"We are the Dark Ones, so Fear Our coming, We come for You!"
(An Avatar of The Black Stag)
"Stones stand in circles in the head, Many different tales are told. All the trees their leaves have shed And Winter lies upon the soul. Sylva sits beneath the Yew, Eagle can't make up his mind What is false and what is true. Let us see what we can find. Chaos is as Chaos does, Toss a coin and let it fall. Your heart says who to trust, Who to fight, who to call. At the ending of the day, All the dreams come out to play!"
(A Dream of Sylva)
"From fond mem'ry's sweet haven, To the dark badlands of the soul. Long is the shadow of the raven, Heavy is the final toll. "Round about the circling stones, Take a spin on Fortune's wheel. Shall we cast again the bones, Or try and cut the saving deal?"
(A Rumour whispered in a Shell)
"Everything is worthy of notice, for everything can be interpreted."
(The Seer Akilia)
"When the Burning Star has set, When the Warring Birds have met, When Night and Day have collided, Then Twilight's end shall be decided."
(A Prophecy of the Isle of Dreams)
Death, Destruction, And Peril Dire, What's the point Of fighting them? Caught in plots, We meet Our end...."
(A Dream of a Three-Headed Dragon)
"Last orders please!"
(The Barman at The Last Chance Saloon)
Jay crouched before the pitiful fire in the cramped cave and reflected on how he had got into this mess.
It had seemed so glorious, back at the Autumn Gathering of the Grasslander tribes, when he had been recruited into Twilight's Falling. The legendary Mist Warrior band had sworn allegiance to TERRIK after the Death of ORIL, when all was Waste, and Despair seemed the only option. Where they once had protected the weak, now they preyed upon them. Jay had jumped at the chance of adventure and a bit of rape and pillage in the company of the Hawk and the Raven. He had few scruples, and was still bitter about being turned down by the "proper" Mist Warrior bands, who liked to train up their own recruits from childhood.
But it soon got scary. He quickly found that Twilight's Falling were in the service of some major Evils, who were seriously unpleasant. Hawk and Raven took their orders from the Horned Rider Himself - a bogeyman figure amongst the Grasslanders. The Rider berated them for their failures, and ordered them North to join up with the raiders who were preying on isolated farmsteads and settlements on the borders of the Kingdom of the North. That was okay, but it was so bloody cold and their allies were real nasty pieces of work. As well as the Rider, they had the Changers Black, Harbinger of Change for the Worse, and Red, Apostle of Imposed Change. There was Glersh the Dread, a megalomaniac HAERIM-worshipping orc who was said to be a better fighter than Harrek Dragonhelm and who wore the Crown of Frenzy, which turned the weak-willed into his berserk slaves. His shifty thievish sidekick, Magar the One-Eyed, was just best avoided. Then there was Tomec the Terrible, a psychotic TERRIK thug who wielded the dreaded Pick of Horrors, whose victims died the death of their worst fears. As if Glersh and Tomec were not madmen enough, there was also the Twisted One, a ChaosMaster who was just completely insane. But most dangerous of all was Miranda, who seemed so beautiful and charming, but was actually one of TERRIK's Troublemakers from Hell itself, and who seemed to delight in stirring up resentments amongst the party. Jay went about in a permanent state of fear in that company, and he soon realised that Hawk and Raven did too.
Twilight's Falling were to scout out the sites for their camps and attack points, and transport the raiders between them by Mist Portals. But as only Accapta the Hawk could cast Mist Portal, it was a terrible strain on her to meet their masters' demands to keep moving and attacking. Corven the Raven helped with the scouting, and his abilities as Seer helped predict their enemies' movements, but he was falling more and more prey to despair, and Miranda was not helping.
On 14 Weven they attacked the Northern town of Dúold, after a feint attack somewhere in the East. Glersh led his fanatical goblins, and they were supported by hell hounds. Things went well. They thievishly assassinated the Clerics and the few adventurers, torched the town, and let loose the undead. Jay began to feel he had got himself into something good after all.
They followed up their success the night after in Fobren on Garf Lea. But this time they met stiffer adventurer resistance, and had to withdraw, torching a few buildings and letting loose some more undead.
After this the Goods started recruiting adventurer teams to guard the frontiers, with Planists, Druids and Word of Recalling Clerics to bring in reinforcements. But the Horned Rider was unconcerned. He said there was little experience to be gained by killing women and children. Glersh and Tomec (egged on by Miranda) were positively spoiling for a fight, and kept going on about Harrek, Bjørn and Alador the Phoenix.
The big fight was on the night of 21 Weven, when they made a mass raid on the island of Opil, together with a troop of Hellish adventurers led by a Captain Dhust. The Twisted One had conjured up a White Dragon and a pack of slavering yeti, which were ideal for the snowy conditions. But Jay hated all the cold and wet, and longed for his temperate Southern climes. He rode with Corven and the goblin wargriders. They sacked a small fishing village, and headed for the next. Then they were attacked by Wind Walking ESCUS Clerics and adventurers. For once Jay was grateful for the falling snow, as it covered his escape. Fortunately for him, it seemed the Wind Walkers were after bigger fish. He wished them luck. They would need it against that lot. Later Glersh and Tomec were bragging about which of them had hit the most ESCUS Clerics in the head with envenomed crossbow bolts.
On the night of the 24th they launched a thievish takeout upon an adventurer camp in Garf Lea on the edge of the North West Forest, West of Hotif. The adventurers proved tough opposition, and drove them back to the Mist Portal. Jay was terrified when the Goods came through the Portal after them into their camp. Dhust lost seven of his men. But it seemed Glersh and Tomec had been waiting for this, and after allowing the Goods to kill enough of their own side to start feeling cocky, they closed the Portal and ambushed them. Now Jay realised why they had not come through to support Twilight's Falling and Dhust's men. His group had been the bait. The surviving Goods Teleported out, and most of the Evils retreated to another secret camp, where they started rounding up more goblins. Glersh and Tomec remained, still going on about Harrek being too cowardly to face them.
On 1 Iarom Accapta reported that the Spirits had warned her she would soon be prevented from moving armies through the Mist Portals, as it destroyed the Naturalness of the place. Black accepted this, but Glersh went into a rage, and beat her for it. Jay wanted to defend her, but he knew it would be certain death. Miranda just laughed. Black said they would screw what they could out of the Nature Spirits, and would change to Chaos and Dreams for their connections. Jay was not sure what this meant, but it seemed to put more strain on Corven.
They moved camp again, amidst rumours of spies, and on the night of 5 Iarom attacked the small town of Yrskin, in the Vale of Lystin in the country East of the Kingdom of the North known as the Desolate Coast. There were no Good adventurer teams here, but the local fighters put up a good defence, and managed to cover the evacuation of most of the population. Still, they got in a good pillage, even if the rape was disappointing. They left most of the goblins to it, and escaped to a new camp. To Jay's delight, this was in the Grasslands. Glersh and Tomec joined them the following evening, gloating about having ambushed some more ESCUS Clerics, and bickering about Alador and Team Phoenix. The Horned Rider and the Changers seemed pleased this attack had fulfilled some obscure political objective.
At sunset of the 9th they struck at Ômorin, near Castle Aptal in the Kingdom of the North again. They attempted to take out the ESCUS Church first and to kill the clerics and adventurers. Glersh and Tomec went in on the Ethereal with a couple of big Fire Bombs, and blew up the Church. But it turned out the Goods' Teleport points were now elsewhere, and the alarm was still raised. A running battle developed, as the Evil adventurers attempted to deal with the Good reinforcements Teleporting in. When a Teleport point was identified, they attempted to destroy or guard it. Jay rather enjoyed this, but the points were too dispersed, and they were forced to retreat, leaving the goblins to cover them. Jay's friend and fellow recruit to Twilight Falling, Starling, was lost in this battle. They retreated to a mountain hideout of Accapta's, but were now without an army. Meanwhile Glersh had got into a fight with Team Phoenix, and Tomec had to go off to Hell to collect him, taunting him about being taken out by Alador and having to Recall.
On the 12th it finally all came apart. Black demanded a report on their new "connections". Corven had supposedly been investigating ChaosWalking, but was mostly drunk by then and had little to report. The Twisted One was so mad it was difficult to get anything rational out of him at the best of times. Miranda stirred up Glersh and Tomec against them. Accapta was exhausted from learning new Druidic locations, and her temper was on a short fuse. Red and Black were too disinterested to intervene in the dispute, and the Horned Rider was not around. Glersh attacked Corven, and Accapta defended him. But Glersh only wounded the Raven, who disappeared. That was the last Jay saw of him. Glersh then went for Accapta, who changed to hawk form, and flew off under cover of a sudden fog. Tomec then attacked Glersh for being so stupid, but they stopped fighting when they realised Miranda was laughing at them. She had to do some fast, and seductive, talking to escape their wrath.
Jay and the others were now forced to swear loyalty to Glersh and Tomec. When the Horned Rider returned, He was furious with Glersh for losing their Druidic capability, but Glersh just said it was stupid to rely on a woman. This seemed to be getting Miranda back at her own game, but Jay did not dare to smile.
Things now got really weird, as the Twisted One led them through some strange tunnels to a couple of ambushes on roads somewhere in the North. The first was quickly abandoned, when they ran into King Bjørn's Demon Summoners, but the second was a success.
By 16 Iarom they were on the defensive. The Goods were mopping up their secret camps and attack points, and the Evil leaders were saying Accapta had betrayed them. Jay did not believe them. He suspected it was Corven. The plan now was to lay traps and ambushes for the Goods, but there was so much fighting amongst themselves by now that it was clear to Jay it was all over. He took the first chance he got to escape.
But now he was stuck in this cave, somewhere in the frozen Northern mountains. He could not Teleport, and Harrek's adventurers were out there hunting for hi…
(Transcript of a Speak with Dead delivered to Harrek, 23 Iarom 2502)
"…so I took the Grassie out thievishly from behind, and he never even knew what hit him. We got a really good Speak with Dead out of him, too: all about the big Evils. Harrek said they knew most of it already, of course, but Alador (him of Team Phoenix) said it was 'useful confirmation'. Still, it was good experience, and made a welcome change from freezing our butts off in that draughty old Church. At least in SARAN Temples the doors and windows all fit in the frames!
"So what about you, Gerard - did you see much action?"
"Well, Roland, actually it wasn't bad. I saw action at the big show on Opil, and at Ômorin. Some good solid army combat really…"
The two young Champions of the Valdrean Noble House of Normeikl sat at the High Table in the Mess Hall of the House, beneath the tattered banners and the large portrait of Kostof I, the last Normeikl Emperor. They had just finished a particularly good dinner, and were now sampling the House's fine vintage Hapral ports.
"Do you reckon it was worth it?"
"Weelll… the pay was a joke, of course. But the cause was righteous: protecting the Empire's Allies, and thugging Evil and Chaos!"
"Ha! Ha!… burp! Er, excuse me!"
"And, like I say, I got some okay experience. But you, and some of the others, weren't so luck… favoured by SARAN. Frankly, I think we'd have been better off at Kyarlin's show in the Dungeons."
"What? All that manning barricades in the dark waiting for Balrogs to blip in behind you? Gives me the willies just thinking about it!"
"Oh come on! It's not that bad. At least it's warm, and the Dwarves brew decent beer - not like that Northern piss! And they got some really serious combat. From what I hear, there was a pitched battle up there. You know that Kyarlin and the Dwarves have had Heaven under siege for some time now?"
"Right…"
"Well, they launched a big assault to try and break through the Evil lines (classic siege warfare stuff really), and it was going really well too. But the Evils were like letting them overextend themselves, 'cos then they sallied from above at another point in the defenses, and counterattacked from below at the point where our lot where attacking, trying to break the siege. You with me so far?"
"Sure, but I don't quite see what the salt cellar is supposed to represent."
"Er, that's just some of the other troops who weren't committed."
"Sounds like me in that church!"
"Right. Anyway, all Hell breaks loose at this point (get it?), and this is where we missed all the experience. Kyarlin was in the thick of it, of course. Arril must really be shitting himself, all the experience that guy must have got."
"Come on! Not Arril."
"Okay, so why is he off taking personal charge of that Army they're mobilising in North-West Gap Military Area then?"
"The Badlander Clans are gathering again. They've called one of those Clanmeets of theirs at Horning Crags on the first day of Spring."
"Sounds like an excuse for a fertility festival to me!"
"Whoahh! But seriously, when did those guys need an excuse? I hear that McAndar is back. He must be spoiling for revenge after Tindral whipped him at Meldiron. They'll be raping our women and pillaging our towns all over again. Arril's got to stop him before he gets started, or it'll be the end of him politically."
"I'll tell you what I heard…"
"Go on…"
"Well, they're saying old Stirros III of Satril will be there too."
"Oh come on! They always say that! Why it was only last month (wasn't it?) they were saying he was in Korred. I mean, Korred! It's a SARAN-forsaken little town in the back of beyond that we only annexed to save the locals from themselves! What would he be doing there?"
"Exactly! Isn't that just the sort of place you'd go if you wanted to hide from the ISS and stir up some trouble for the Empire? If he wasn't there, then what were the ISS doing out in Torel then?"
"Who knows? Who cares? Better not ask, if you know what I mean… Anyway, you were telling me what happened in this battle in the Dungeons…"
"Was I? Oh yes. Well that was about it really. Lots of dwarves and orcs got killed, but no Normeikl Champions above us (more's the pity!). But it all ended up pretty much the same as before: Heaven still under siege, Evils still probing from below. Lots of opportunities for more experience."
"So I hear Kyarlin's having a big recruiting drive."
"That's right. Him and the dwarves. There's talk of a 'big military expedition' (which could mean anything), and they're ferrying in supplies like nobody's business. If you can't get a Teleport to Venture, you can earn a bit just guarding the ships from pirates."
"Not Teleport! Who are you kidding? So, are you going to volunteer?"
"I think so. It's either that or the Badlanders, and that show may not even go down. At least in the Dungeons you're pretty much guaranteed wandering monsters, plus a few attacks by orcs and trolls and things."
"I suppose you're right, but it's a hell of a lot more pleasant riding around the countryside, saving the grateful womenfolk from the Evil Bandits!"
"Badlanders…"
"Whatever… So there's also this Kyr thing."
"That? You must be joking! More sitting around in cold churches with a load of hairy Northeners. They haven't even asked for our help. Just some local madmen."
"So it's the Dungeons then?"
"Got to be. That Kyarlin may not be a proper Valdrean, but he knows what he's doing."
"Here's to us then!"
"Cheerssh!"
"I am the True Messiah!" shouted Wolf, and the Faithful cheered loudly. For too long had they waited, and now He had come.
"They say in the Kingdom of the North that Harrek Duke of Grinen was the New Messiah. But he did a deal quickly enough when King Bjørn offered it to him, didn’t he? He is just another part of the Establishment!" The crowd booed in derision.
"How can he be a true ESCUS worshipper if he conspires with the oppressors of the poor? The corrupt Demon-Summoning Kings, the Valdrean upper-class bully-boys? I tell you he was a False Messiah, sent by Hell to corrupt the Faithful. Only I am the True Messiah!" More cheers.
"And what about his whore Sabrina? They say she is the White Lady: an Angel of ESCUS. But ESCUS’ Angels are pure. They do not sleep with common men. She is nothing but a harlot!" More boos and whistles.
"The True White Lady is a woman of the people: a she-wolf who champions the cause of the ordinary woman, as the True Messiah is champion of the ordinary man - like you, and your good wife. I give you Bera, the True White Lady!" Bera stepped forward, smiled and raised her axe, and the crowd went wild.
Wolf held up his hands and motioned for silence. "Thank you, good men (and women) of Kyr! Followers of the Way of the Wolf, which is the One True Path, as ESCUS has taught. You are all Good, and true. But, I tell you, Dark Times are upon us. The Dark Ones - foul servants of ALTIS" (boos) "of HAERIM" (jeers) "and of TERRIK" (angry shouts) "have corrupted the very men who are supposed to lead and protect us. Harrek, the False Messiah, is one of Them. Bjørn is another. His family have long been ESCUS-hating Demon-worshippers. They sit in their council chambers with the sinister Apostles of RAVAR and with Alador, the Valdreans’ lackey who tells them their future, which is dictated in Hell itself!" (Much anger in the crowd)
"My friends, please! It pains me to tell you this, but you must know the whole truth. For I am the True Messiah, and I cannot lie to you. Our King, Zorgar, has been corrupted too. He too consorts with Bjørn, Harrek the False Messiah, and the Dark Ones. Why did he billet the Valdrean thugs, the servants of Harrek, on our good people? I will tell you why. To spy on us! To suppress us! To ‘keep us in order’! Well, I tell you, we will not be ‘kept in order’!" By now the crowd were shouting, and waving their weapons. Some were baying like wolves, and fighters were frothing at the mouths.
"Follow me! Follow the True Messiah! Follow Bera, the White Lady! Follow ESCUS! Follow the Way of the Wolf! The Way of your forefathers! Together we shall throw off this Evil yoke! Cleanse our Churches of the Evil that infests them! Kill the Dark Ones! Save our beloved island of Kyr! For ESCUS, for your children, and for your children’s children…"
If Wolf said more, it was drowned out in the baying and shouting. The Wolf Cult of Kyr was on the warpath again, and blood would flow.
Your plots are requested for Spring 2503. See How to submit your Plot for guidance.
For the latest news, remember to visit the rumourmonger.
© P.R. Wild, 25 June 1997
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