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Treachery In Zerlaaga
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Saemund, Kjar, Fyrclian, and Kurtzen finally arrived in Zerlaaga after fighting
off a few more attacks by Landrothi. However, much to their surprise, once they
got to the city their foes initially went low profile.
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As Kurtzen had alluded to, the Prince Ptahet and those loyal to him were involved
with the Cult of Tzoruul is some way, but not openly. The Prince and the Cult were
working in the shadows so as to avoid the notice of the King and those that remain
loyal to him. The Prince controlled the military and thus could attack the heroes
far from any prying eyes in the wilderness, but marshalling forces in the city itself
for no stated purpose would obviously come under close scrutiny.
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The Arrows knew a good deal about their foes thanks to Kurtzen, but as Kurtzen wasn't
involved in the inner circle of the Tzoruulites, they didn't have enough concrete
facts to take action on initially. Thus they set up shop in one of the foreigner
quarters outside of town, a rough area frequented by Machtig, some Vorgaanese, and
some Nordmanner.
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Saemund bought out a stable that had a farriers forge attached. Initially he and
Fyrclian ran the place (with her as an employee), and he upgraded the farriers forge
into a real smithy over the course of a couple of months.
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Kjar spent most of this time looking for sources of magical knowledge, and learning
what he could from the spellbook he took from Rialta For'anvor.
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KURTZEN'S DILEMMA
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Meanwhile, Kurtzen returned to Torgath and confronted him about the behavior of
the Undari Torgath had asked Kurtzen to guide through the Vold, who had treacherously
attacked the Arrows. When Torgath didn't see it the same way, Kurtzen cleverly held
his tongue and resumed his duties handling the day to day leading of the Machtig
mercenaries known as Torgath's men, but privately his loyalties now lay with the
Nine Arrows.
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Kurtzen saw it as his duty to undo some of the harm he may have done in service
to Torgath and began to carefully subvert the unit of Machtig mercenaries that Kurtzen
had helped recruit and train over several years.
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SAEMUND & FYRCLIAN's TRAVAILS
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The Tzoruul cultists made several indirect attempts on Saemund and Fyrclian's business
and lives, using hired mercenaries and assassins and subtle sabotage. During this
period Saemund was set upon by a band of Simuto Daku and managed to slay all but
one who withdrew and returned to Kasaad to report the deed. In accordance with the
policies of the Simuto Daku they will never again accept a contract on his life.
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Finally after more subtle overtures were unsuccessful, affairs escalated and the
smithy / stables was set upon by almost fifty mercenaries. Saemund and Fyrclian
held off the initial onslaught and were holding their ground via Fyrclian's whip
work, and Saemund's use of his war chain, but numbers alone would have done them
in save that Kjar happened to stumble upon the scene and thinking quickly first
threw a fireball into the back ranks to soften them up, and then flew off to find
Kurtzen.
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Kurtzen quickly rallied the Machtig mercenaries and led them to relieve Saemund
and Fyrclian, who were becoming fatigued and worn down by the time the relief arrived.
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Kurtzen's Machtig made quick work of the outnumbered mercenaries, and in the aftermath
Kurtzen made a speech to the men denouncing Torgath and telling them of the great
quest that the Nine Arrows were set upon, by no less than the Grand Druid. Calling
on the mercenaries' Macthig sensibilities worked, and the bulk of them forswore
service to Torgath and swore to aid the Arrows.
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Further, this open and infamous attack came to the attention of the King, who summoned
both Kurtzen and Saemund to his presence to explain the situation.
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THE COUP
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Kurtzen quickly informed the King of both what he knew and what he suspected about
the Cult of Tzoruul, Torgath, and the role of the Prince Ptahet the King's only
real rival for power. The King connected the dots and prepared to take action, but
alerted by spies in the King's court loyal to him, the canny Prince moved first
and seized control of the capital in a military coup.
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Kurtzen called on his men and together with Saemund helped the King escape and take
up a defensible position a few miles outside the city. Kurtzen and the Arrows then
led the Machtig mercenaries and some Landrothi troops that remained loyal on behalf
of the King, as well as some additional mercenaries hired on for the task to take
back the city..
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Striking quickly, they managed to force their way into the city by taking one of
the gates with Kjar's help. However Kurtzen was injured in the taking of the gate
fighting and slaying his old companion and former liege Torgath. Saemund led the
final charge by the crack Machtig on the Prince's fortification in Kurtzen's stead.
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OVERTHROW OF THE TZORUULITES, DEFEAT OF BAKUDA RABUSHA
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The forces successfully penetrated to the palace and forced most of the assembled
Landrothi military into a rout as the primarily light cavalry were ill prepared
to fight street to street against the heavy Machtig infantry. In the final encounter,
fighting in the halls of the very palace itself, Saemund, Kjar, and Fyrclian along
with some members of the Machtig mercenaries faced down the Prince and the assembled
cult of Tzoruul.
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The fight was hard fought, many that stood with them were slain by the dark magics
arrayed against them by the cultists, and the three Arrows were each wounded as
well at least once.
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But just when things were most dire and their defeat was looking to be imminent,
an arrow streaked out of no where and took the head priest of Tzoruul, Bakuda Rabusha,
high in the shoulder.
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Simultaneously a chilling wolf's howl signaled the assault of an Ulthferen warrior
in full were form and battle fury. Ayden and Spatzenjagr, whom Saemund, Kjar, and
Fyclian all assumed were dead, joined the fight as well.
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Back in the Vold, at Ossveg, Spatzenjagr left the group in the night and didn't
return. They assumed that he had met his end at the hands of the groups' enemies,
but in reality his loner personality and run-ins with Saemund drove him to depart.
He followed the group instead and eventually reunited with Ayden. Together the two
remained outside the urban area of the city but still kept tabs on the Saemund,
Fyrclian, and Kjar.
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Ayden was believed killed and left for dead in the Kor-Daen fortress of Wundrak,
but wasn't quite dead yet, and got better really. He eventually caught up with the
group, and even reunited with Spatzenjagr, who he found thanks to his Aeldenari
senses. The two preferred to remain outside of the city and keep tabs on the other
Arrows using their special abilities.
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Spatzenjagr fought his way thru a small horde of Gifted Tzoorulites killing many
of them, as Ayden rained arrows among them as well, and Saemund and Fyrclian rallied
themselves for a final charge, lending what aid they could to their terrifying compatriot.
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Spatzenjagr finally slew all that stood before him and struck down the high priest
by opening him from stem to stern with a savage strike despite taking the brunt
of a devastating blast the priest released in the seconds before Spatzenjagr could
do him in. When his rage wore off thereafter, the mighty Ulthferen succumbed to
his many wounds, shifting back into Human form in death.
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Meanwhile, overhead Kjar and the nefarious Doran Murfon had a mighty mystical duel
which inflicted tremendous collateral damage and eventually ended up in the skies
above the palace. In the end Kjar almost finished Doran off, but the coward managed
to escape at the last minute and Kjar had almost run himself out of spells and was
unable to give pursuit.
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Ketkis also escaped, taking a powerful artifact of Tzoruul with him. He was seen
going north by some of the surviving mercenaries, who reported it to the surviving
Arrows.
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RESTORATION OF ORDER
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In the aftermath the King, restored to his throne, gave the heroes grudging praise,
and announced his intention to attempt to overcome the problems that the Landrothi
and Machtig have had in the past and forge a formal alliance w/ the Machtig. Fyrclian
expressed a good deal of doubt that such an unlikely thing would ever come about,
but Saemund told the King to make his overtures via the Wundvolding Laird, who being
more well traveled than the other Lairds and being of a practical bent would be
more likely to be receptive to such overtures. Not to mention that the Machtig lands
neighboring Landroth are in fact Wundvolding lands.
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With the death of Torgath and the betrayal of Prince Ptahet, the King appointed
Kurtzen as the new military leader of the nation, and charged him to rebuild the
nations forces and restore order.
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The surviving four of the Nine Arrows thought their quest finally done, but the
Grand Druid appeared to them that night in a dream. He informed them that the danger
to the Machtig foretold of has been dealt a powerful blow, but has not been defeated.
The relic that Ketkis took must be found and destroyed. He implored the surviving
four to head north and find Ketkis.
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They dutifully did so after burying Spatzenjagr on the palace grounds beneath some
trees in the King's reserve. Ayden caused a stone obelisk to form with his Willcrafting,
and Saemund chiseled a runic inscription upon it that said simply:
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Sptazenjagr
Ulthferen
Tzoruul-bane
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Saying their goodbyes to their good and worthy ally Kurtzen, the four headed north
in pursuit of Ketkis.
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Kor Lands and the Varhold at Vrenak
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The band soon suffered a detour west into Kor territory after Fyrclian was kidnapped
during a night raid conducted by a group of Human bandits (who paid the Kor a tithe
to roam their lands). After a hard days chase, lead by Ayden's farsight, the other
three Arrows overran the bandits and in a furious fight made particularly advantageous
for them my Kjar's well placed Groundspikes and newly learned Tremblor Spells, they
recovered Fyrclian before anything too terrible could befall her.
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Ayden also informed the group that he had sensed the presence of Doran Murfon with
his Aeldenaren senses, which caused the group no little consternation as Doran Murfon
had been a thorn in their side on many occassions.
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However, this put the four firmly into Kor territory. They reversed course to head
back to the trade route, but Ayden soon sensed a large tribe that had moved between
the group and the way out. Forced to press inland they eventually, after a tense
period of hiding, running, ambushing small groups, and avoiding large groups, hooked
up with a Varic patrol from Vrenak.
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Saemund soon made friends with them, relying on some common words and by inscribing
runic messages in the dirt, as the Machtig use the Varic Runic alphabet and Saemund
knew it well.
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WINTER IN VRENAK
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The four accompanied the patrol back to Vrenak where they become stuck in for the
winter by heavy snows. While there, Saemund befriended a Varic Runeforger (which
the Var call an Arwyddlun) named Argarod, and also brushed up on his smithy skills,
as well as learning new tricks from the Var too. Saemund also managed to learn to
speak Var, something he had a great deal of interest in.
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Frustrated by being unable to see and thus unable to deal with Doran Murfon and
Rialta in the past, Saemund sought the aid of Argarod. Saemund explained the Machtig
practice of tattooing Runes upon people (which Argarod informed him was not unique
to the Machtig as some Trinoedd Arwyddlun do as well). After some research Argarod
provided Saemund with a Runic tattoo that would among other things allow him to
see that which is hidden.
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After the winter is over the heroes discovered from Varic sentries that a large
force of bandits and Kor were parked near the exit from the Varhold's eastern face,
lead by a Human who the recognize as Doran Murfon from the sentries' description.
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
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The Arrows had two choices: they could depart for the northeast and try to make
a dificult passage over the mountains to reach Daelanthanor, or to the northwest
and attempt to race northward between the Blasted Lands and the mountains to the
fortress of Cranak, which guards the pass into Gorsland and the Nordmanner lands.
Due to the mountains still being largely impassible due to the winter just ending,
they opted for the longer but theoretically less arduous route to Cranak.
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When they left they were accompanied by Argarod's son, a young Varic warrior named
Arganat who was eager for adventure. Now numbering five, the heroes set out
into the Blasted Lands, hugging the mountains and heading north for the fortress
of Cranak, which guards the pass into Gorsland.
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After an arduous journey they made it to Cranak, but with a small horde of Kor and
bandits lead by Doran Murfon close on their tail.
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The heroes sought entry to Cranak but were denied by the guards, as they were unable
to communicate in a shared language, and also had what appeared to be a not inconsequential
force in pursuit of them which the guardsmen were unwilling to engage themselves
against for no good reason.
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BATTLE AT CRANAK, DEFEAT OF DORAN MURFON
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Thus the heroes were forced to do battle with the Kor and bandits. Ayden and Kjar
managed to finally defeat the villainous Doran Murfon by working together, with
a little help from a timely shot-put that was well thrown by Saemund, who was now
able to see Doran thanks to his Rune, at a critical moment.
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Meanwhile, Saemund, Fyrclian, and the Var warrior Arganat fought back to back and
narrowly held off the Kor and bandits, thanks largely to the total lack of a plan
or anything resembling tactics on the part of the Kor.
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Once Doran was incapacitated, Kjar cast Living Monolith and started stomping Kor.
With Doran out of the fight, none of the five yet fallen, and the huge Kjar stomping
his clansmen into mush, the Kor leader commanded a retreat.
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What the heroes did not know was that Doran had also carried away a (minor) artifact
of Tzoruul and made contact with a group of Tzoruulites among the Kor (who know
Tzoruul as Kor-vash, their ancient patron of yore, and call themselves Kor-vashi),
who had been allied with the Zerlaaga Sept. In fact the heroes had already encountered
one of these Kor-Vashi, in the form of Ruarg Axebearer, who had lead the Kor-Daen
ambush upon them in the mountains of the Vold towards the beginning of the faring.
Doran, who was not a devotee of Tzoruul himself but knew how to carry a grudge,
bartered the artifact he had taken in his flight from Zerlaaga to the leader of
this group of Kor-vashi, who was called Gardek. This would prove to be significant
at a much later date.
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In the aftermath of the battle Saemund shackled Doran, tied a sack around his head,
and dragged the detested mage from behind his wagon. Still refused entry to Cranak,
the heroes pressed northward to Karkland.
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Along the way the group interrogated Doran and managed to get out of him that Ketkis
was heading to another cult of Tzoruul called the Fists of Tzoruul, who resided
somewhere in the Nordlands. Doran told the heroes to seek them in a place called
Orungar. A few days further into their journey, Doran attempted an escape when he
thought an opportunity presented itself, but Ayden had been remaining alert to just
such an attempt and filled the evil mage full of arrows before he could cast any
protective spells upon himself, slaying he who had proved to be the groups greatest
nemesis to this point.
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Arrival At Kark
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Finally arriving at the fortress of berfhrung which guards the pass into Karkland,
where they were lucky to find a guard who shared a language with them (Travenspenova),
and were finally able to gain entry into the Nordlands. Pressing through the pass,
they arrive in Kark as spring draws to a close.
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However, not really knowing their way around, or what to do exactly, the heroes
remain in Kark for some time, where they also as a matter of course became involved
in several side adventures both individually and in twos and threes.
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Eventually the Var warrior Arganat decided to depart to visit relatives in the (relatively)
nearby Varhold of Vorun.
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Ayden disappeared for several months without explanation, in his usual imperious
way, pursuing his own ambitions.
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Kjar attempted (without much success) to discover and learn some local magic,
and had several run ins with the territorial
Order of Esow. Saemund and Fyrclian eventually pulled a repeat of their
business venture in Zerlaaga, though this time Saemund didn't bother to buy a place
of his own and instead reached an arrangement with a smith who was laid up with
a broken leg and couldn't work the forge himself.
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Kjar proved to be frustrated by the incompatibility of the Nordmanner magic with
his own manner of magic, but he did befriend a member of the
Brotherhood of Stahryc, which is a rival society of Spellweavers to the
Order of Esow, named Vadim who sought him out after hearing of some of Kjar's
successful encounters against Esowyc.
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Saemund met a Thurnik Hurgur named Taared after a "misunderstanding".
The two honor-bound warriors eventually came to an accord and friendship. Taared
was a very experienced adventurer with around 70 years of action under his belt,
and furthermore was a recognized expert on the extensive and famous undercity of
Kark, which is full of adventure opportunities. .
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QUEST ON HOLD, ADVENTURE BECKONS
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Various members of the group had several encounters in and around Kark under his
guidance during this time, which were all quite exciting and interesting in their
own right. Saemund, Fyrclian, and Vadim also acquired various magic items from the
depths of Kark on various adventures. Vadim sold his, but Saemund and Fyrclian kept
theirs. However these adventures, for all their excitement, had no bearing whatsoever
on the greater quest aside from honing the skills of the various heroes.
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The group also encountered devotees and cults of various "gods" while
in Kark, which was at the very least an educational experience for them as this
phenomenon was unknown in Machtig lands.
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Ayden eventually returned with a few new tricks up his sleeves, but was tightlipped
about where he had gone and what he had done in the meantime. With the addition
of Taared and the very knowledgeable Vadim who seemed to know much of the ways of
his native Nordmanner lands, and with some members of the group having learned the
Nordsprech language in the meantime, the heroes finally felt ready to press on and
resume their search for Ketkis.
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Murbrog & Centhaus
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Taking a boat across Mir Kaltersek, eventually bound for Orungar, the groups plans
went awry when the boat docked at Murbrog. Attempting to leave the boat to take
in the city for a bit at Vadim's urging while the Captain of the boat carried out
certain mercantile functions in the port.
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MISADVENTURE IN MURBROG
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The lot of them were immediately accosted by the local customs agent and accused
of smuggling. The customs agent attempted to put them under arrest of the city guard,
but Saemund refused to be disarmed and a fight ensued on the docks of Murbrog which
Vadim and Taared initially refused to participate in, aghast at the actions of their
Machtig companions.
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Ayden slipped away invisible, while Saemund, Kjar, and Fyrclian furiously fought
a contingent of the local guard who despite receiving reinforcements initially found
themselves outmatched vs. the two seasoned warriors and the spells of the Obermancer,
but eventually an elite squad shows up and the three Machtig were pinned down on
a wharf with no where to go but into the drink.
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However, Kjar cast one of his most recently learned spells and summoned a water
elemental that proceeded to wreak mass havoc. In the ensuing confusion Ayden started
sniping out a hole in the ranks of the guards from behind, through which Saemund,
Kjar, and Fyrclian broke out of their trap, pausing only long enough to subdue the
guardsmen holding Vadim and Taared under arrest; more or less against the protest
of those two worthies who did not wish to be declared outlaws.
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But despite their misgivings Taared and Vadim had few options and ultimately chose
to flee thru the streets of Murbrog with the four Machtig. After a harrowing chase
thru the ancient city Ayden's typical confusion in urban areas led him to make a
wrong turn, and the group was trapped in a dead ended courtyard off a twisty alley.
However, the lucky Fyrclian, perhaps aided by her Druidic Gift, tripped and fell,
sliding into a low grate in the side of one of the facing buildings, which turned
out to be hinged!
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She slid right through the grate, into what proved to be a chute downward. Most
of the rest of the group followed her into the hidey hole, but Saemund and Taared
were too large to fit. However, not to be outdone, Saemund unlimbered his mighty
magical Varic Pick and proceeded to use its enchantment to bring down the buildings
on both sides of the cul-de-sac leading into the court yard, blocking off their
pursuers and enabling him to take the time to remove the grate and make the hole
into the chute big enough for him and Taared to fit, and the two soon followed their
comrades to safety.
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It turned out that Fyrclian had stumbled across a way into the undercity used by
the Thieves Guild of Murbrog, known as the Shawls. After floundering around in the
underground for a while, the group found themselves surrounded in a grotto by a
highly agitated band of thieves.
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VADIM REVEALED & BREAKING OUT OF MURBROG
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Vadim soon proved to be not what he seemed. It was revealed that in addition to
his society existing as a magical order, they also dabble as smugglers, spies, information
brokers, and other such activities to supplement their resources, due to being the
heavy underdogs vs. their rivals, the Order of Esoywc. He really was smuggling something,
and was recognized by a port official and thus the entire engagement was his fault.
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Vadim made nice with the Shawl thieves and delivered a pouch of something he was
smuggling to them. The Shawls' leader, Riolto, encouraged the group to leave the
city via one of the Shawls escape routes, but Saemund refused to leave his wagon
and Bjolloc, which were presumably still on their boat. The Shawls quickly determined
that the wagon, its contents, and the horse have been impounded by the customs office.
Not having any of that, Saemund, Fyrclian, and under protest Vadim subsequently
raided the impound yard that night, and recovered Saemund's kit and particulars.
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The three then rode hard for the south gate where Kjar and Ayden awaited, and ambushed
the guards there. Taared, who was a very lawful sort, refused to help in this plan
and had exited the city via the offered escape route earlier that day, and met back
up with the group on the road.
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ESCAPE AND PURSUIT
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From there the group traveled towards Varford, though they didn't know at first
that the council of Murbrog had put a bounty on their heads and a Road Warden named
Unther, along with his posse, had been dispatched to apprehend them.
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The group first encountered the Road Warden and his men a couple of days later on
the way Varford, but are able to avoid them thanks to Ayden's sharp senses. Taking
stock, the group waives off on going to Varford, and instead press east on back
roads, heading for Centhaus as Vadim says that Centlund (of which Centhaus is the
capital) is a competitor of Murenland (of which Murbrog is the capital) and thus
the warrants for their arrest would not be servable as the two fiefs are basically
antagonistic.
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Unther figured out their aim however, and doubled back to give pursuit. The posse
finally caught up with the slower moving heroes not two leagues from the border
with Centlund, and the heroes were forced to give combat to them despite Taared's
protests. Kjar razed most of the posse with a couple of well placed spells, while
Saemund and Fyrclian fought the front runners. Eventually Vadim pitched in as well.
Fyrclian finally slew Unther after a furious duel, while Saemund held off three
of the posse who sought to overwhelm him by press of numbers.
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Taared and Saemund had a few words in the aftermath, with Saemund expressing his
irritation that Taared repeatedly refused to fight, while Taared expressed his dismay
at the total lack of respect for laws of the land and their duly appointed representatives
displayed by the Machtig. Eventually they tabled their lack of quorum and agreed
to disagree based on their mutual (but different) ideas of honor.
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WELCOME TO CENTHAUS
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Finally arriving in Centhaus, the group found it to be largely controlled by the
Cult of Verinc, who call themselves the Versamkirche, and ruled over by the devotees
of Verinc called the Heiligkamper, but with many smaller cults of an unclean nature
lurking beneath the radar similar to what the heroes had encountered in Kark on
some of their various side adventures.
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Saemund found himself accepted by a female Herennenmarke of Verinc named Olga Hertzlar
that the group met in the first few days after arriving in Centhaus, who took a
fancy to Saemund and tried to both convert and woo him.
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INTER-PARTY STRIFE
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Strife and discord set in among some of the members of the group.
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Several weeks into the groups adventures in the city, Taared took his leave of them,
finally unable to deal with the chaos they seemed to wreak everywhere they went.
While he respected Saemund, Kjar, Fyrclian, Ayden, and particularly the somewhat
shifty Vadim rubbed him the wrong way.
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For her part the somewhat overbearing Olga took a strong dislike to Vadim, and seemed
to regard Fyrclian as a competitor for the affections of Saemund. Kjar and Fyrclian's
incessant sniping at each other increased, and Ayden continued to be something of
a diva. Saemund of course seemed to be oblivious to all this infighting. The only
people that were really getting along were Vadim and Kjar, who had started off friendly
at their initial meeting many months before in Kark, and had found a kindred spirit
in one another with closer association.
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SUCCESS AND MELODRAMA
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The group had various misadventures chasing down a Cult which the group was sure
was dedicated to Tzoruul, with Olga's wholehearted assistance. However they finally
routed out the Cult only to discover that it was in fact dedicated to Blaendysh.
The Machtig were quite irritated with themselves for having wasted time in this
fashion, but to be fair it was an easy mistake to make and they did well to act
on the information that they had available to them.
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With the prospects of Saemund departing her city, Olga made her big move; she put
it to him directly that she intended for them to be wed, and made it clear that
whatever man she chooses as her husband must follow Verinc. However Saemund flatly
refused the worship of anything other than the Machtig worship of the Natural Order,
and told her of the Machtig beliefs that all "gods" such as Verinc are
just manipulating entities from beyond that use humanity for their own purposes.
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A massive row ensued, and Olga finally departed but soon returned with an angry
posse of Heiligkamper and citizenry of the Versamkirche and the remaining heroes
(Saemund, Kjar, Fyrclian, Ayden, and Vadim) found themselves holed up in basement
Vadim found for them to hide in.
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A NEW ALLY AND ESCAPE FROM CENTHAUS
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Unexpectedly a man claiming to be a Sheppard of Mherazen (god of Death, Knowledge,
and Law) named Karestal approached the group in their hidey hole, and informed
them that his fate, as made known to him by his god, was to guide the group to Orungar
and help them defeat the followers of Tzoruul to be found there.
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He revealed to them that Orungar is not controlled by Tzoruulites as Duran had stated;
the neighboring nation of Velkylund is. However, cultists of Tzoruul do have a presence
in Orungar, are attempting to seize greater control in the city, and are allied
with the ruling family of Velstrum (the capital of Velkylund). He claims that it
has been foretold to him that if the Tzoruulites take control of Orungar a great
war will eventually break out as a result of it that will leave the northlands a
blazing war zone for at least a decade and must thus be prevented.
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The heroes were not quite sure how to receive this newcomer, particularly after
just having had a bad experience with a devotee of a different god and of course
having had run ins with followers of Tzoruul and Blaendysh as well. However, Karestal
also said he could guide the heroes out of Centlund, avoiding the many patrols of
Versamkirche looking for them after Olga's denouncement. Saemund, Kjar, and Fyrclian
were prepared to fight their way out, but Vadim and Ayden prevailed upon them to
accept Karestal's guidance by pointing out that if it didn't work, they'd get to
fight anyway.
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Karestal proved true to his word and lead the group out of city by a circuitous
and apparently random route through back alleys, basements, catacombs, and even
over the roofs in some places. He claimed to be guided by his god, and whether it
was true or not they managed to quit the city undetected against all odds.
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An Old Friend In Orungar
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The group then traveled to Orungar and quickly hunted out the cult of Tzoruul, a
task they were quite adept at thanks to their experiences in Kark and Centhaus.
They discovered that Ketkis had become an important figure thanks to bringing the
relic he had escaped Zerlaaga with.
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After becoming aware of the group's presence from the reports of underlings, Ketkis
mobilized the powerful and dangerous Fists of Tzoruul cult against the heroes at
the inn they were staying at, and a massive battle soon ensued. Taken by surprise,
the group was hard set upon. Kjar was badly injured in the initial moments of the
struggle, but was saved by his friend Vadim at great risk to his own safety, and
subsequently healed by Karestal.
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Fyrclian ended up facing Ketkis in one on one combat while Saemund was occupied
by a pack of attackers, and was badly injured by the highly lethal knife and strongly
Gifted fighter. Saemund was finally able to break free and come to her aid before
Ketkis could deliver a killing stroke, but the canny opponent promptly fled the
scene. With Ketkis gone the Fists of Tzoruul are quickly overwhelmed by an irritated
Saemund and a restored Kjar, with Vadim and Karestal contributing strongly as well.
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After the battle Karestal communed with his patron, and determined that Ketkis had
fled across the lake to Kark, taking the relic with him. With a groan of irritation,
the heroes loaded back up on a boat and sailed back across the lake to the ancient
city of Kark, making sure the boat captain understood that they must give Murbrog
a pass.
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Return To Kark
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Arriving back in Kark, the heroes took basically back up where they had been on
their previous visit, and even with Karestal's help were unable to find Ketkis immediately.
They again had a series of adventures in Kark both individually and in groups.
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They were also rejoined by the Var warrior Arganat who had been residing in the
city for a while after returning and finding the heroes gone.
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They were also briefly rejoined by Taared, who had returned to Kark on his own after
departing the company of the heroes.
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DEFEAT OF KETKIS
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After a series of misadventures, Saemund, Kjar, Fyrclian, Ayden, Arganat, Taared,
Vadim, and Karestal finally cornered Ketkis in his lair in the undercity of Kark,
where he was building a new cult of Tzoruul around himself. Karestal called upon
his patron to prevent Ketkis from merging with shadows to escape, and though he
and his minions put up a fierce fight Ketkis finally fell to the combined might
of the heroes. After dispatching Ketkis and the last of the cultist, they found
the relic of Tzoruul which was revealed to be an inky black coil that was very difficult
to look upon as it seemed to constantly shift form in an entirely unnatural fashion.
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Karestal, calling on his patron to protect himself, took the relic into his care
and informed the others that lest they have some strong objection his order would
see to it that the relic was well hidden and protected with powerful wards. The
Machtig heroes said that they must wait for a sign from the Grand Druid but nominally
didn't have an issue with that.
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With the completion of their quest, Taared once again parted company with the Arrows,
for the final time.
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Vadim also had to depart the group to pursue some tasks for his society, but he
and Kjar had become the best of friends and he promised to seek them out again if
they are still in Kark when he returns. He also informed Kjar that he had identified
him to his society as a friend, and gave him instructions on who to talk to should
he need to get word to Vadim or be in dire need of assistance.
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RETASKED
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That night as they slept, and much as they expected, the remaining four Arrows had
a vision from the Grand Druid. He informed them that their quest was almost complete,
but the Machtig are facing a war with the Kor, who are led by a powerful warlord
invested with dark powers...another cult of Tzoruul. As it happens, this warlord
was none other than Gardrak, who Doran had bartered a relic of Tzoruul to in return
for hounding the heroes as they crossed the Kor lands almost two years before, though
the heroes did not know it.
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The warlord is traveling the lands of the Kor gathering support and unifying all
the Kor tribes the Druids have foreseen that if he is successful, the Kor will attack
en masse in numbers that the Machtig are not currently prepared to face. It falls
to the surviving Arrows to seek out this warlord and defeat, or at least check him.
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The Grand Druid revealed that this warlord his aiding other Kor tribes with their
various struggles as a way to earn their loyalty and debt, and is currently warring
against the Vorgaanese west of the Vold and over the mountains.
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When asked, the Grand Druid had no issue with them giving the relic over to Karestal,
saying that the omens indicated no harm (to the Machtig) in it. And thus in the
morning when the four woke they indicated their assent to Karestal, who promptly
said his good byes, took the relic, and left immediately.
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Though the heroes did not realize it, Karestal was not truly a servant of Mherazen,
but was instead a devotee of Tzoruul; part of a cult calling itself The Friends
in Shadow who worship Tzoruul as a god of Knowledge, Good, and Trickery. Unlike
most gods who are fairly constant in their aspects and the way they are worshiped,
Tzoruul is a complex and multifaceted dynamic entity that is viewed and worshipped
in widely different and sometimes mutually exclusive ways. Unlike the Zerlaaga Sept,
the Fists of Tzoruul, and the Kor-vashi, the Friends in Shadow are typically a benign
organization.
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Clueless has to how to cross the vast distance between Kark and and the lands the
Grand Druid has bid them travel to, the group sought out a guide or fellow traveler
to join forces with along the way. They eventually encounter Brother Ernault
of the Order of the Closed Fist.
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A Brother-Errant, Ernault was in Kark completing some business for his Order and
was about to head back to his home fortress of Barizan, which is near Loreth, the
capital of Lanolyan.
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Kark-Lanolyan Trade Route
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Ernault revealed, or more accurately confirmed as the heroes had already observed
the end of it in their previous adventures, that there is a trade route around the
rim of the mountains from the fortress at berfhrung, past the Varholds of Vorun
and Vasen, around the curve of the Kor lands, that finally crosses into Lanolyan
in the small corner of land it claims between Kor-Vek and Aelora, where Lanolyan
mans a garrison to keep that land open for the purpose of the trade route to Kark.
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This route is a long and somewhat dangerous journey, but it is definitely passable
by a well armed group and better than any of the alternatives. Ernault further revealed
that though it would seem to be out of their way as the crow flies once they arrived
at the capital of Lanolyan on the west coast, the fine city of Loreth, they could
take passage down the Vandalor River to Lake Foryin and from there to wherever they
like in the southern Vorgaanese basin making it actually a rather smart way to travel.
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NEW ALLY
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Saemund, Kjar, Fyrclian, Ayden, and Arganat traveled along this path with the doughty
Brother Ernault for many weeks. They had several encounters with both Kor and bandits,
but the group easily was victorious in all such encounters and soon the word spread
that they were not to be trifled with. Along the way the group encountered a strangely
dressed solitary traveler who had obviously been in a recent fight with some bandits,
easily determined by the several bodies strewn about, but was wounded in the process
and laid unconscious where he fell after the battle. Saemund and Ernault insisted
they aid the man who was clearly a skilled warrior to have felled so many foes single-handedly,
and Saemund's chiurgy was once again put to good use.
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Eventually restored, the man was revealed to be a Kaer-Naese totem warrior named
Ul-Nar who was on a spirit quest. Ul-Nar declared that his fate was tied
to that of those who had saved him from death, and requested permission to travel
with the group until he could repay his debt to them. The heroes promised it was
not necessary to repay any debt, but that he could of course accompany them.
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The group eventually arrived at Ernault's home fortress at Barizan where it was
revealed that the Kor-Nith tribe had been escalating their seemingly eternal war
with Jarval-Beah and for the first time in centuries the Jarval-Beah's were losing
ground and are in distress. Apparently the Kor had a new found zeal and there were
reports of some of them using dark magics in battle.
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The heroes, experienced in the ways of Tzoruul, immediately realized that this must
be the hand of the warlord the Grand Druid set them against, and they declared their
intention to travel to Jarval-Beah to assist against the Kor assaults. Brother Ernault
had been informed that a large force of Brothers were going to travel from Barizan
to Jarval-Beah to fight as mercenaries in the growing Kor conflict, and as he has
been impressed with the band's fighting prowess on their journey, he pulled some
strings and offered them passage to Jarval-Beah.
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He also offered to continue to travel with them himself, as if they were going to
be going after the leaders of the Kor forces directly, he should be able to collect
good intelligence in the process to feed back to units from his own Order.
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However the Var warrior Arganat was unwilling to travel via water for that great
of a distance, and regretfully took his leave of the group once again. The heroes
proceeded south via river craft as winter claimed the north once again.
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War in Jarval-Beah
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Saying their goodbyes to Arganat, the group took ship with the Brothers of the Order
and eventually arrived in Jarval-Beah in good order. Once there Saemund, Kjar, Fyrclian,
Ayden, Ernault, and Ul-Nar became very active in the massive war effort on the front
between the Kor-Nith tribe lands and Jarval-Beah. In the Jarval-Beahan fashion the
group was asked to provide a name for their company by which they could be referred
to and tracked on maps, and after some prevarication, Saemund dubbed the group simply
The Arrows.
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The war zone was not a pleasant place, and the Jarval-Beahans were losing a little
ground each week. There was a battle or some action somewhere along the very long
battle front each day, and initially the group was busy just helping to slow the
Kor's advance. They fought in many actions in an entirely knee jerk fashion for
several months, lending their might to the massive struggle. On many occasions the
group encountered Kor with what were obviously (to them) Gifts of Tzoruul among
the masses of Kor tribesmen.
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FAME AND GLORY AMASSED
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However, despite the grim and desperate backdrop, Kjar was finally happy and came
into his own. Not only were his highly flashy and destructive Obermancy magics well
noted in the many actions the group participated in, winning Kjar much popularity
and recognition from the assembled and varied companies and societies fighting for
Jarval-Beah, but he met several practitioners of what proved to be compatible magical
arts among the other fighting companies, namely Wizards, Magni, and Sorcerers. To
be sure the irascible and crotchety Kjar did not get along with every single one
of his fellow practitioners, but he did manage to make some arrangements with a
few of them and learned many new and interesting spells in the process.
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Not to be outdone, each of the other members of the small but elite Arrows made
names for themselves as well. Saemund earned his repute for his ability to slay
the hardy Kor so easily and his seeming invincibility. Fyrclian earned hers as a
rough riding scout that was able to penetrate deep behind enemy lines to gather
information and return with it seemingly unscathed.
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For his part Ayden had fun chasing skirt among the fighting companies and camp followers,
but also became known as a seemingly unequaled and deadly sniper, archer, and scout
(though his more esoteric abilities were generally unknown and kept a secret). Brother
Ernault soon proved to be an incredibly potent hand to hand fighter capable of seemingly
impossible feats of athleticism and power. Ul-Nar proved to have fearsome totemic
Gifts that made him a fierce warrior and very effective scout.
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ON THE OFFENSIVE
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After the front was stabilized, the Arrows went on the offensive, working as an
elite force willing to penetrate the enemies lines and operate independently. Working
together Fyrclian, Ayden, and Ul-Nar were easily among the most effective reconnaissance
assets across the entire warfront, with only a couple of other assets from other
units contributing equivalent amounts of solid intelligence. Finally the three discovered
the location of the leader behind the Kor's resurgence, Warlord Gardek, and his
leadership cadre.
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Returning to the Jarval-Beahan lines Saemund used the reputation he and The Arrows
had accrued to convince the commanders of the Jarval-Beahan forces that Gardek was
in fact the source of their recent Kor problems, and that if he wasn't removed or
checked things would only get worse as he brought greater numbers of Kor under his
banner and inducted more devotees to Tzoruul.
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After Saemund's appeal, which was an imposing piece of oratory and warrior grandstanding,
an elite force was assembled from among the very best of the companies fighting
for the Jarval-Beahans, including the remains of the legendary Durodad which had
arrived to fight Kor at the beginning of the war. The strike force was putatively
lead by Lord Baredeth, a Jarval-Beahan noble, but in reality it was lead by the
Arrows and the Durodad who though few in number were the most dangerous members
of the force. Saemund and the leader of the Durodad, the infamous Hooded Man, quickly
reached an unspoken understanding and the ineffective posturing of Lord Baredeth
was simply ignored.
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Penetrating deep into Kor lands, the unit struck Gardek's camp, and a furious battle
broke out. In the end, taken unprepared, Gardek and his closest supporters were
forced to flee and the Kor-Nith were demoralized sufficiently for the Jarval-Beahan
forces to turn the tide over the next few weeks. Pursued closely by the strike force,
Gardek and crew were forced to return to the east of the mountains, while the strike
force had to turn back before they were drawn too deeply into Kor territory.
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Many members of the strike force were slain in the extended fighting, including
Ul-Nar who took a blow meant for Brother Ernault and thus, in some way, repaid his
perceived life debt.
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WINDING DOWN OF WAR
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The Arrows stayed in the war a few more months until the Kor-Nith had been pushed
back and the original borders reestablished.
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Meanwhile, over the next few months Gardek war mongered among the eastern tribes,
gaining enough support to start a new war with the Machtig, but without fatefully
without the full weight of all the Kor Tribes both east and west of the mountains
it is a much less overwhelming threat than it would have been
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With the war finally back to its usual footing in Jarval-Beah, the heroes minus
Brother Ernault and plus one or two others bound for the same direction and the
Durodad, crossed the pass from Travice and returned to Zerlaaga.
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Landrothi Reunification War
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In Zerlaaga the four Arrows reunited with their old ally Kurtzen, who implored their
aid to help his combined Undari and mercenary forces annex the neighboring "nation"
of Allishan, so as to present a united front against the rising Kor hostilities.
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The heroes also discovered that over the course of the past three years since they
were last in Zerlaaga, an informal alliance had been forged between Landroth and
the Machtig, but the Herodi generally refused to recognize it. However the Pargori
Oberlaird had agreed to a soft alliance, and the Wundvolding Laird abided by it.
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Once again the band bumped into Arganat, who was working as a caravan guard along
the trade route and happened to be in Zerlaaga en route to Shidaal. Once he was
informed of his old adventuring companions' intent to fight in not one but two wars,
he immediately quit his caravan and rejoined their number a third time.
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ALLISHAN CONQUERED
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Allishan was quickly overwhelmed and effectively annexed with the only impediment
proving to be the city of Kasaad. Various concessions and promise of a degree of
self-rule was extended to Kasaad (the only resource of any value in all of Allishan
regardless), and the entire campaign was over before the moon spun twice in the
sky.
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A BRIEF RESPITE
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After aiding the Landrothi forces in taking the land around Kasaad and forcing Kasaad
to concede to annexation, the Landrothi forces proceeded to prepare for the war
with the Kor that everyone knew was coming. In the lull Saemund took the opportunity
to visit his nearby home at Caer Ungorhaus, which is very close to Kasaad. Fyrclian
and Saemund had been becoming closer over the years, and she chose to accompany
him in this journey. Over the next few months they became romantically involved,
ending years of encroaching sexual tension between them, and ultimately Kjar's repeated
taunts that Fyrclian preferred women to men.
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Ayden chose to remain in Kasaad, which he found quite to his liking and where he
became more familiar with city life; particularly the wonders of the plentiful and
exotic brothels.
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Kjar on the other hand had no desire to return to the Vold and instead used some
of his new magic to travel the great distance to the city of Panka to study magic
with one of the Sorcerers he had struck up a working relationship with during the
Jarval-Beahan war, a worthy practitioner known as Master Teroz.
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The Fourth Machtig - Kor War
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Several months later, Warlord Gardek made his expected return and lead a horde of
Kor from several tribes through the lands of Landroth on the way to the Vold. However
quite unexpectedly he discovered his way barred by a fighting line of mercenaries
in the service of Landroth, Landrothi Cavalry, and some units of Wundvolding Thegns
on Freiwilliger. The advance was slowed sufficiently for the Arrows to re-gather
and join the fight in Landroth alongside their old ally Kurtzen.
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But the horde of Kor was too large to be held in the open ground for long, and a
fighting retreat ensue, with defenses concentrated around Zerlaaga and Kasaad and
ceding the open plains land in between.
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MACHTIG POLITICS AND THEIR AFFECT ON THE WAR
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Meanwhile, back in the Vold, Oberlaird Kaenha's popularity had been falling off
both within his own Clan, and among the other eight Clans as well due to growing
dissatisfaction with the fact that even with war looming he had not called the Clans
to War, convinced that a diplomatic solution could be found with the Kor. However,
due to the Machtig tradition that the Oberlaird can not be challenged in any circumstance
save by one of their own Clan challenging for Lairdship there was nothing the other
eight Clans could do.
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However Kaenha was finally supplanted, for good or ill, by Brand Jormundreksson,
the Pargori Reeve of Alarsvik. Brand had long been gathering support among the Pargori
Clan, had a history of run ins with Kaenha (in fact he helped defend Saemund against
the heavy hand of Kaenha when the Arrows were first formed), and finally made his
move. Brand was voted as the Pargori Laird after Kaenha's defeat.
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However in a great upset, the ensuing vote for Oberlaird did not go to the Herodi
Laired Reserei as was widely expected; instead it went to the Wundvolding Laird
Dyorgrim. Though the Herodi, Ulthferen, Raevoring, and ironically even Dyorgrim
himself all voted for Reserei, the Pargori, Huarthmunn, Hengsting, and Jagrling
votes went to Dyorgrim.
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Dyorgrim's efforts to meet the threat of the Kor directly despite Kaenha's unwillingness
to call the Clans to war won him great support; further the Jagrling Laird did not
want to see the Herodi Laird Reserei move to reinstate the "gift" of lycanthropy
of the Ulthferen Clan (the Herodi and Ulthferen are traditionally extremely close
allies), the Huarthmunn Laird hero worships Dyorgrim, the new Pargori Laird Brand
saw Dyorgrim as a more level headed and conservative leader than Reserei, and Chigante...well,
who ever knew what Chigante was REALLY thinking? The Faendradi Laird Neirin abstained
from voting, and thus the vote went to the Grand Druid to break the tie; The Grand
Druid voted for Dyorgrim without hesitation.
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Reserei was furious of course, but Dyorgrim put him to immediate use, tasking Reserei
to take as many Herodi as he could field without risking his borders out onto the
Undari plains to slay Kor with impunity; and specifically not the Landrothi allies.
Members of the Wundvolding Steinwach were dispatched to accompany the Herodi and
observe that this restriction was observed.
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As an aside, Kaenha departed the Vold in semi-disgrace, and purchased a handsome
estate in Worfinal where he naturally transitioned into a merchant prince of sorts
and lived to a ripe old age amassing tremendous wealth, though he never visited
his homeland again.
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THE WEIGHT OF ALL THE CLANS TRIUMPHANT, AND THE END OF THE QUEST
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It took a few weeks to get all the pieces in place and remember how to fight big
wars, but eventually the rust got knocked off and the full weight of the Machtig
hordes broke the Kor. The Warlord Gardek was defeated in a final climactic battle
by the Arrows, who fought their way through intervening forces to confront Gardek
again directly. The would-be Kor unifier fell to Saemund in one on one combat, while
the others slew his command staff and bodyguards.
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The Aftermath, Politics, and Affect On The Setting
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With the failure of the Tzoruul devotees, i.e. Kor-voshi, to win the war the cult
once again fell out of favor with the Kor and thus, in a way, the real danger to
the Machtig of a unified Kor nation was subverted by the extended actions of the
Arrows. Similarly the potential leadership of a hawkish and hostile Landroth was
subverted and turned into a useful alliance, and a good deal of disruption by the
followers of outer powers was wreaked in the lands of the Nordmanner, with unknowable
consequences.
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Thus the loosing of the Nine Arrows proved to be auspicious and the future of the
Machtig was ensured for at least a little longer. Further, the tales of the prowess
of the surviving Arrows were spread to many lands, and grew in the telling, reinforcing
the myth of Machtig invincibility in many lands.
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In the aftermath of the Arrows' faring, as the war with the Kor was winding down
it was discovered that the Zadeshi Empire had thought it would be a good idea to
press their long planned attack on the Machtig while they were distracted to the
west and had launched a concerted assault on Caer Ryd and Caer Rukia in the Clanhold
of the Herodi. With so many warriors afield to the west, the Zed were able to make
some progress in their invasion, but with the defeat of the Kor the forces of the
Machtig quickly pivoted and in particular the many Herodi warriors set to with a
fury that the Zed were completely unprepared for.
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Many Machtig made names for themselves in the following weeks of conflict, including
several Herodi Obermancers due to the ferocity with which they fought the Adepts
and Urzadreds that accompanied the Zed occupational forces. The Druids also cast
many powerful magics that bedeviled the invaders and proved once again to any that
cared to realize it that their magic, though subtle, is not to be underestimated
or trifled with.
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In the end, the highly irritated Machtig crushed the invaders almost to the man,
with very few surviving to escape. Immediately following a massive horde of about
750,000 Herodi under Reserei's direct command set out and crossed over into Arvanis,
and though they took unexpected casualties due to the extensive fortifications and
defenses the Zed had been building in preparation for exactly this scenario for
about a hundred and fifty years, over the course of a long summer they practically
razed the entire nation to the ground and put every person in a Zed uniform to the
sword.
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In a repeat of their previous defeat with the Machtig almost two centuries prior,
the Zed were forced to retreat across the Daelur-Calish River. Over the winter Reserei
pressed the case with Dyorgrim that the Zed represented a real threat and must be
taught an even greater lesson. Dyorgrim felt that the defeat of their invasion and
razing of Arvanis was likely a sufficient lesson, but surprisingly Chigante agreed
with Reserei that it was not enough to ultimately deter the Zedeshi. Chigante proceeded
to lay such a strong case before Dyorgrim, that he was forced to agree that perhaps
more punitive actions were called for.
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Thus the next spring Reserei returned to Arvanis with a combined force of Herodi,
Hengsting, Huarthmunn, Wundvolding, and Ulthferen and proceeded to do to Famor and
Akosa what they did to Arvanis the year before, much to the dismay of the Zedeshi,
Famorians, and Akosans. On the way back home the marauding Machtig also did a pretty
good job of thrashing most of Orogorosh as well as reprisals for some ambushes they
had been subjected to but the natives.
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The message was clear: the Machtig giant might have been taking a nap for a while,
but it was definitely awake now and not in the mood to mess about.
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|
Under Dyorgrim's leadership formal alliances were forged with Landroth, several
remote Machtig communities were formally recognized and the existing treaties with
Shidaal and Worfinal were hardened. In particular, a strong treaty of alliance in
return for tithe and preferential trade agreements was forged with Shidaal, though
to be fair this was a fruition of a process Kaenha started and nurtured over many
years.
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|
Dyorgrim eventually retired from Lairdship a decade later, and Reserei finally became
the Oberlaird. However the ensuing decade had done much to temper and educate the
once hot headed young man, and between them Kaenha and Dyorgrim and taught him many
important lessons. Reserei had a long tenure as Oberlaird, and under his leadership
the Kor were once again driven from the Undari basin, forced over the mountains
to the west.
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He also instituted a system of tithes & tributes from the Undari nations, and
transformed the warrior faring process of raiding into more of a quest to seek out
adventures, hunt down monsters, and conduct patrols to keep the Zed on the east
side of the mountains and to affect Machtig dominance of the region. By the end
of his long reign most of the Undari basin was effectively a protectorate of a Machtig
Hegemony and the Machtig nation represented the most powerful unified nation currently
on either continent.
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Closure
|
|
As for the Arrows:
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|
Fyrclian remained with Saemund for more than a year, but soon her wanderlust
claimed her and they parted. She had several more adventures, riding with the horde
that sacked Famor and Akosa, and eventually returned to the Hengsting lands to take
her place amongst the Shutze.
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|
She had many more small adventures and romances and even had a daughter named Cliandra
who eventually proved to be an Obermancer. Fyrclian became famous among her people
as one of the greatest of the Shutze, and served as an inspiration to a generation
of women warriors which saw an increase in women Thegns among the Hengsting, but
true to her geas she never married or found lasting peace.
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Saemund had achieved his greatest desire, to make a name for himself
by his own deeds so that he no longer lived under the shadow of his family's legend.
Though feted for politics by his Reeve father and the Laird Dyorgrim, Saemund preferred
to take the same route as his honored grandfather.
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He retired to Caer Ungorhaus and worked the family forge with his grandfather
Farbjorn, and soon his ability as an armor and eventually a Runecrafter became justly
famed. Products of his craft became greatly demanded far and wide, and his wealth
became the stuff of stories. Saemund, though he missed Fyrclian at first, eventually
took a good Wundvolding woman to wife who bore him several strong and strapping
sons to carry on the family legacy of greatness.
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Kjar
never returned to the Vold; he returned to Panka and resumed his studies into the
mystical arts, and eventually studied in Ieshali and Shidaal as well, and even returned
to Lanolyan for a few months to study the spells particular to the practitioners
of Arcanis Magnicus.
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He lived a long, extended lifespan, and became famous among the Vorgaanese
for his mastery of magic. Over the years he also taught several Machtig Obermancers
who were inspired by him and sought him out even outside the Vold, and indirectly
contributed via is legend and the doings of those he had instructed to something
of a Renaissance among the Obermancers of the Machtig as a whole, who were enjoying
a level of acceptance and even glory that had not been theirs for several centuries.
Surprisingly Kjar married a buxom young Folgetovan Sorceress named Ysold and they
had fraternal twins together, one male and one female, who were both marked by the
elements like their father.
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Ayden
eventually sated his youthful desires and had his fill of the outside world. Returning
to the Faendradi lands he became a proponent of change, eventually challenged and
defeated the Laird Neirin, and became Laird of his people.
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Over the next century of his life he was instrumental in the struggle to stop
the decline of his Clan. He also sired at least twelve children on as many women
and his lineage was so marked as being significant that ever after those of his
line had no other last name than Aydenaled (ay-den-AH-led).
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The Saga of Nine Arrows was written by the Hoher Skalding Hundi Idmundsson,
who the Arrows had met early in their adventures and who traveled to see each of
them and learn of their adventures after their return. It became one of the lasting
sagas of the Machtig and was told for centuries thereafter ensuring that the names
of the Arrows and their deeds would live on in the memory of their people.
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Those allies that aided them along their way generally also fared well.
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Kurtzen's position as effectively the Warlord of Landroth ensured he lived
a life of power, influence, and respectable wealth which is all he ever could have
wanted. He was instrumental in ensuring that Landroth retained greater independence
and pride of place as allies of the Machtig rather than a protectorate in the ensuing
years as the Machtig came to dominate the Undari basin, which is a feat of statesmanship
that cannot be underestimated and which had ramifications that were felt for many
decades.
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Arganat joined Saemund at Caer Ungorhaus, where he remained for many years
working the forges and pursuing the arts of the Runes which he had learned the basics
of from his father years before. He and Saemund became enduring friends, and Arganat
remained working side by side as his partner until Saemund's death, save for occasional
visits to the Varholds in the Vold area. After Saemund died, he returned to Vrenak
and became an Arwyddlun.
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Brother Ernault progressed far in his Order, eventually rising to be a Brother-Marshal.
He lived a long full life and was one of the powers within his Order for many years.
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The crafty Vadim served his society well as one of their most reliable agents
for many years, but finally met his end a couple of decades after parting company
with the Arrows, at the hands of a gang of brigands who waylaid a caravan he was
traveling with.
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Olga eventually found a man she considered worthy of her, another Herennenmarke
of the Heiligkamper, and bore a son named Galstorg who would eventually go on to
be a power within the Versamkirche in his day. She died in her late thirties giving
birth to a second child, who did not survive.
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Taared lived on in Kark for many years, but was eventually laid low delving
in the undercity of Kark with another band of adventurers. However, he died saving
several of his companions which is exactly the sort of way the honor bound warrior
would have chosen to go out.
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