The Dark Ones: All Fired Up
“Today the Cycle of Life is renewed: both in the World, and in our humble tribe. It is a time of sadness, with the passing of days gone by, and it is a time of joy, with the coming of new days, of new life. We mark this day, these changes, with song, as has always been our way. The singers may change, but the song goes ever on. That is the Cycle of Life. So join with me, and sing once again the Song of Spring.”
Laermacar, the Eldest of the Tribe of the Lindar, on the first day of Spring 2503
“Oh, my flame, how I burn to talk with you alone.
Not with the heat of anger but with the smouldering passion of what
might be. You and your
predecessor have seduced me and I cannot forget.”
“Newly gathered are the hapless
who would try the fire of frenzy,
Try the flames unto oblivion, try
the leap to nothingness:
Now, The Dark Ones call the wolf moot, lead the Pack into th’Abyss.”
“What better bit of Chaos can there be to Master than your own wolf?”
Darion
a sooth of wolves
“Naur dan i ngaurhoth!” (“Fire take the werewolves”)
a Sindarin battle cry
an Oracle from the Isle of Dreams
“Eat him, dearie, and you will know him. But always remember to beware of the Big Bad Wolf.”
advice of the High Priestess of MELIA, on how to deal with gingerbread wolves
“You bring the life that walks across the skies, and awakens the forest. All life is related. The stars bring new life. Like the warm Spring sun that awakens the budding leaves, and makes the sap flow within the boughs.”
the dryad of a Chaos alder grove
“Life’s a
Spinning, Whirling Cycle, Wheel of Fortune, Spinning round,
Take good
Fortune where you hasten,
Take this
flame of Fearis
Draugruin,
Hope for
freedom, not oppression;
Let the
leaping flaming spirit,
Give New Life
and Hope, instill it;
Hope and Mercy one has found.”
Akilia, to the Great White Wolf in the Moonlit Kingdom
“There are many forces in this World, and I am the embodiment of one of the more potent and dangerous. Wherever Fire threatens and burns out of control, there I am. Now you have become the spark that falls from the candle in the night, and I will be there with you until you burn out.”
Inferno, Demon-Sword of the Harbinger of Fire
“To Hot Blood and Heart's Ease!”
a toast proposed in the Last Chance Saloon
King Zorgar of Kyr and his Royal Guards paused at the summit of Vartan Pass. At the King's signal they dismounted, and the King walked over to the simple wooden cross that had been erected as a monument to the fallen of the two recent battles. There he knelt, and prayed to ESCUS.
First he prayed for the souls of his loyal subjects and allies who had given their lives in his cause in the battles on this spot. On 18 Kemel his army moved through this pass in order to put down the Wolf Cult rebellion in the North of the island, beyond these mountains. They were attacked by Cultist berserkers and werewolves, taking heavy casualties and falling back down the pass ahead. But Harrek, Lord Protector of the North, and the adventurer volunteers had sought out Glersh the Dread and the Hellish Troublemaker Miranda (or Wolf and the White Lady Bera as they styled themselves for the gullible Cultists). They found Miranda, but she somehow slipped away, and Glersh was nowhere to be found, despite numerous reports of sightings. On 2 Varech, after he had retaken the port of Vergaz, the principal town of Northern Kyr, Zorgar was bringing reinforcements through the pass when he was again attacked by Cultists. Their berserking tactics once again caused heavy casualties - for both sides. He fell back in good order, and when he advanced again he was unopposed as before. There were other skirmishes, and he had to storm the town of Ravo on 7 Varech, but those two battles here at Vartan Pass effectively decided the short war against the Wolf Cult. The rest was mopping-up operations, and putting down small local uprisings. Zorgar prayed to ESCUS to intercede with KOROS, so that all those who had died in his service in the war would receive better reincarnations.
Secondly he prayed for his people. Zorgar knew the people of Kyr were loyal to ESCUS and to their King. The Wolf Cult was a local heresy cynically exploited by Glersh. The Cultists had thought, in their misguided way, that they were following ESCUS. But in reality their minds were being controlled by the Crown of Frenzy, and they were in fact following HAERIM. Zorgar believed he had now re-established sufficient control to deter further troublemaking by Glersh and Miranda. Such cowards prey upon the weak, and avoid the strong. He thanked ESCUS for giving himself and his people the strength to defeat them. But he remained concerned about the recent upsurge in lycanthropy in his kingdom. There had always been werewolves in the wild hills and forests that circled the island, and they had long been involved in the Wolf Cult heresy that Glersh had perverted. However on 20 Varech a shooting star in the form of a great red wolf crashed into the forest somewhere West of Ravo. This resulted in an outbreak of hysteria that spread beyond Kyr. He had even heard reports of DALA Clerics rioting in Bjarmigen. Ravo was practically destroyed in a riot, but Zorgar had still managed to put down the Cultists, thanks be to ESCUS. Somehow the frenzy had spread to the werewolves. At the next Full Moon, on the night of 6 Sarm, the wolves howled like he had never heard before, and the werewolves came out of the forests to attack people. Those who were bitten developed a particularly virulent strain of lycanthropy. ESCUS' Clerics cured those they could, but many escaped into the woods, increasing the numbers of werewolves. Last night, 6 Jerem, had been another Full Moon, and the howling and attacks had resumed. Zorgar and Harrek had organised adventurer parties with Clerics, Druids and Magic and silver weapons to hunt down and kill as many werewolves as they could, but still he feared for his subjects. Zorgar prayed to ESCUS to protect them.
Thirdly he prayed for his son and heir, two year old Prince Kargax. On 7 Kemel Zorgar had been attacked in his own apartments in Gorreth Castle by Glersh / Wolf, in some sort of parody of Harrek's assassination of the secular King Bjørn XVI of the North. He had Word of Recalled (for which he now thanked ESCUS again), but it turned out to have been a diversion for Miranda / Bera's attack on his wife and children. Fortunately his beloved Queen Estrith and their six year old daughter, Princess Arna, were unharmed. His heart swelled with pride as Zorgar thought how his little girl had attacked the Hell-spawn with a dagger. But Miranda had snatched Kargax from his cradle and escaped with him. As a reward for information leading to the capture of "Wolf", "Bera" and Prince Kargax, Zorgar had offered a Barony of Kyr, including an hereditary title, a seat in Parliament, a large estate and a magic weapon. Yet despite the heroic efforts of many adventurers, and the arrogance of Glersh in displaying babies in towns across the land, his son was still missing. Zorgar prayed to ESCUS with all his heart to keep his son safe, and to deliver him back to the arms of his family.
The King remained silent a moment longer, thinking of the misery and suffering visited upon his Kingdom and his House by Glersh and Miranda. They would pay for it. Evil deeds brought evil rewards. He prayed that it would be soon.
He then rose, mounted his horse, and without a word led his men back down the road to Gorreth. Beside him his Planist pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket, and exclaimed "Sire!"
"A Proclamation by His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Valdrea, Arril I of Tarm:
"Whereas on 19 Destri 2503 ten of the twelve Badlander Clans, gathered at Horning Crags under the leadership of those noted Enemies of SARAN, Krell McAndar, Black, so-called Harbinger of Change for the Worse, Red, so-called Apostle of Imposed Change, Tomec the Terrible, Hellish servant of TERRIK, and the Traitor Stirros formerly III of Satril, declared war on the Empire of SARAN;
"Whereas the said Clans, Enemies and Traitor then proceeded to invade the Empire in the company of further Servants of the Gods of Heaven and Hell, including (but not limited to) Balrogs and Nazgul, in a force of over Ten Thousand;
"Whereas the said invaders caused much damage to the people of the Empire, by burning, pillaging and raping, the cost of which damage cannot yet be accurately counted by the Lord High Treasurer, due to incomplete reports;
"Whereas your Armies, under the glorious leadership of your humble Emperor, the Lord Marshal of Valdrea, Tyndral of Gytrasan, and the Imperial Weaponmaster, Hugran of Tarm (veterans all of the glorious victory over the Badlanders at the Battle of Meldiron on 12 Garrack 2501) moved to intercept the said invaders, surrounding them with superior forces at the confluence of the Rivers Midro and Caldo on 23 Varech 2503 and in the Greenwoods on 7 Sarm 2503;
"Whereas the said invaders cowardly escaped your glorious armies, on the first occasion by the use of the Magic of Changing (which Magic is under review by an Imperial Commission in order to consider whether it should be banned for the good of the Empire), and on the second occasion by the manipulation of Chaos;
"Whereas on 1 Jerem 2503 the High Priestess of SARAN in the Empire advised all Imperial subjects to behave absolutely Lawfully, in order to resist such manipulations of Chaos, which advice was not followed by many of the Commoners, Peasantry and other Classes, to their extreme disadvantage;
"Whereas on the night of 6 Jerem 2503, being a Full Moon, many law-abiding communities were attacked by werewolves infected by Chaos as a result of the deplorable recent events in the Kingdom of Kyr, for which Glersh the Dread, Hellish Servant of HAERIM, is held responsible, pending trial;
"Whereas our Privy Council has recommended that a state of Martial Law be declared, in order to assist in the general mobilisation of the Armed Forces to meet the above-recited threats, in order to secure the Empire against the above-recited invasions, and in order to prevent the above-recited instances of Chaos;
"NOW IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED:
"First that a state of Martial Law be and it is hereby declared throughout the Valdrean Empire of SARAN until further notice;
"Secondly that all Articles appurtenant to a state of Martial Law are thereby in force, without exception or restriction, and in particular (but without limitation to the generality of the foregoing) that a state of Curfew will therefore exist between sunset and sunrise. Any citizen or other being found outside a recognised dwellinghouse or hostelry during Curfew who is not an authorised member of the Military will be liable to summary execution;
"Thirdly that the following beings are considered Enemies of the Empire, and that any person killing, capturing or providing information leading to the killing or capture of any such Enemy will be entitled to a Reward of not less than One Hundred Thousand Gold Pieces, which may be converted into an increase in Citizenship status and/or immunity from prosecution for disclosed crimes on the usual basis:
"Fourthly that any person bitten by a wolf or werewolf shall surrender himself without delay to the nearest Temple of SARAN or of any Allied God, there to receive free of charge to him a cure from any disease which may afflict him. Any person claiming such a cure who is found not to have been so bitten shall receive such penance as the Clerics of the Temple may in their sole discretion determine.
"All citizens are ordered to give effect to the above Proclamation, and are reminded that the Military Authorities have summary jurisdiction to enforce its terms.
"ARRIL OF TARM"
(executed under the Imperial Seal)
Firanor, Champion of Satril, Lord Warden of the Central Military District, put down the Proclamation of Martial Law. He looked over at the pile of mobilisation orders and sighed. These were difficult times for the House of Satril.
They had had high hopes for young Rendor, the young star who had risen rapidly to become Champion of the House. The boy had been untainted by the unfortunate past history that had resulted in the disgrace and exile of Stirros III. The House had thrown its full resources behind his challenge for the Emperorship. Firanor drew the Flame of Satril, the flaming sword they had purchased at vast expense. The plan had been simple enough: protect Rendor's head against beheading by the vorpal Sword of the Emperors, and enable him to do massive fire damage, which Arril would not be able to regenerate. Yet somehow it had gone wrong.
The Duel had taken place on 10 Sarm. Rendor had been thoroughly briefed, and told that Arril was an Elementalist capable of going on the Ethereal and Flying. He had to take the Potion of Invulnerability to increase the protection for his head, but why did he have to take the Regeneration as well? He should have trusted in the protections the House had provided. As it was, Arril, well-known to be a cunning operator, simply went onto the Ethereal when he realised Rendor could not follow him with an Oil of Etherealness, having used two Potions. So Rendor's defensive Spells and Potions went down, and, although he cast a Fly Spell, Arril appeared Flying behind him, and the Sword of the Emperors danced in and beheaded him from behind. Rendor's Potion of Regeneration was no use to him after 25 minutes, and he died. Rendor never got the chance to show what the Flame of Satril could do.
The House of Satril appealed of course, seeking Arril's disqualification for cowardice, but Arril successfully defended his conduct. He was able successfully to argue that he reasonably considered Rendor was using protections which would have made him invulnerable to the Sword of the Emperors, and Arril was therefore justified in countering them by waiting on the Ethereal for them to go down. The incident did some damage to Arril's reputation, for effectively executing Rendor on his first challenge. But the House of Satril has few friends, and most people agreed with Arril that Rendor had brought his fate on himself.
Even if Rendor had won, he would still have had to face the challenge from Kyarlin, Champion of Heaven the following day. Kyarlin was an ally of Arril, and his challenge was partly a precaution in case Rendor won, and partly an excuse to have a crack at Arril himself without recriminations if Rendor lost. The Duel on 11 Sarm showed the power of the vorpal swords. It lasted all of 26 seconds, concluding with both duellists beheading each other. Both regenerated, of course, and as the duel was a draw, Arril retained his office as the incumbent. Even though Kyarlin was the better fighter, Arril's ability to cast Elementalist Dodge Spells and the superior power of the Sword of the Emperors still gave him the edge.
So should Firanor challenge himself? He considered the position, as he swished the Flame of Satril back and forth, watching the trail of fire it left glowing in the air. The House were working on further defenses which would enable him to put the Rendor plan properly into action, and he would not make Rendor's mistake. But Arril was wise to them now, and would have his own countermeasures. The word was Arril had been learning Dispel Magic. But Firanor was not as good a fighter as Rendor had been. Even if the plan worked, and Arril really could not harm him (which he doubted), it would be a hard slog to damage him sufficiently. After Arril's killing of Rendor, his challenge would certainly be justified, but he could count on little support from the other Houses. Kyarlin would certainly challenge, and others too if he should somehow beat both Arril and Kyarlin. Arril might even exercise his right to kill him should he lose. Firanor doubted it, but repeated challenges did bear that risk, and Arril would probably seek to justify it as being for disloyalty during the state of Martial Law. On the other hand, the House were looking for a return on their expenditure, and he might get pushed into it regardless. Perhaps he could manipulate someone junior to him into doing it?
With a sigh, Firanor sheathed the sword and returned to his paperwork. Maybe he would get a chance to distinguish himself in the fight against the Badlanders. If they could really appear anywhere, the richest pickings were in his Central Military District. He might not be the best fighter in the Empire, but Firanor was a good organiser. If he could catch and engage the Badlanders, maybe he would even get a chance to deal with Stirros III, or (more likely) the imposter pretending to be him in order to embarass the House of Satril. The enemy and their wolves were using the forests as hiding places. Those were the key...
Inferno relaxed as the flaming sword was sheathed. She ignited Her copy of the Proclamation, and used it to light a cigarette. An interesting addiction of the Kayani, this tobacco, but what She liked about it was that you burned it to get the high. She laid back against the wooden cross, and blew smoke rings into the air. Battlefields were the home of the Ayekal, but She had come to this old one to watch and to think.
It was a shame the Empire had not taken to flaming swords yet. She would have to see what She could do to push that procrastinator Firanor into demonstrating what they could do. It would be pleasing to see Arril and Kyarlin burn. Those duels had been such a disappointment. But Higher Powers could afford to be patient. Some plans just take a longer time to catch light.
Kyr had been disappointing too. There had been some good fires, it was true, and that star falling had been a nice touch. She wondered Who had arranged that? It had led to the burning of that Ravo place. But Glersh was a madman, and even Miranda could not control him. Whilst She approved in principle of destroying even One's own plans, She still felt he could have done better.
Still, this Martial Law business was encouraging. Lots of panic, and plenty of opportunities for accidental conflagrations, especially with Summer coming. Harvests to be ruined, that sort of thing. At least Tomec could be relied upon to cause some decent terror. Inferno particularly liked the way the threats were coming from the forests. Slash and burn, that was the answer.
Oh well, back to work! Somewhere, something was burning, and Her Master needed Her. A Sword's work was never done. Inferno threw her half-finished cigarette into the tinder-dry brush, stepped into the nascent blaze, and disappeared.
Your plots are requested for Summer 2503. See How to submit your Plot for guidance.
For the latest news, remember to visit the rumourmonger.
© P.R. Wild, 30 August 1999
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