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Dramatis Personæ

Brother Mendel (Herodian)
Gabriel Auditore (Rigil Kent)
Gestlin the Unpredictable (CommJunkee)
Magnifico the Clown (Feste)
Rainald North-Hammer (Gigermann)


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Of Comedies and Tragedies

7 Apr 2014

bs-koggeThe Heroes arose early the next morning, and were treated to a generous breakfast meal by their host. After they had eaten, Master Cray bade them ask of him what they would; the only thing they could think to need beside the ship already provided was a decent map covering the lands they were to journey through. A servant fetched a purse for Master Cray, and they left straightaway for the Simonton docks, to a well-known mapmaker there. Once some suitable maps were procured, Master Cray escorted the Heroes to the Gleaming Endeavor and introduced them to the captain, a gruff, grey-haired man called Finn, with whom they made arrangements for the immediate loading of their things. Most decided to sell their horses, though Gabriel would not part with Cometes (to none’s surprise); Rainald decided to leave his very-strong horse, Greyfell, with Master Cray, to keep until their return. Captain Finn was already informed about Gestlin’s wagon, though it was a bit bigger than he was prepared for; they decided to remove the wheels and axles, and lashed it to the deck. Captain Finn was not informed of the presence of the two dragons before, and balked at the idea of bringing them along; he insisted they be caged, but Magnifico soothed his fears with some circus tricks to prove their discipline, and the Captain relented that they should be kept on a leash instead, sleeping atop the wagon as usual. The Captain introduced his crew, including Shaun, Tully, and two dark-skinned fellows, brothers, named Bombatta and Zuba; he had to let some of his people go to make room for his passengers, and insisted that any among the Heroes who were able should help out—Rainald volunteered without hesitation, having quite a bit of experience with small sailing vessels; the others all followed suit as well, offering whatever service they were good for. They immediately went to work helping with the loading of provisions and such, including a deer or two for the dragons, and were under way before noon.

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That evening, the Captain invited the Heroes to his cabin for supper, and as they ate, he discussed the particulars of the journey: he expected around two weeks before they would reach Craine, in Megalos, where they would take on provisions, though they would stop along the way for fresh water and such. He then inquired about the Heroes’ mission, and what his part was expected to be; they decided they had nothing to hide, and told him of the facts known regarding Lord Wallace’s disappearance. Captain Finn suggested that Lord Wallace might have been taken captive by Wazifi slavers at the Sa’azaraq Straits, though none were aware of any ransom demands, which suggested Wallace might be keeping his identity secret.

Satisfied with what he’d been told, and noting Magnifico’s appearance as an entertainer, Captain Finn suggested he entertain the crew for the evening. Atop the aft-castle, Magnifico played out the story of the Heroes’ adventures together before and during the Huallapan Crusade, greatly embellished for dramatic effect, enhanced as in the old days by Brother Mendel’s magical illusory illustration. The Captain and the crew were greatly impressed, such that they were excited to be a part of this new adventure alongside them.

Several days later the Gleaming Endeavor arrived at the river-town of Donlis toward the evening, and stopped there for the night. The Heroes decided to take their ease at a somewhat-higher class of establishment this time; Magnifico had a plan to do some entertaining there, and win the crew a free round of drinks. He strode brazenly up to the tavern’s proprietor and announced his intentions; though the man was disinclined at first, Magnifico smooth-talked him into allowing him to entertain the patrons. Once again, Magnifico played out the Heroes’ story, with Brother Mendel’s illustration, and now with the crew of the Gleaming Endeavor to cheer him on as well—he even worked the crew into the story, though they were not originally there. But Magnifico had a hidden agenda; he made certain to focus on Lord Wallace’s participation in their adventures, such that someone who might have seen him recently might recognize him—and so it was, that one of the tavern patrons declared that he knew that man, Wallace. Again, at the end, Magnifico’s talents were rewarded with the praise of his audience, and many rounds of drink as he had intended. Rainald took the occasion to speak to the man who had said he had seen Lord Wallace, and extracted his story: this man was among the crew of the barge that Lord Wallace had taken from Simonton, and had been with him for some weeks, before the barge turned back at Bannock, as was their schedule—the barge was not seaworthy, and could not cross Keyhole Bay—he last saw Lord Wallace at Bannock, and had heard nothing more since.

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After a pleasant evening, the Heroes and the crew returned to the ship and set sail once again. Downriver of Donlis was a vast, shallow swampland, treacherous to navigate without a local guide, but the Captain had oft sailed these waters and knew them well. A day or so later, a body was spotted in the reeds near the riverbank, shot in the back with arrows, and not long dead by the look of it. They fished the body out of the river, and Brother Mendel cast a spell to Speak with the Dead, learning only that the dead man’s boat had been attacked from the riverbank by a hail of arrows before he had perished. Though piracy in these parts was not unusual, they normally let go their prey, taking only the cargo—the Captain agreed they should be wary, and all donned their armor. Soon after, they spied a column of smoke in the distance, and as they crept carefully forward down the river, they came upon the burning, half-sunk wreck of a riverboat—it bore a harpoon stuck deep in the rear quarter, the line cut. Seeing no sign of ambush, they continued past the wreck. Ahead, Brother Mendel and Gabriel spied what appeared to be rope below the water’s surface spanning the width of the river—a trap, meant to tear the rudder from the ship’s keel, by Gabriel’s reckoning. Captain Finn acted quickly, commanding the crew to drop the anchor and bring the ship to a full-stop; the ship strained at the line and drifted with the current, swinging ’round astern to rest a few paces before the trap. Gestlin charged up a large Fireball and blasted a log on the bank where the ropes were attached, throwing spray and splinters high into the air. Magnifico commanded Primus and Secundus to fly, and they circled wide overhead. The others scrambled about the deck to face their invisible attackers. Then, as Gestlin charged up another Fireball, someone spotted movement some distance ahead in the trees along the riverbank—men approaching, undoubtedly the pirates—and they all prepared to do battle.


Notes

  • Winston was AWOL this week; fortunately Dane wasn’t truly needed, though he definitely will be next time
  • Cometes is Gabriel’s Animal Ally, an exceptional white horse—obviously he would be going along no matter what; similarly, Gestlin’s wagon is a signature item (literally?), and would not be left behind
  • Magnifico’s player ended up rolling a “5” for both performances, plus assistance bonus from Mendel; needless to say his story was well received. The combination of Magnifico’s storytelling and Mendel’s illusions hails from the Book I adventures; anytime someone needed to be told what happened before, we’d break out the “newsreel footage”
  • There was a bit of discussion at the end about how best to clear 20yds of river to the bank, to get the fighters to land to deal with the enemy; Gabriel is an excellent swimmer, but Rainald is most definitely not (he’s at default), as is Radskyrta. At the end, we were prepared to jump as far as we could to get some distance, but success is far from certain—maybe a better plan will emerge before next session

Dramatis Personæ

Brother Mendel (Herodian)
Dane Sardock (Winston)
Gabriel Auditore (Rigil Kent)
Gestlin the Unpredictable (CommJunkee)
Magnifico the Clown (Feste)
Rainald North-Hammer (Gigermann)


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Of Robbers and Businessmen

29 Mar 2014

Magnifico demanded the one captive taken from the fight at the Ferrier bridge give up his employer; being in no condition to fight back or escape, the brigand told the Heroes of “The Seven,” a local robber-gang that operates out of the city. Shortly thereafter, the city watch finally showed up to collect the dead, wounded and incarcerated. Upon the Heroes’ inquiry, the guard-sergeant admitted that the watch here was woefully short-handed and powerless to do anything about the gang’s activities; they controlled several areas in town, one of interest being a tavern down the street a bit. After a brief discussion, the Heroes determined that they should do what they could to stamp out this menace, such that it would trouble the good people of Caithness (themselves, in particular) no more, and made their way over to the indicated tavern to “kick the hornets’ nest” and see what might come out. On the building’s eaves, they spotted a “7” scratched into the wood, and deduced they’d arrived at the right place. Radskyrta stayed outside with Gestlin’s wagon, the horses and the dragons, while the rest dismounted.

Ext. Karlstadt Tavern street set

A couple of ne’er-do-wells loitered outside the door, one of whom asked after the price of one of the dragons; Magnifico insisted they were not for sale at any price, and insulted the man when he continued to press, in disregard of Magnifico’s very serious, and final answer. Then the party pushed past and entered the establishment.

The tavern was packed with patrons—probably half the town’s population—with a number of topless female employees making their way from table to table in search of coin, by one means or another. Dane found an empty chair near a table, while the rest squeezed in at the bar. Magnifico loudly announced their presence to all present, but for lack of anything further to announce, the denizens quickly lost interest in the brightly arrayed, hunchbacked old man. The Heroes ordered drinks, and as they sipped, they scanned the crowd for seedy characters that might have taken notice of their presence, or their purses. One of the wenches identified Gestlin as a potential mark, and sidled up to him to work her magic, flustering him greatly. Magnifico “rescued” him with a song of Enthrallment, and the woman clung to him instead; he began to hint to her at his desire to speak with “The Boss,” offering what would turn out to be too little coin for the information, and she moved on to looser purses elsewhere. The Clown then turned to the bartender toward the same purpose, quoting a line from a famous play. With no knowledge of that play, thus without the proper context, the bartender took it the wrong way (or the right way, really); smiling, he offered the Heroes another round of drinks on the house. After having drunk the second round, Rainald, Gestlin and Magnifico passed out in place, poisoned; Brother Mendel and Gabriel were still nursing their first cup, and Dane wasn’t at the bar to be served the second, so they alone remained conscious, to see the half-dozen or so sword-armed thugs make their way through the crowd toward them. In a flash, Gabriel drew his rapier and assumed a fighting stance, as the bartender demanded the surrender of their weapons on their sleeping friends’ lives, and commanded his men to bar the door. The crowd continued their revelry as if this were a common sight at this establishment. Gabriel was still indignant at the earlier ambush, and seeing his fellows poisoned so, quickly regarded the enemy forces; they were not a match even for the three of them, and after confirming the others’ readiness by subtle nod, declined the bartender’s demand with a flash of steel.

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Two thugs charged Gabriel, who danced ’round them, killing one. Two thugs charged Brother Mendel and stabbed him twice; he fell seated, back against the bar. One thug found Dane at his table, and managed to cut him down as he fumbled for his bow. One thug charged over to Gestlin and grabbed him by the hair, pulling his head back to slit his throat; out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel spotted Gestlin’s impending doom, and quick-drawing his magical elven throwing-blade, flung it at the would-be murderer, striking him deep between the fourth and fifth ribs. Brother Mendel’s attackers both had him at sword-point, so he feigned compliance; eschewing obvious casting movements or words, he magically healed himself, then Dane, and looked to the others. Dane recovered and drew his shortsword, and after a brief exchange, slashed his attacker near-fatally, as a few more armed thugs pressed through the crowd to join the fray. Gabriel felled another while slipping over to finish off Gestlin’s would-be murderer as he reached for his dropped weapon, then turned to meet two of the newcomers. The bartender, who had not raised a hand thus far, produced a loaded hand-crossbow, and again demanded Gabriel surrender, or Brother Mendel would die. Gabriel glanced back at Mendel, who despite the two sword-points at his chest signaled that he had his situation sorted; again Gabriel refused the bartender’s demand, contorting his body out of the path of the bartender’s crossbow bolt as he turned his blade on the other thugs. As Brother Mendel’s attackers moved on their leader’s command, he Commanded one of his attackers to drop his weapon and swatted the other’s sword away with his quarterstaff, before blasting him in the chest with a Sunbolt, burning him near-through and setting his clothing ablaze. bs-6_2_fight2Meanwhile, Dane exchanged with another foe interposed between himself and his endangered fellows, and was struck again, driven back. At the same time, Gabriel had his two new opponents bleeding and on their backs when the bartender finally screamed, “Enough!” and called out to his men to stand down. As the thugs that were still able backed away at their leader’s command, Gabriel and Dane relaxed a bit, and started to collect their sleeping comrades to leave. Brother Mendel however had not taken the inhospitality well, and darted around the open end of the bar, saying, “God will forgive you. But I will not!” before blasting the bartender with a Sunbolt to the chest, setting him afire like a screaming, flailing man-torch.

The thugs made no attempt at retaliation; the unconscious Rainald, Gestlin and Magnifico were dragged out of the tavern by their fellows, and heaved into Gestlin’s wagon. Still defiant, Brother Mendel used a Scribe spell to deface the “7” on the eaves. Fearing further attempts on their lives if they were to remain in town, they decided instead to immediately leave town, and camp down the road—were they not on a mission, they might have loitered nearby and finished the job more thoroughly. At camp an hour later, Rainald came to. The others took a bit more effort, both being of lesser constitution; Mendel spent some hours to perform a weave to rid them of the poison. By the time they returned to their travels in the morning, all were healed and refreshed.

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6 Apr 2014

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After another week on the road, the Heroes arrived at Simonton, and approached the gates openly, remembering their past exploits in the walled city’s defense from the Vasar advance. At the gate, they saw the memorial statue of Dane watching over the road to the West, and all marveled at what it must be like to have their own town where they were the hero-of-legend. Dane, however, had no interest in the trappings of fame, though he immediately found them thrust upon him as the townsfolk reacted to his presence with excitement, thronging him. A sergeant-of-the-guard, eager to meet the Hero of Simonton, led them to the manor of Alistare Cray, wealthy merchant father of Lady Justalyn, father-in-law of Lord Wallace.

Master Cray welcomed the Heroes at his gate, having received word by Lady Justalyn’s messenger some days ago to arrange for their voyage to find Lord Wallace, though he was very surprised to see a pair of dragons with them. After some deliberation, they all decided to house Primus and Secundus at one of his warehouses at the city’s docks. Afterward, when the Heroes had time to refresh after their long journey, Master Cray returned to see to the Heroes’ needs for the mission ahead. They asked about all the particulars of Lord Wallace’s disappearance, what was known and unknown, and what preparations had been made. Master Cray appeared forthright and open, and gave them all the information he had; he had arranged for Lord Wallace and his Master-of-Coin to travel by ship to Yibyorak a year ago, and had received no word from his contacts there that Lord Wallace had ever arrived; there were a number of places along the journey known for pirate activity, though they usually went only after cargo, tending to let the ships go without further molestation; he had a ship, the Gleaming Endeavor, prepared for the Heroes a couple of days ago, able to take on Gestlin’s wagon and their horses, with no further cargo to be carried save for provisions for the journey, which was expected to take around a month—it was ready to go as soon as they wanted to leave. After some discussion, it was unanimously agreed that they would get right to it, staying the night in Simonton and embarking first thing in the morning.


Notes

  • Lesson Learned: When you kick the hornets’ nest, have a plan, and don’t try to be too clever 😛
  • When Magnifico turned his attention to the bartender, he ended up rolling a Critical Failure on Streetwise
  • When the swords came out, those that were still standing evaluated the situation; the enemy were not armored, and had no shields, and Gabriel figured he could take (enough of) them, but it would be a gamble, especially if the dice decided not to cooperate—could easily have been a TPK, and we very nearly lost Gestlin on his second session, if not for a very lucky, perfect throw by Gabriel
  • The enemy of the previous runs of this campaign were aliens from another world, and used a “new” magic referred to as “weaving” (due to the somatic motions of those using it), represented by Ritual Path Magic; in the course of things, Brother Mendel learned how to do it, though he’s no expert at it
  • Between the time the Heroes returned from the Otherworld and went back to it on Crusade (outside the game), they fought in several sieges against the Vasar, mostly losing ground the whole way; Simonton was such a siege, and the city was ultimately lost, though the Heroes’ efforts, with Dane as general, resulted in much of the population’s escape to the South
  • Magnifico’s dragons, Primus and Secundus, were taken after their mother and father were slain by the Heroes in the Otherworld—these dragons are not native to Yrth—and raised by Magnifico over the last ten years. In the previous run, they were small and mostly just a curiosity, but now they’re big enough that traveling with them is proving…complicated

Dramatis Personæ

Brother Mendel (Herodian)
Dane Sardock (Winston)
Gabriel Auditore (Rigil Kent)
Gestlin the Unpredictable (CommJunkee)
Magnifico the Clown (Feste)
Rainald North-Hammer (Gigermann)
With
Radskyrta (GamingBallistic)


Of Endings and Beginnings

22 Mar 2014

As the cold spring rain poured down, and the sun lowered in the West, the last of the Heroes of Wallace arrived at the Saucy Wench, having been summoned by their fellow, Sir Dane Sardock, commander of Wallace’s guard and general of his army. Brother Mendel had traveled a day and a half from his monastery to the East, where he instructed all who would learn in the Huallapans’ alien magicks; with him, he brought a promising student, Gestlin the Unpredictable, already a well-traveled, powerful and talented—if a bit unpredictable—guild-wizard. Magnifico had come from his holdings to the Northeast and was already entertaining the other patrons; he traveled with his two young dragons, Primus and Secundus, now grown to the size of horses, sleeping in a nearby barn (story). Sir Rainald North-Hammer had returned from his homeland on the coasts of the Nomad Lands a month or two back and settled with his family on his holdings nearby to the West, on the border of the desert (story), and had ridden in with Sir Gabriel Auditore, whom he had fetched from his holdings in the North highlands, having been back from his secret business in Megalos for a month or two as well (story). Sir Dane dispatched Radskyrta, sergeant of the Wallace guard and long-time fellow of the Heroes, to inform Lady Justalyne of Simonton, wife of Malcolm, Lord Wallace, that the Heroes had at last been assembled. He sped back to the keep through the rain and insisted upon delivering the news in person to Her Ladyship before returning to the inn to drink with his friends and hear their stories, informing them that Her Ladyship wished an audience in the morning.

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Having rested and washed away the dust of the road, the Heroes assembled in the morning and entered the keep, where they met in the bailey the children of Lord Wallace, William II and Nyssa, who regarded Sir Dane as an “uncle” (or plaything), and the newcomers as curiosities. Lady Justalyn emerged, collected her children and bade them all come into the hall to speak with her. There she told those that were not already aware that His Lordship had traveled to Yibyorak on a mission of trade, arranged by her merchant father in Simonton, about a year ago, and has not been heard from since. She had sent others to look for him, but none had returned. She pleaded with the Heroes, friends of her husband, to go find him and return him unharmed. The Heroes did not hesitate, but swore to her that they would see it done.

All that day the Heroes made their preparations to leave on the morrow for Simonton, where Lord Wallace had himself departed. Lady Justalyn had placed at their disposal Councillor Truss, Lord Wallace’s administrator, to see to anything they would need or desire for their journey. She also sent the fastest horse to bring word to her father, Alistare Cray in Simonton, to arrange for them a boat to sail upriver to Yibyorak. Rainald met his family at the city gates, and spent the day with them in town before saying his reluctant goodbyes; he left his wife, Hildra, in charge of his affairs at home, with his uncle, Hrothgar, as council. Gestlin’s wagon was filled to capacity with whatever stores they could want for, and all that had none were given a strong horse. Radskyrta, long a loyal friend to Wallace, also volunteered to come along, “having seen a little too much ease since the war was ended.” In the early morning they set out on the South Way to Ferrier, and on to Simonton, which they expected to take a fortnight in all, weather (gods) permitting.

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Six days on the road the Heroes arrived at Ferrier, looking much as they had left it—ruined by the invasion, though somewhat less abandoned today. As they rode through the gates unhindered, they spotted a sinister fellow brazenly leering at their imagined wealth; Radskyrta rode over to the man and demanded he shove off, so the man bowed and took his leave, but not before cleverly signaling ahead. The Heroes knew they were to be ambushed, and elected to stride boldly into the trap and spring it.

Poor bandits knew not what they had stumbled into.

As they crossed the river bridge that bisected the town, a near-dozen thieves leapt from hiding, some firing crossbows from cover, others charging the bridge at both ends with sword and shield. Gabriel dismounted and fell back to the near-side of the bridge and fended off three sword-wielding foes on his own, out of sight of the others. Gestlin remained atop his wagon and flung fireballs at some crossbow-wielding enemies, lighting more buildings on fire than ruffians, but disrupting their efforts all the same. Magnifico stood nearby, giving the enemy a vicious taunting and siccing his dragons on them; Primus and Secundus leapt from atop the wagon at “Grandfather’s” command and playfully fought over one of the bandits as they fetched him back to their master. Radskyrta impetuously spurred his horse forward and charged across the bridge, cursing his foes as he ran them down, merrily swinging his sword like a farmer reaping a bountiful harvest—it had clearly been too long. On foot, Dane and Brother Mendel advanced across the bridge behind Rainald, under a hail of crossbow bolts; Dane felled his share of enemies across the river with the bow, as did Rainald with spear and shield those that approached the bridge, while Mendel readied himself to heal any wounded. It was over quickly, with all of the thieves fallen save one that Radskyrta led back at sword-point.

Aside from a bit of soreness resulting from a blow or two that failed to penetrate Rainald’s armor, none of the Heroes were injured. Primus and Secundus had gotten a bit confused in the fray, and were hissing menacingly at Gabriel before Magnifico called them back to heel. Then, surrounded by the menacing Knights of Caithness that were his company, Magnifico began to demand of their prisoner what this business was all about…


Notes

  • This Banestorm campaign is probably the second-longest running campaign for this group, and the characters are at a pretty high level—around 300. It actually began under a different GM (Marcus) for a brief run, but was later taken over by Ronnke. The last run ended with the Heroes going back in time to find an artifact to rid the world of alien invaders. After the run was over, ten years passed, that included a return to the alien world to crush the invaders, a great crusade, and the Heroes were rewarded with land and title by their patron, Lord Wallace
  • We were joined this time by Douglas Cole, writer for GURPS, who wanted to observe a Fantasy Grounds game in action; we all enjoyed his participation, and we look forward to a potential later return
  • Radskyrta (“Red-Shirt” in Old English) was an unnamed NPC in Wallace’s employ during the early days of the campaign, expected to die for his master, but failed over time to ever do so, though he did come close a time or two; in the end, we grew to like him enough that, nevermind his name, he’s really been promoted out of the “fodder” role
  • Lord Wallace has been the group’s patron for most of the campaign; they’ve all been through so much crap together that they’re practically family
  • Ferrier is a key place for this group; it was in the sewers of Ferrier that they found and entered the portal to the Otherworld, and it was the first Caithness city they encountered upon their return several months later, found razed and bereft of life as a result of the aliens’ assault

“You ask why I was delayed, my lord? I rode from Teridar with three hundred men-at-arms, veterans all. To reach Kethalos in time we chose a shorter route and found upon it a single bridge. And upon that bridge stood one man with no mail or shield and only a single sword. I saw upon his arms the dragon-mark naming him Gaidin, and he refused to stand aside. So I chose another path that would not lead these men to ruin.” 

-First Consul Aloysius of Terand, when asked of a peer why his war-band did not reach Kethalos to aid against a massive Northern raid.

Called Gaidin by many though no one has ever identified the origin of this word or more frequently ‘dragon-marked,’ the blademasters of Megalos are professional swordsman trained to a level of skill unseen in most students of the sword. Their origin remains shrouded in mystery – the first recorded instance of a dragon-marked blademaster predates Megalos itself. In 980, two such men were said to have dueled with over a hundred local tribesmen near the area that would become Craine and Emperor Menelaus was said to have been so impressed by their abilities with a sword that he enlisted nearly twenty of them to act as his personal guard. It was Menelaus himself who first suggested the adoption of a stylized dragon tattoo upon a blademaster’s forearm to identify his proficiency.

The number of active blademasters have never been especially high, reaching their high point during Megalos’ own apex, and experiencing a corresponding dwindling in gravitas as the empire itself began to collapse. As a purely Megalos institution, there are no equivalents to this curious institution in other lands, although some, such as the elven blade dancers, come close and are believed by many to have been the inspiration for the first human blademasters. No organized training regimen exists – a prospective student might study under only a single master or half a dozen, and in very rare instances, might attain the level of master without ever studying until an acknowledged dragon-mark himself.

Blademasters are formally recognized as such in Megalos when one of two things occurs: either they defeat a known blademaster in single combat with appropriate witnesses, or they are judged by five blademasters, via unanimous vote, to have demonstrated sufficient skill. Upon being acknowledged as such, this new master is awarded his ‘dragon-mark’ in the form of a stylized tattoo. Depending upon the wealth of the blademaster, the wealth of the region, or his personal tradition, this tattoo can be extraordinarily elaborate, with differing inks or even mild magical enhancements, or the tattoo may be a much simpler affair. In nearly all cases, the dragon’s head begins upon the back of the blademaster’s hand with the tail reaching close to the elbow. 

“You may be stripped of everything in this life, but will always have the dragon-mark. To strip a Gaidin of this mark, to sever his arm at the elbow, is dishonor beyond what can be swallowed for you take not only their mark but their craft as well.”

– Gaidin Jearom, considered the greatest swordsman to ever live. It is said he fought over 10,000 times in battle and single combat. He only lost once to a farmer with a quarterstaff.

Below is a representation of the most frequently used dragon-mark throughout the so-called “Age of Steel.”

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Excerpt from Caemlyn Illustrated Atlas of Warfare : The Age of Steel

Despite the size of the available military force situated in Simonton at the end of July, the city itself was ill prepared for the violence looming before it. In addition to the lack of any unified leadership, the tactics being utilized were obsolete, geared more for a traditional siege from a Caithness army than the vasar host. The two principal personalities – Field Marshal Corvyn, the war captain who answered to Chancellor Dorlyn, Lord of Mershall, and Malcolm, Lord Wallace – did not like each other and Wallace’s unheard of action to appoint a lowborn soldier to captain his own forces only intensified this dislike. That this common man was more capable and experienced in waging war against the vasar was inexplicably perceived by Corvyn as yet another insult to his honor.

The uncovering of vasar controllers within the king’s men by Wallace’s retainers resulted in a brief alliance between the two factions. Three nobles were shackled: Baethyn, a minor noble who would miraculously survive and later become one of Wallace’s most fervent loyalists, and two landed knights of whom only their names are known – Cannick and Lorbrin. The former was freed by Wallace’s retainers and the controller, according to numerous eyewitnesses, was thrown at the feet of the skeptical Sir Corvyn. Some, like the Simonton knight, Sir Tomas of House Wayn, would later write of this incident in the twilight of their lives.

Never have I looked upon a creature so foul. In that moment I fear I was unmanned with terror at the thought of facing these creatures and looked upon Wallace’s men as gods. They had faced these beasts and won free. They alone knew how to slay the beasts. I was not alone in pledgin[g] to obey them as I did my lord. 

The two knights fled the camp through a vasar portal, though Wallace’s retainers were said to have slain the creatures shackling them. Of these two men, nothing else is known and it is strongly suspected that they died, either with the controllers or shortly after.

Armed with the superior knowledge about fighting the invaders brought by the men who accompanied Lord Wallace through the rift, Simonton settled in for an extended siege. This marked the first instance of utilizing the deflective anti-teleport field weaved into place by the Huallapan, Pachacuti, for protection; in later decades, this barrier would become common-place over the great cities of Yrth as the skill of spellweaving spread, but for July, 2005, it was a first.

Personality conflicts between Wallace’s war captain, Dane Sardock, and Sir Corvyn continued throughout the week following the first strategical meeting. As a lowborn soldier, Sardock had no talent for handling the expectations of nobility and he gained few allies with his blunt assessments and orders, though based on the few surviving writings of Sir Corvyn, it is clear that distrust of Sardock’s master, Lord Wallace, was the primary reason for the conflict.

Would that this lowborn boy been born to even the lowest of knights. For a score of years I have led me to war and this boy seems to know better how to wield my men as a sword than even I. Would that he were not of Wallace and I would march into battle wit[h] him.

By the first of August, the vasar marching from the Great Desert reached the outskirts of Simonton (see sidebar map: The Battle of Simonton.) Gabriel Auditore, who would later become known as the legendary Hooded Man, was an eyewitness and recorded his thoughts in one of the numerous journals he penned.

The very hills were black with the vasar. They had numbers I could scarcely fathom and our scouts feared we were facing five warriors to each one of our men. I know not whether we can hold Simonton – here where so many eye each other with acrimony and distrust. By God would that the king’s men been led by a man less prideful. He and his master tremble and I fear they will break.

It would turn out to be a prophecy. On 3 August 2005, Sir Corvyn and his master, Chancellor Dorlyn, abandoned Simonton and marched away, taking with them over half of the swords available to defend the border city. This treachery would have much greater ramifications for King Conall IV’s reign than he could have anticipated.

Excerpt from Caithness, 1840-2040: The Age of Steel (2290)

With the return of Malcolm, Lord Wallace, from his unexpected exile, the fortunes of Caithness began to shift. Where before Conall VI faced constant internecine warfare between his newly unified barons, he had also had no one to actively unite the factions who opposed him. Malcolm would change this. Newly returned from the Huallapan world where he had seen the Vasar threat firsthand and knew what the fate of Yrth was to be if the senseless rivalries continued, Malcolm was unexpectedly fearless in his endeavours, whether it was facing the invaders or his own allies who wished to unseat Conall.

Malcolm was helped in this due to the constant advise he received from of the most memorable characters in all of Caithness history, the flamboyant herald-mage known even today only by the name given to him by his fans. Magnifico (birth and death dates unknown) was accused by Wallace’s rivals as manipulating the young lord with both chicanery and magery, though these accusations could never be proven. Documents from this time frequently referenced the man’s contributions, even if they were slanted according to the composer. One of Conall’s chief advisers, Lord Berd of Fordham, had the following to say of Magnifico:

“He [Wallace] entered the camp with a small group of retainers but it was his fool who drew the most eyes. I witnessed firsthand how this man dressed in motley colors dazzled the mind with words and twisted one’s intent. Though I urged His Majesty to have the fool slain it was to the kingdom’s regret that I was ignored.” ¹

Wallace himself was once asked of his trust of the fool in the presence of a Church scribe and had the following to say:

“Magnifico makes me laugh when I would weep, sob when I would laugh, and reminds me that all men must face their Maker when He wills it. A man could have worse advisers in this world.” ²

Whether it was due to Magnifico’s recommendations that led to the all too brief unification of Caithness under a single banner remains a mystery. Some, including Gabriel Auditore, a free sword and master of the blade better known for his connection to the various legends of the Hooded Man (see sidebar: The Hooded Man), believed that to be the case:

“After seeing what this king’s men do in his name, I would have told Wallace to spit in the man’s face or offer to face him in single combat, but instead, the man chose to ally with the crown. I expect Magnifico to be behind this or perhaps Mendel.” ³

Very few of Wallace’s contemporaries could have predicted what would happen next.

¹ Collected Writings of Berd, Lord Fordham (Caithness Royal Library)

² Wallace: Thunder in the Mountains (2195, Caemlyn Press.) Modern historians now question the legitimacy of this quote which has been attributed to a half dozen other close advisers to Malcolm, Lord Wallace, during his life, including Abbot Mendel (believed to have died in 2026, although inconsistencies within Church records indicate that there might have been two men of this name during this era.)

³ From The Collected Writings of Gabriel Auditore, Revised Edition published by Caemlyn University. The incident Auditore references in this excerpt is unclear but most historians expect he is referring to the various atrocities so common in this era.

Excerpt from The First RiftWar: A Primer (2271)

This raid marked the first time that orcs and ogres had trod upon elven lands in over two centuries and their sudden, unexpected presence threw the Ruling Council into chaos. According to their official record:

Fear stripped away our reservations. Fear and anger. Where before the Humans told a tale difficult to believe, here was a threat to our homeland that could not be ignored. To our great surprise the Humans stepped forward and quickly offered their strength of arms to aid in defense. The young Lord, whom we knew, stumbled upon his words but his armsmen – the Northlander, the Blademaster in white, the silent archer, even the ugly one who spoke so well – were stalwart and upright. We accepted this pledge with reservations but hope and they left three of their number – a grandfather, a priest and the blademaster’s apprentice – behind. We thought not to see these Humans again.¹

Military historians often complain that there exists insufficient historical information about this particular skirmish to track how it progressed. The above reference is, in fact, the most complete reference found to this orcish incursion and none of the official Council records from the time even reference Vasar involvement. It was not until the discovery of several Auditore journals nearly two decades ago that historians even realized the battle was linked to the wider engagement. Auditore wrote:

Through a hole in a tree we ventured with elves and met orcs in battle. Blood and fire hung heavy in the night but I danced the forms well. It was not until later when the last of our foes had kissed the earth that we saw the controlling beasts upon some bodies. Afterward the elven Council agreed to lend us aid out of fear though they tried to claim it was simply in respect to our strength of arms. ²

In recent years, students of this era have come to believe that the following stanza from one of the numerous Jak o’Shadows military marching song from Caithness can be traced directly to this battle:

We’ll dance all night until the elves run free,
And smite the orcs until they flee,
And then we’ll back thru the tree,
To dance with Jak o’ the Shadows.

Another reference to this engagement is believed to be referenced in the Master of Blades cycle of songs, which have been strongly linked to Auditore, in the following snippet:

Weapons scattered,
Columns shattered, standing their ground.
Great the havoc,
The Bladesman turned back the Orcish.
He duelled giants,
In the front ranks, in the spear-clash.
He laid beasts low,
Danced with beast, before they died.
Elvish land flamed
But the Master walked clear.

No records exist detailing how great the elven losses were or how significant a deciding force the small band of human warriors turned out to be.

—–

¹ Modern linguistic experts debate the validity of this translation – ‘blademaster’ for example can be more poetically translated to ‘dancer of steel’ and the word ‘ugly’ has no actual Elven equivalent; most insist this should be ‘displeasing to the eye’ – but for ease comprehension, we have used the Low Tongue words.

² From The Collected Writings of Gabriel Auditore, published by Caemlyn University.

Except from Auditore: The Hooded Man (2265)

We spent little time in Ferrier – what we could carry, we did and took horses as well to hurry our travels.¹ Wallace sent one of our comapny [sic] north with a letter for his father and the rest of us went south in pursuit of the Vasar. Of Cometes I found no sign which grieved me heartily. Auqui I attired in the raiment of the baron of Ferrier’s grandson whom we found in his deathbed. ‘Twas easy enough to tell how he died – an arrow to the belly that went foul.

Auqui’s progress with the blade continues apace. He has learned as I did how best to bury his anger and grief into the forms though I oft see him lose a step when sudden memory returns. I have altered the regimen to focus less on bladework and more on Anglish: the lad looks so frustrated when we converse and he knows not what we say that I mean to resolve that.

It is nigh on five days since I last put pen to ink. I have spent the entire time afoot as we are a horse short and my stride is curiously longer than any others. Wallace has his mind set to Simonton tho he says not why. I know a little of the place – it is near enough to the elf village I lived in some years back ² that a monthly visit was not unheard of and I recall the markets with some fondness.

Auqui’s excement [sic] over his new arms was as short-lived as I expected. He dons an agreeable enough face when addressing me but Mendel jokes at the lad’s discomfort. Rainald offered to let the boy don his own raiment for a moment and would that I had the talent to capture Auqui’s horror at the very notion. In that I do not disagree for Rainald has the weight of two men when he is under arms, perhaps even three. He believes it necessary to save himself but a single well-placed strike at his exposed face and he would fall like any other.

Wallace continues to hold his own counsel but we all see the fear on his face. Each day carries us farther from his home and we know not if Wallace itself yet stands. 

Upon the morrow we will enter the forest proper and I wonder at the sights before us. Mayhap Wallace’s worry infects me but I cannot help but to question God’s plan for me in this world. Confession is necessary for the soul but Mendel is too dear a friend for me to encumber him with my worries and sins. Would that we could reach a place with a church that I could trust.

Tomorro[w] I mean to test Auqui with Black Pebbles on Snow. His ribs will hurt by noon I fear.

———————————

¹ According to modern scholars, this is not entirely accurate as most agree that the expedition Auditore was a member of looted many valuables from Ferrier and carried them off, not the least of which being the ancestral relic that belonged to the ruling house. It would later reappear in history wielded by Malcolm, Lord Wallace, but vanished shortly before his untimely death.

² Attempts to identify this village have been inconclusive. Auditore never uses the elven names given to their villages and towns (which is entirely to be expected from a man of his time and upbringing) and, indeed, the most modern scholars have been to glean about his onetime elven paramour is that part of her name is Mira. Given the notorious length of elvish private names in their native tongue, she could be any of several thousand different candidates.

My frustration at Auqui continues to mount and I pray God to grant me strength. Again he has disobeyed me and thrown himself into what he is ill prepared for. I know that at his age I was no different – young boys are rash and headstrong or they would not be boys at all – but I have little doubt his foolishness will lead to his death. It is past time to set aside the role of big brother and don the mantle of maestro. My first step was to chastise him – verbally and before others – for his foolishness though I suspect some of my fellows have acted the fool themselves and sought to undercut my authority. They I will speak to in private.

My second step is to take away his blade. This will anger him no doubt but until he acts worthy of it I will no allow him to carry steel. I had hoped that the death of his father would have struck home the point: this is not a game. To those unfamiliar with the forms it may look a dance but in this dance men die. I will not see this boy die because he thinks himself better than he is. Too long have I spared him the necessary discipline that Father drove into me – that must end now. This boy will not die while my student no matter his foolishness.

So help me God.

In my anger, in my frustration, I have neglected my own forms this day and the heat of the Desert only worsens my mood. I feel baked no matter that I was but hours ago drenched by the torrent that we carried over from the Otherside. It has been nigh on three months since last I was in this Desert and I had forgotten how much I mislike it.

The portal carried us through as intended and flooded the exit point with water sweeping many Vasar aside. Talon was struck from the raft and I dove in after. Together we retrieved the beacon and rejoined the others whereupon Pachacuti crafted a second smaller hole to carry us to an outcropping of rock many miles distant. Three of the Warriors came upon us then and Rainald and I fell upon them as Dane and Talon sent arrows upon them. It was here that Auqui sprang forward intent of joining the fray against my express wishes and were it not for the speed in which Rainald and I dispatched the beasts I expect the boy would have been injured.

I have been remiss in my composition of this journal and I see now that my my memory oft times conflicts with what I have written. Also my keeping of time has been poor so I mean to correct this. By my reckoning which I will admit is not something that one can rely on this day marks the fifty-eighth day since we first crossed through the portal underneath Ferrier. It was May the Fifteenth in the Year of Our Lord Two-Thousand and Five which would make this day to be July the Fourteenth.

This entry and Auditore’s attempt to narrow down the date is often referred to as a starting point for all calculations, although experts generally agree with him that he is an unreliable source in this regard.

Upon the morrow we set forth to return to Yrth and I find myself strangely hesitant to leave this place. It is of little concern – we all must do what must be done no matter our personal desires. These Huallapans seem so ill prepared for the dangers that face them and I fear they will not long survive our departure should things go ill. It is a worry that must be set aside for now.

My concern for Auqui grows by the day, though I fear there is little I can do. He must grieve for his father in his own time. He listened to my own tale and I no longer think it wrong to take him with us. Here there are too many opportunities for a boy maddened with grief to throw away his life in a senseless gesture against the Vasar and I at least know his heart for it seems only yesterday that I was taking lives to avenge my own blood. I only hope that I am able enough teacher to help the boy progress beyond this madness.

In recent years, the Aybara Institute of modern Caemlyn has tentatively identified no less than twelve Church documents dating from 2007 BCE that seem to indicate Auditore may have adopted the “Hooded Man” identity he is strongly linked to in so much common lore due to misunderstandings between Auqui and Yrth authorities, especially clerical ones.[101] Two additional elven documents from the time period have been translated to common vernacular and lend credence to the current theory that Auditore is the basis for the “Master of Blades” cycle of stories that were so prevalent in the 2100’s [102], especially given the common link – a furious swordsman alternately hunting for or seeking vengeance for his lost apprentice.

After consideration I have extended an offer to both Lord Wallace and Radskyrta to provide addition instruction on bladework. Radskyrta already eclipses his master and his technique is more than adequate if sloppy and very much indicative of a guardsman but Wallace himself is barely better than Auqui who first picked up a blade not four weeks ago though the man thinks himself better than he truly is. He relies too much on might and I suspect his instructor knew not how to teach a man who is left-hand dominant as is Wallace. I will continue to press and have wondered if I can arrange to cross blades with him to show him how much work he truly need. Luck has been the man’s surviving grace though relying on such rarely goes well as luck tends to run out.

This last is especially ironic, given Wallace’s eventual fate.

The raft and Yrth await us tomorro[w]. Lord shelter and guide us.