of the Near Moon, leathery wings, tiny head, its path erratic. A bat, on the hunt, looking out for what is below...
A swift, black-feathered Urag arrow takes the bat through the neck, and it cries out, then plummets out of the sky, stone dead, into the snowy woods. It lands at Thragga's feet. The big Urag grasps the arrow, lifts the tiny dead creature and holds it out to Kane and Khom-Bei. "A sentry, no doubt."
Kane looks at Thragga, "No doubt. Please don't eat that."
Thragga wrinkles his nose, disappointed. He passes the dead bat to Kane.
Kane looks at the bat and says, "No thanks, I've all ready eaten."
You stand in a deep grove of old trees, the Forest of Galad. A day and part of a night have passed since you left Castle Eryth on a scouting mission for the army of Oathkeepers, outlaw Urag, and Northerlings.
Kane says, "Have you picked up a scent yet, Thragga?"
Thragga nods. He points ahead in the snow-covered forest, to a stand of maples not far off. This would surely be the outermost pickets of the Beast's army, on sentry duty. The falling snow obscures any footprints rather quickly.
Thragga whispers to Khom-Bei, "Why do you wait?"
Kane motions for his companions to come to a stop.
Khom-Bei looks at Thragga, "What are you talking about?"
Thragga nocks another arrow in his bow and looks away. "Why do you not mate with her?"
Khom-Bei shakes his head, "Thragga, my wife is dead many years, but the time has not yet come for me to choose another."
Kane whispers, "Can this wait? We have work to do."
Khom-Bei says, "He asked."
Thragga makes a noise. "You are the last of your kind, and she the last of hers. You are a fool not to plant your seed in her!"
Kane whispers, "Quiet, you great green fool."
Kane says, "How many, Thragga?"
Thragga huffs, holds up two fingers, and waits for orders.
You can see two armored shapes in the woods ahead, a cloud of steam from the breath of each. A horse stamps and whinnies in the night, tied to a tree nearby.
Kane slips from his horse and tethers it to a tree. "Come , we must get in closer."
Thragga mutters, "You shouldn't wait."
The two sentries, about twenty yards off, are chatting quietly. "Bloody cold," one says.
The other sentry laughs and claps his companion on the shoulder. "Quit yer bitchin'. You'd rather be on the front line, boy?"
Kane moves up on the sentries quietly.
Khom-Bei follows Kane, hanging back a few yards.
A sound of hoofbeats is heard, approaching from further east, where the main body of the Beast's army lurks.
Thragga slinks up behind Kane, bow at the ready.
Kane comes to a halt at the new sound.
A Vorghol officer canters into view, on horseback. His face is sharp and feral. He calls to the men, "Report!"
The Tol Nedran soldiers come to attention. "Nuffink, sir, nuffink at all." the older one volunteers. "Quiet as a mouse."
Kane stays motionless, trying not to atrract the Vorghol's attention.
The officer warns the men, "We have reason to believe Urag may in the area. Keep your heads on straight and you'll live through the night."
The men nod, and the officer turns his horse and canters off into the night, eastwards.
Thragga looks to Kane for direction, then squints down his arrow at the sentries.
Kane whispers to Khom-Bhei and Thragga, "I want at least one of these men alive, two if possible."
Thragga looks disappointed, but nods.
Kane signals for them to follow. He silently moves up behind the older of the two sentinels.
Thragga squats and aims his arrow at the younger one.
Khom-Bei waits and follows behind Kane.
Kane directs Khom-Bei to take the younger man. Once into position Kane waits for Khom-Bei to get into position on the younger man.
Thragga, sighting down his arrow, has a firm bead on the younger one.
The sentries look after the retreating Vorghol officer, having no idea Kane approaches. The older one waits till the coast is clear, then passes his companion a flask and uncorks it. The soldiers chuckle and share the warming liquor.
As Kane moves forward, Khom-bei mutters under his breath, "Great Father, grant this place a silent peace." A veil of silence descends on the snowy woodland.
Kane steps forward and places his sword at the older sentries back. He speaks but no words come out, muffled by Khom-Bei's spell.
The older one, shocked by Kane, drops the liquor, which smashes at his feet in the snow soundlessly. His lips move but no words come out.
The younger one draws his sword and tries to cry out, but fails. He raises the blade in panic.
Khom-Bei steps forward and places his hammer firmly alongside the younger one's head, aiming to surprise him.
The old one is calm, trying not to upset Kane, but the young one, inexperienced, is frighted, eyes very wide. He whirls on Khom-Bei.
Keeping his blade to the man's back, Kane relieves the sentry of his sword. Once the sentry is unarmed Kane efficiently knocks him out with a blow to the back of the skull.
Khom-Bei steps back, hammer at the ready, shaking his head at the man.
The young sentry launches himself at the Northerling. An Urag arrow lances through his forearm in mid-leap, but he comes on, driven by panic.
Khom-Bei's sidesteps the young man's rushed blow, and his hammer crushes the young Tol Nedran's skull. He drops, limply, at the Northerling's feet.
Thragga emerges from his firing position. He quickly rifles the dead man's pockets, and finding some dried sausage in a pouch, pockets it himself.
Thragga hefts the dead sentry over his shoulder, then kicks snow over the traces of blood.
Kane drags the unconsious sentry back to where his horse is tied. He recovers some rope from his saddle bag and ties up his captive.
Khom-Bei covers the signs of the struggle as best he can, sweeping the snow about with a fallen branch.
Once out of the range of the silence spell, Kane tells Thragga to ditch the dead sentry behind some bushes. "Let's ride to a safe place and interrogate our friend here."
Thragga conceals the corpse behind a fallen tree.
Kane tosses the body of the sentry over the back of his horse and remounts.
Khom-Bei gathers the soldiers' horse and follows Kane.
A short while later, you're safe in the woods, some distance away from the sentry post. Thragga pulls the sentry from Kane's horse and harshly slaps him awake, then looms over him.
Kane looks into the man's eyes and says, "If you want to live you will answer all our questions promptly and truthfully, is that clear?"
The sentry awakens, then recoils, wiping snowmelt from his eyebrows. He's an older, balding man in the livery of Northspike, Baron Thumgath, the Beast. A jagged scar runs down his cheek. He nods.
Thragga glowers at the man.
Kane says, "How many troops does the Beast have presently?"
"You're...not Ress," the man says, slowly.
Kane says, "No, but I will let my friend here gut you if you don't start answering the questions I put to you. How many?"
The man seems a grizzled veteran. He studies you a moment, taking your measure. "Five hundreds." he says, after a long moment.
Kane says, "Are you sure? What about reinforcements?"
Khom-Bei steps forward and leans into the mans face, "Five hundreds, eh? I have ways of knowing if you tell the truth. You will not like it if I have to use them."
Kane says, "Hmm...he looks like a tough fellow you just might at that."
The sentry says, "Five hundreds of us left Castle Northspike a week ago, to reinforce the Baron and his pet necromancer and his hundred Vorghol. It was him that led us t'this, fleeing from th'Ress like dogs."
Kane says, "So five hundred Reith and another hundred Vorghol? That sound about right? Any more coming?"
Khom-Bei leans forward and touches the man, "Great Father, show this one the error of his ways and help him to speak the truth."
Gray fire leaps from Khom-Bei's hands and singes the old sentry. He cries out in pain. He gasps, "Spread out all over Morden Vale, we are now! But th'Beast is ne'er more dangerous than when he's cornered."
Kane says, "Is the necromancer still with him?"
The sentry shrugs. "I'm na' privy t'th'Baron's councils. Just a common soldier in his service."
Kane says, "But perhaps you've seen him around camp with the Beast, hmm?"
Khom-Bei says, "Where is the Beast now?"
The sentry points, off to the east, beyond the dark shape of the Urag looming nearby. "Waitin' for the Ress t'come."
Kane says, "Where are they holing up during the day? Surely he has Reith guards watching over his brethren?"
The sentry says, "Day? The necromancer's brought a piece of the Shroud with him, but who knows how...otherwise the Beast could never travel this far. Haven't ye wondered why no sun has arisen in these last days?"
Kane says, "What do you know of how the Beast's forces are laid out? And I remind you of my friend's ways of getting the truth."
The sentry decides he has little to lose, since you are probably going to torture him to death anyway. The Beast surely would. "When me Captain doesn't hear from me and me young, late companion, he'll howl for blood. Soon these woods'll crawl with Vorghol. D'you think you can hide from the eyes that see in th'dark?"
Khom-Bei steps forward again, "Hide from them? We hunt them."
Kane says, "That's my problem, yours is telling me what I want to know and keeping alive."
The snow pours down a little harder now. Flakes pile in your clothes and hair.
Kane looks at Thragga and says, "It looks like our friend doesn't want to talk anymore. You have my leave to roast him alive and eat him for your breakfast."
The sentry swallows. "You're askin' th'wrong bloke about the Beast's forces. They sends me here t'watch for Urag, Yarga his own self we're told. Looks like he found me."
Kane says, "Wait, my friend his tongue has loosened."
Khom-Bei chuckles, "If we were with Yarga, your friends would already have found us by following your screams."
Kane says, "You said earlier that his forces were spread out over Morden Vale correct? Is that all you have to tell us?"
Now he's puzzled. He scratches his bald head, nodding. "Aye. Awaitin' the knights on their way."
Kane looks to Khom-Bei and says, "Unless you have anything more you'd like to ask our friend here I think his usefulness to us has run out."
Thragga steps forward and slips his dagger from his belt.
Khom-Bei says, "What knights does your master await?"
The sentry says, "Th'Oathkeepers. We were told the necromancer was t'take their Castle, but he failed, and th'Beast is in a fury about it."
Kane draws his sword and looks at the captive and says, "Any last words?"
Khom-Bei says, "May the Great Father have mercy on your soul." He turns and walks away from the man.
The sentry pulls a small locket from his belt. He holds it up before Kane. "You're Tol Nedran, by your accent. If you're in Camars, sometime, would y'seek out my wife? Her name's Saris. And gi'this t'her?"
Kane says, "Only if she's good-looking". On that note he once again knocks the man out with the pommel of his sword. The sentry slumps over, out stone cold.
Thragga turns to Kane. "Now can I cut his head off?"
Kane then cuts the man's bonds and turns to his companions, "No time for that Thragga sorry. We must ride immediately with this news."
Thragga says, "What news? He told us nothing. We were sent to scout."
Kane says, "We now know the location of the Beast and in a rough way the layout of his troops, not much I agree but it is something....What do you suggest? Shall we go back and get a better look?"
Thragga shrugs. "We have food..." he says, and looks to Khom-Bei.
Kane says, "I suppose you mean the horse and not the prone sentry, correct? Well, Khom-Bei shall we go back for more intelligence or do you think we've stirred the hornet's nest too much? I will discount Thragga's opinion for the moment since everyone knows he's a glutton for punishment."
Khom-Bei says, "All we really know is that The Beast is somewhere in the Morden Vale and that his forces are still disorganized from the attack on the Ress stronghold."
Thragga says, "Did he just call me stupid?"
Khom-Bei says, "I think it might be a good idea to scout a bit more."
Kane says, "Well I guess it is agreed then, we scout further into the Morden Vale. I think however it would be best to approach by another way then the one we came from, agreed?" Kane winks at his green friend and says, "By the way, Thragga I would never call you stupid...just a bit too eager to find trouble."
Thragga nods. "Then did you call me fat?"
Kane swings onto his horse and says, "Let's talk as we ride."
Khom-Bei swings onto his pony and follows Kane.
Thragga nods.
As you make your way off through the woodlands, Thragga sets into his old argument with Khom-Bei again. "You should mate with her..."
A short while later, you've dodged Vorghol patrols and come out on the edge of the Forest of Galad. The snow flutters down now, cloaking the land in white.
Kane says, "Khom-Bei I had a thought. If we could find a way to turn off this miniature version of the Shroud, our Vorghol friends would be ripe for the picking. Any ideas on how we might be able to do that?"
A ridgeline climbs before you, a jagged pile of rocks that overlooks the Morden Vale and should give you a view of the valley below.
Khom-Bei shakes his head, "If we could find your old friend, the necromancer, I have a feeling that we could do something about this foul darkness."
Kane says, "You mean, if we kill or subdue Sharif the shroud would cease?"
Thragga says, "This is your fault, Kane. If you had let me kill Sharif months ago, this would not have happened."
Khom-Bei says, "I'm almost certain that killing him would solve the problem, but it might prove difficult."
Kane says, "I don't remember stopping you. If I remember correctly, we all tried to stop him but failed."
Thragga begins to clamber up the snowy rockpile before you.
Kane says, "Is there no other way? Do you think this spell requires his consciious attention? How about countering it?"
Khom-Bei says, "I cannot be sure, this type of spell is outside my knowledge, but it must take a huge amount of power to maintain the darkness. If the one keeping it dark were to die, the darkness should pass."
Thragga offers his hand down to you to help you up.
Kane turns to Khom-Bei and says, "He must mean that for you." and the scrambles up after Thragga.
Khom-Bei snorts and climbs up the rocky outcropping unassisted.
Kane gives a rare laugh.
Thragga frowns, unappreciated.
Kane scans the surrounding valley for signs of the Beast's forces.
You make your way to the top of the rocky ridge, picking your way over snowy boulders, then crouch down at the top. The valley runs north to south, bisected by a narrow but deep stream, with another line of hills on the far side. There is a narrow ford just to the south, and then the stream widens briefly into a small pond before dumping into a marsh.
You can see small formations of Tol Nedran forces on each of the two lines of hills. They have not lit any campfires, to conceal their numbers, but there are clearly a few hundred. A force that entered the valley would be subject to attacks from both sides.
From your vantage point in the hills on the west side, the enemy looks to be positioning themselves for a hammer blow on any forces that enter the valley, like from that opening in the woods to the south.
Khom-Bei says, "This does not look like the scattered force of an army on the run."
"Trap..." Thragga nods.
Khom-Bei says, "But if a small force on fast horses were to enter the valley as a diversion, while larger forces attacked their flanks?"
Thragga tries to puzzle out Khom-Bei's words. Strategy is not his forte.
Khom-Bei says, "Or if a small force moved into the southern end of the valley and set up a camp with many fires, it might draw the enemy out for a larger force to strike them from the forest."
Kane says, "Either that or they could travel through the forest of Galad and take them from the rear."
Khom-Bei says, "We need to return to the Castellan quickly with this information."
Kane says, "Agreed. Thragga?"
Thragga nods. "And just in time." He shows you his empty food pouch, dumping crumbs to the snowy ground.
Kane says, "Sounds good to me. Let's put it to the men of Ress."
Kane scrambles down and remounts his horse, "We must ride with all speed."
Thragga rises and scrambles down the snowy rockpile.
Hoofbeats approach. The Vorghol officer you saw earlier is racing towards the valley, with two aides beside him. They look in quite a hurry, and haven't spotted you, yet.
Thragga looks over his shoulder to you and unslings his axe.
This time Kane nods.
Thragga grins. "There is business to settle first..." He races forward, almost happily.