The armored woman limps to the bier, the torch in her hand matching the flaming red of her hair. She sets her hand tenderly on the cheek of the dead knight on the bier, strokes his long golden locks, then sets the flaming torch on the dry tinder. She steps back and joins you, shoulder to shoulder as you all face the burning pyre. In these lands, as you well know, bodies must be burned lest they rise again one day.
Raelere's voice is quiet. "Pray, shaman, say a word f'me companion Ser Urral. A fine young man, who'd have grown t'be a leader of Oathkeepers one day."
Khom-Bei stoops and scratches together a handful of dirt. Beginning a soft chant, he walks the Circle.
As Khom-Bei chants, the dry twigs catch fire, and soon the dead man's clothes as well, until the pyre is a giant flaming mass, crackling and hissing. The flames leap up and consume the body, and the smoke carries high into the chill , nearly moonless night.
Thragga bows his head, lips moving in his own prayer.
Ser Raelere. Knight of Ress, bows her own head, and wipes a tear from her eye.
As he casts pinches of dust to each of the Four Winds, Khom-bei paces off the steps of the Circle of the Winds and chants the Death Song of the Coldwind clan, plaintive notes carrying into the sky informing the Great Father of another warrior coming to reside in His domain.
Raelere watches in fascination, eyes glazed.
Kane kneels in the dust, then mingles the flames of Light Bringer with those of the funeral pyre. In Tol Nedra it was an old custom to dip one's sword in to the flames of a fallen warrior.
The pyre blooms with heat and light as the warrior's corpse is consumed.
Completing his circuit of the funeral pyre, Khom-bei stops in front of Raelere and places his hand on her shoulder, "He sits at the right hand of the Great Father now. He will walk forever in light having passed from the darkness of this world."
There is a long silence, punctuated only by the crackles and hisses of the flames. Then Raelere dips her head in gratitude to Khom-Bei. "Yuir customs are different, t'be sure, but yuir words are th'same. I thank ye f' them."
Khom-Bei extends his hand in greeting to the armored woman, "I am Khom-bei and these are my companions Kane and Thragga."
Kane sheaths Light Bringer and approaches Raelere and says, "We all mourn when one dedicated in the fight of the dark one passes on."
You stand on a low hillside, late into the night, deep in the Howling Lands between Ress and Tol Nedra, on the track of the Night Masks, a tribe of Northerlings, to warn them about Thumgath's evil. You had come across Raelere and her companion Urral, fleeing Tol Nedran pursuers, when you intervened and drove off the chase. Healing Raelere, you decided to cremate Urral before settling other business.
The knight says, "Raelere is my name, of Ress. I bid y'greeting, Khom-Bei, Kane...and Thragga, and a most hearty gratitude f'me life, t'be sure."
Kane says, "Many great deeds I have heard of the great Knights of Ress, the Oathkeepers. What brings you out here on this fated night?"
Raelere bows. "I can see ye are no friends t'the Tol Nedrans, by yuir deeds. But I must say, nivver in me life did I expect t'be saved from me doom by an Urag. For a thrall, he fought well..."
Thragga darkens, baring his fangs.
Khom-Bei says, "He is no thrall, Raelere. He fights with us of his own will."
Kane says, "Also much good still lies in Tol Nedra, that which the dark ones have not corrupted. Be sure that it is the Vorghol we fight against, not Tol Nedra."
Raelere gapes. "Then y'have me apologies, sirs, and you most of all, Thragga. Kindly take pity, in me grief I assumed...as is custom in Tol Nedra t'keep Urag thralls..."
Khom-Bei says, "It is a Vorghol custom, not one of Tol Nedra, and one that we fight to rid the world of along with the Dark Ones."
Thragga grunts and shakes his head. "I'm as good as you are, knight lady. Remember that."
Kane says, "Where are you bound Raelere? Is there any way in which we can assist you?"
Behind you, the pyre collapses, sending showers of sparks into the cold evening air. The flames find new life and leap up.
Raelere says, "I'm on business of me order, scouting these wide lands, and returning t'Castle Eryth with urgent news. I don't know yuir business, warriors, but a great evil is loose in th'land, and I'd advise you seek sanctuary far from here, if ye can." Eryth is the northernmost castle on the Westwall, a fortification a few days ride to the south of here, and sometimes called the cornerstone of the defenses of Ress.
Kane says, "What great evil do you speak of?"
Raelere explains, "Baron Thumgath, whose men pursued me and slew poor young Urral, is loose in the lands with ancient sorceries." She looks to the pyre. "We ought t'ride...the flames will bring the curious." Your horses all stand nearby.
Khom-Bei says, "We seek the Night Masks, a clan of my people that travelled through these lands in the last day. Do you know of them?"
Raelere nods, studying you all curiously. "I ken them, aye. We be not far from their usual camps, Khom-Bei. We could travel t'gether for a time, and share what we know."
Kane says, "I was thinking along similar lines myself."
Khom-Bei moves to his pony and jumps onto its' back, "Raelere is right, we should ride before we draw attention."
Thragga shakes his head. "Urag do not ride."
Kane says, "I hear that is due to your over tender backsides." He mounts his own horse and prepares to ride.
Khom-Bei looks down to Thragga smiling, "If you would quit eating all the good horses, maybe they would consent to carry you."
Thragga smirks. "It is all they are fit for."
Raelere says diplomatically, and formally, "Then it would be a great and signal honor, you'd do me, Thragga, if ye were to run alongside me as we travel."
Thragga consents, and nods. "Very well. If you can keep up." He races out along the hillside, leading the way south in his tireless Urag stride.
Raelere mounts her fine Ress roan, like she was born to the saddle. She barely kicks her heels and the horse canters off after the Urag, Kane and Khom-Bei right behind.
You pace on into the night, mile after mile into the dark lands of the Night Masks. Kane catches up Thragga and says, "So what did you catch for dinner oh great hunter?"
Thragga growls at Kane, "I caught us a Vorghol and his minions...is that not a fine feast for a Hunter?"
Khom-bei's pony trots along beside the Urag easily, long miles together matching strides effortlessly.
Kane says, "I can't eat that. What else did you bring?"
Raelere explains, picking her horse down a stony pathway in the forest, "I hesitate t'tell ye what I know, warriors, but it seems our missions may be similar. We sent t'scout these lands by order of me Castellan, and what we kenned is enough t'chill a strong man's blood. Thumgath has used dark sorceries to make of the Brightmoon people an undead colossus, an eldritch horror, and thrown it against his foes."
Khom-Bei tosses Kane a wild apple from under his cloak as he listens to Raelere.
Kane says, "We have heard similar accounts from the folk of these mountains." He smiles at Thragga and says, "Well it looks like Khom-Bei has provided dinner instead."
Raelere says, "The Beast himself is abrood in the lands, which is rare enough. He was content t'sleep in Castle Northspike these last years, and have his prey brought t'him there, where he could feast on it. But now..he marches with a small army, and his horrid monster. Rumor speaks he tested it on Yarga, an outlaw Urag chieftain." She adds, "By some accounts, Yarga is worser than th'Beast."
Khom-Bei tosses another apple to Thragga.
Kane breaks his apple in half and offers half to Raelere.
Thragga doesn't even look back, snatches it from the air with a practiced hand, and it vanishes into his maw.
Raelere accepts Kane's offer and passes him a wineskin from her saddlebag.
"Me Castellan has said many times, he'd pay a thousand dragons to th'one brought him that old Yarga's head." Raelere grins. "It's me hope nivver t'meet him in a dark wood."
Kane nods thanks and takes a swig of the sweet wine. Then he smiles again at Thragga as he passes the wine skin back. "My thanks Lady Knight", he says. He calls to Thragga, "Did you even chew your dinner, my friend, or merely swallow it whole?"
Thragga says, "Mmmf..." as he trots along beside you.
"Khom-Bei says, "M'lady, we have word of these things as well, dark news flows from Northspike as water from a spring."
"And ye?" Raelere says. "How did a Nedri, a Northerling and an Urag all come to travel t'gether? T'be sure, I dinnae see it before."
Kane says, "Each of us has suffered at the hands of the dark ones. We are united in our opposition to the Vorghol, as all lovers of the light should be."
Kane says, "What do you smell Thragga? Are the Night Masks close?"
Thragga shakes his head. "Not yet."
Raelere nods. "And why d'you seek th'Night Masks?"
Kane looks to Khom-Bei to answer that one.
Khom-Bei says, "We come seeking the Night Masks to recruit the warriors of the clan. Jenn-dai of the Redclaws is gathering all to her to fight the Beast."
Raelere asks, "A mutiny against the Beast, then? This is welcome news indeed..."
Khom-Bei says, "Perhaps your Castellan would be able to shelter the women and children of the Clans while the warriors are fighting the Dark Ones?"
Raelere considers this. "The clans are usually battling f'th'Vorghol Lords, not against them..I've fought them once or twice me own self."
Kane says, "Strange times call for strange companions."
Snowflakes have begun to fall from the night sky. Winter is truly settling in, and they come to the Northlands first.
Khom-Bei says, "The great horror that Thumgath has made will change many minds. The clans will not fight each other without great cause, and many will leave the armies of the Dark Ones becasue of the thing that the Beast has done."
On point, Thragga goes stock still. He slips his axe off his shoulder and removes the leather casing that protects the blade.
Khom-Bei reins in his pony and slips from its back to stand silently next to Thragga.
You are in a deep ravine now, with treelined walls on either side, and a grove of tall pines before you, undergrown with tall scrabbly weeds. Thragga's nostrils quiver and he points just ahead. "Trollac..." he hisses. "No...three Trollacs..."
Raelere reins in alongside Khom-Bei. She draws her sword, quietly.
Khom-Bei pulls his warhammer from his belt.
Thragga looks over his shoulder at each of you. "Well?"
Khom-Bei holds a finger up in front of his lips, indicating that Thragga should be quiet for a change.
Raelere says, leaning in to Kane and Khom-Bei to whisper, "Charge them?"
Kane looks to Thragga for the direction of the Trollac, drawing his sword, which blazes to life.
The pines rustle before you, about forty feet away. Something approaches, probably drawn by the flaming sword.
Khom-Bei steps out of the line of the advancing Trollacs and waits for them to pass.
A Trollac, eight feet tall, green, humanoid, with beady eyes, steps into view. It grins at Kane, a club over its shoulder. "Huh. Priddy..." it says.
Raelere says, "The others will probably try and sneak up..." she points to Khom-Bei's left. Two more are plainly visible rushing you from the left flank, where Khom-Bei stands.
Thragga is out front. Behind him, in a line, are Khom-Bei to the left, holding his pony's reins, then Raelere, then Kane on the right flank.
Thragga spits. "Try and take it from him, Trollac." he tells the one in front.
Kane says, "It will look even prettier sticking in your ugly green neck Trollac."
Khom-Bei steps forward and places a hand on Thragga's shoulder as he mutters a prayer, "Great Father, aid your servant in this fight."
Raelere wheels her roan to the left. Sword held high, she shrieks, "Khom-Bei! 'ware the left!"
Thragga's features are suffused with light. He grins at the shaman.
Khom-Bei smiles in return, "Go get them, Thragga."
The first Trollac raises his club and rushes forward.
Kane moves to meet him.
The two Trollacs on the left rush Khom-Bei.
Thragga roars and raises his axe. "Kaiiiii!" Forward!
Khom-Bei moves to place himself behind Thragga.
Kane charges the Trollac and stabs Light Bringer at the beast's head.His blade sinks into the Trollac's thick neck.
Raelere spurs her roan forward, swinging her blade overhead in a high arc.
Raelere deals the Trollac a slash as she passes, slicing into green flesh.
Thragga steps under the Trollac's attack and brings his blade up into the beast's ribs.Green gore spatters Kane and Thragga.
As the others attack the Trollacs, Khom-bei moves a step back from the fight and raises his hands, "Great Father bless us in our struggle against these villains."
Furious, screeching, the Trollacs press their attacks, swinging clubs wildly.
The two Trollacs savagely attack the Ress knight, and one opens up a long score in her side. She gasps as blood flies.
The Trollac's long yellow teeth sink into Kane's sword arm, crunching bone. Kane snatches his sword out of the neck of the Trollac and swings again at the giants head.
Raelere reins her horse in a broad circle, lashing out at the one who struck her.
With a savage laugh, the Trollac steps back from Thragga's savage cut.
Kane calls out, "Thragga, help Raelere, I can handle this one!"
Raelere's blade strikes off the tip of the Trollac's ear. Green gore sprays out.
As you watch, the Trollacs' wounds seem to crawl and knit, healing. Their recuperative powers are well-known.
Khom-Bei steps close to Kane and calls out again, "Great Father, aid us in this struggle."
One of the Trollacs swallows fearfully as Khom-Bei's imprecation reaches his ears. The other two are too angry to hear.
Raelere's foe laughs with glee as his club batters her. But he tumbles and falls under the hooves of her mount.
Thragga spins and ducks his foe's attacks, rearing back, to back off and help Raelere.
Kane presses the attack on the Trollac again, slashing Light Bringer at the green brute.
Kane's whirlwind of steel slices the Trollac's head clean off. It screams as it rolls away across the forest floor. The headless body gouts rivers of green gore from slashes arteries in its neck, all over Kane, as it stumbles forward and falls backwards with an immense thud.
A satchel that hung around the Trollac's neck falls free of the body, tearing open, scattering its contents at Kane's feet.
Raelere re-doubles her attack on her foe.
Khom-Bei raises his warhammer and rushes the remaining Trollac, "Coldwind!"
The Trollac throws up a massive arm to block Khom-Bei's attack. The great hammer stops dead in its swing, and the green creature laughs, then aims his own attack in return.
The two remaining trolls strike in a flurry of clubs and biting.
Thragga topples under the savage, desperate attack of the wounded Trollac. The Trollacs sense victory now, with the big Urag down.
Kane charges over to help Thragga. He impales the wounded Trollac through the heart, and it slumps lifelessly on top of him, nearly crushing him with its dead weight. Raelere helps him shoulder it aside.
Raelere tells the other Trollac, pointing to Kane's sword. "Surrender, or die by fire like these others!"
The other Trollac looks from one to the other of you, hesitating.
Thragga lies on the ground, dazed and stunned.
Kane says, "You will taste the breath of the Dragon now, Trollac!"
The Trollac throws his club on the ground at Kane's feet and kneels, begging mercy."Take it! And y'can keep that other stuff too. We didnt want it anyway...Zek put us up to it. We just found it...over there..." He's babbling and pointing at the spilled satchel.
Khom-Bei moves to aid Thragga.
Kane spares a quick look to see what is in the satchel. Raelere covers the prisoner's possible escape.
Thragga is bleeding from a score of wounds. He sits up, groping for his axe.
Khom-Bei lays his hands on Thragga, "Great Father, heal your servant."
Raelere asks Kane, her sword held to the captive's throat, "What is it, Kane?"
The satchel had a variety of personal effects similar to Khom-Bei's. Northerling-made. Leather bracers, small charms, a small statuette, weapons, stuffed into the satchel as if looted from a Northerling camp.
Kane looks to Khom-Bei, "Recognize those?"
The Trollac asks, "Can I go now?"
Khom-Bei stands and points to the satchel's contents, "Not until you tell me where you got those." The goods bear the marks of the Night Masks.
The Trollac quivers. "A camp. We just found it....tellin' the truth! Priddy stuff. But the place was empty!"
Kane replies to Raelere, "They appear to belong to a Northerling shaman."
Thragga stands, hefting his axe. "Give me ten minutes with this ugly bastard..." he says.
Khom-Bei frowns and advances on the Trollac menacingly, "Run far and fast, foul thing, or we shall have your head. Go! Now!"
The Trollac knows when the getting is good. He rises, turns and flees into the woods, swiftly for such a large creature.
Thragga turns to Khom-Bei. "They came from that way..." he says, pointing.
Khom-Bei moves to examine the contents of the satchel more closely. Inside is a random assortment of artifacts, some shiny, some not. No telling what a Trollac will like and take. A candlestick. A winebottle. Three well-made Northerling daggers. A bunch of carrots perhaps to feed a pony. Gold dragons. Some Northerling charms.
Khom-Bei gathers up the items and places them in his pack, "The Night Masks would not have given them up easliy. I feel that something terrible has happened to them."
Raelere canters her horse about, cleaning Trollac blood from her sword with her cloak.
Thragga springs off through the woods. "This way..."
Khom-Bei jumps up and races after Thragga, his hammer in his hands.
Kane turns his horse and follows his friend off into the woods.
As he runs, Khom-bei whistles for his pony to follow.
You race through the pine grove, and dodge through the dense underbrush. Raelere gallops after Kane. A short distance, and then you spot the camp. Thirty or more felt tents, dark and empty of all life. No fires burn, no horses whicker and snort, no men speak, no children laugh. The signs of recent Trollac looting are all too obvious...but other than that, it's like the Night Masks just abandoned the camp.
Thragga doesn't say a word. He scents something, and moves forward towards a fallen tree. His arm lashes out and he drags forth a burden. A young woman, kicking and screaming. "No! No!"
Khom-Bei moves to quiet the young woman, "Quiet, we're here to help you."
She shrieks again. "Noooo!"